Racing Schedule & SI

WATCH HILL YACHT CLUB

WATCH HILL, RHODE ISLAND

One-Design Racing Series

2025 Edition

Drafted March 26, 2025

Effective May 1, 2025

Sailing Instructions

1.     Rules

1.1.     The races will be governed by the Rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2025-2028, including US Sailing Prescriptions, relevant Class Rules and this Sailing Instruction (SI).

1.2.     All boats shall comply with their one-design class rules.

2.     Notices to Competitors

Notices to competitors will be posted on the WH-15 Bulletin Board inside the lower deck of the WHYC. As a courtesy, information is provided on the club website but in case of conflict the posting at the club governs.

3.     Changes to Sailing Instructions

Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted no later than 2 hours before the first warning of the day, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted by 2000 on the day before it will take effect. Oral changes to these Sailing Instructions may occur on the water.  This will be done by the Race Committee postponing the next start (by displaying the “Answering Pennant”) and requesting all boats to come within hail (by displaying flag “L”) and communicating the changes to all boats.  No race will start under the changed rules until the Race Committee has notified all boats and these changes will only apply for that day’s races.  If the change is to be applied to future days, these Sailing Instructions will be changed in writing as above.

4.     Signals Made Ashore

4.1.     Signals made ashore will be displayed at the WHYC flagpole.

4.2.     When flag “AP” is displayed ashore, competitors are requested to visit the club bulletin board for changes in the warning time.

4.3.     When flag “I” is displayed ashore, races for that day will be moved from Fisher’s Island sound to Little Narragansett Bay.  This Section 4.3 is a change to Race Signals.

5.     Schedule of Races

5.1.     Addendum 2: Schedule of Races provides the dates of racing and scheduled time of the start for the first race of each day. The Race Committee intends to run two races per Saturday series race day but may run more or fewer per day due to conditions or to compensate for abandoned races or for regattas.  The Race Committee intends to run one race per Wednesday series race day.

5.2.     When two or more classes of yachts will race, the Race Committee will determine the order of start and indicate such on a course board from left to right.

5.3.     When more than one race (or sequence of races, for two or more classes) will be held on the same day, the warning signal for each succeeding race will be made as soon as practicable. To alert yachts that the next race or sequence of races will begin soon, several sounds will be made at least 30 seconds before a warning signal is displayed.

5.4.     A race may be abandoned or postponed if at least three yachts of a class do not come to the starting area. If three or more boats of any class are present they will race as a separate class.

6.     Class Flags

7.     Racing Area

When racing, areas designated in section 7.1 and 7.2 below are exclusion zones and shall be designated as Obstructions:

7.1.     In Little Narragansett Bay, the area defined by N “20”, N “22” and the rock marker in the vicinity of Seal Rock

7.2.     In Fisher’s Island Sound, the area between the Napatree jetty and the shore west of Napatree Point.

8.     The Courses

8.1.     The Race Committee will designate the course for the race by posting the rounding marks of the course in the sequence in which they are to be passed on a course board.  The Race Committee may (but is not required to) provide the compass-heading to the first mark and wind speed on a separate course board.

8.2.     A red letter or number on the course board will indicate the mark is to be rounded on port; a green letter or number will indicate the mark is to be rounded on starboard.

8.3.     When racing through Sandy Point channel

8.3.1.        from Fisher’s Island Sound to Little Narragansett Bay, yachts must leave RG N “SP” to port, the Folly at the north end of Sandy Point to starboard;

8.3.2.        from Little Narragansett Bay to Fisher’s Island Sound, yachts must leave the Folly at the north end of Sandy Point to port and RG N “SP” to starboard;

8.3.3.        In either direction, channel markers R “14”, R “10” and G “5” in Sandy Point Channel must be honored.

8.4.     When racing between Little Narragansett Bay and Watch Hill Harbor, channel markers R “2”, C “1”, N “4” and C “3” at the entrance to the harbor must be honored.

8.5.     The starting line (Section 10.2  of this SI) and finishing line (Section 12.1 of this SI) will be open.

9.     Marks

9.1.     The marks of the course will be government navigational aids and inflatable marks as specified in “Addendum 1: Course Marks”.  Inflatable marks will normally be orange tetrahedrons. Other color inflatable marks or buoys may be used as necessary and if different courses are being sailed by different classes.

9.2.     The final “rounding mark” on the right-most side of the course board (described in Section 8.1 of this SI) designates the Finish Mark.  It is typically displayed using black letters or numbers, but in the case where it is not black, its right-most place on the course board is sufficient designation as the Finish Mark.

10.  The Start

10.1.   All yachts must check-in by hailing the Race Committee boat prior to the warning signal for their class.

10.2.   The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the Race Committee boat and an inflatable mark identified as “X” in “Addendum 1: Course Marks”.

10.3.   As a courtesy, the Race Committee will attempt to hail sail numbers of OCS yachts using a bullhorn, the chase boat or VHF radio. Failure to hail, the timing and order of such hails, or misunderstandings of hails will not be grounds for redress.  This changes Rule 61.

11.  Shortening, Changing or Abandoning After the Start

11.1.   A course may be shortened

11.1.1.     in accordance with Rule 32

or

11.1.2.     from a rounding mark by display of Flag “S” over Flag “F” with two sounds at a rounding mark before the first yacht reaches the mark.  The fleet will then proceed from that mark directly to the finish line defined in Section 9.2 of this SI and finish.  This Section 11.1.2 is a change to Rule 32 and Race Signals.

11.2.   A course may be changed

11.2.1.     in accordance with Rule 33

or

11.2.2.     by display of Flag “C” with repetitive sounds and a whiteboard designation of a new mark location as identified in “Addendum 1: Course Marks”.  This will be signaled at a rounding mark before the first yacht reaches the mark.  For example, the whiteboard signal displayed by a Race Committee boat at mark “1” may show, “B changed to 3”.  Thus, the next rounding would be around an inflatable mark “3” rather than government mark B (as would have been shown on the course board).  This change would apply for every future rounding of the affected mark.  This change may also include signals required by Rule 33 as deemed necessary by the Race Committee.  This is a change to Rule 33.

11.3.   A race may be abandoned in accordance with Rule 32.

12.  The Finish

12.1.   The finishing line will be designated as a line between the staff displaying the Orange flag on the Race Committee boat and the Finish Mark called out on the course board (as described in Section 9.2 of this SI), unless

12.1.1.     the course is shortened in accordance with Rule 32.2;

12.1.2.     the race is abandoned;

12.1.3.     “YC” is the Finish Mark.

12.2.   The “YC” Finish Mark indicates the finish line will be at the Watch Hill Yacht Club between the easternmost point of the WHYC dock and channel marker C “5”.

13.  Penalty System

13.1.   A yacht which has caused Hard Contact with another yacht shall retire.  Rule 44.1 is changed to include this requirement.  Rule 44.1(b) is changed to read:

if a boat caused injury or damage or Hard Contact or gained a significant advantage in the race or series by her breach, her penalty shall be to retire.

“Hard Contact” is contact between the hard surfaces of one yacht and the hard surfaces or crew of another yacht, including contact involving a mast, a boom or a hull. Hard Contact does not include contact with sails or running rigging, contact between a boom and a stay or shroud, and in light air conditions in which the boats do not have steerage way, crew fending off another yacht.

13.2.   Rule 44.3 will not apply.

14.  Time Limits

14.1.   The time limit for finishing for each class will be two hours after the starting signal for that class.

14.2.   The time limit for starting a Weekend Series race will be 1530; no race will begin after this time.

14.3.   The time limit for Wednesday Night races will be determined by the Principal Race Officer (PRO) based upon the sufficiency of light to safely finish the race.

15.  Protests and Requests for Redress

15.1.   A yacht intending to protest or acknowledge an infringement will notify the Race Committee promptly after finishing.

15.2.   Protests will be submitted in writing on forms available from the WHYC office or the Race Committee when docked at the WHYC following the race. Protests will be delivered there.

15.3.   For all classes, the protest time limit is sixty minutes after the last yacht moors following the last race of the day.

15.4.   The PRO will notify competitors of hearings in which they are parties or named as witnesses within 30 minutes of the protest time limit, or as soon as reasonably possible in the case of an absent party.

15.4.1.     Any required or requested protest hearings will be scheduled as soon as possible by the PRO or his/her designee.

16.  Scoring

16.1.   A yacht which does not compete in a series, will not be scored in the series; a yacht that does not compete in a race or races will be scored “the number of yachts competing in the series” + 1 for those races.

16.2.   Scores for each series will be tallied as follows (this changes Rules A2):

16.2.1.     in the Spring, July, August and Fall Series the best sixty percent of the scores during that series will count;

16.2.2.     in the Summer Series (July and August combined) the best seventy percent of the scores during that series will count;

16.2.3.     in the Wednesday Night Series, the best eight scores will count.

Special races are counted toward the series’ scores as noted in Attachment 2.

16.3.   When determining the minimum number of races to score for the series, a calculation that results in a fraction, it will be rounded up to the next higher whole number (e.g. in a 9-race series X 60% = 5.4; minimum number of scored is 6).

16.4.   A yacht’s worst scores will be excluded. The number excluded will be equal to the number of races in the series minus the number to be counted as specified in SI 16.2 through 16.4. This changes Rule A2.

16.5.   A yacht that retires from the race shall notify the Race Committee as soon as possible.

17.  Race Committee Duty

17.1.   Each yacht is requested to serve as assistant to Race Committee for one day of the season.

17.2.   A yacht will be awarded race credit for only one day of race committee duty of the season.

17.3.   Yachts who serve as race committee and do not compete that day shall have those races count as races sailed for that series and be awarded their average finish of scores of that series.

18.  Safety Regulations

18.1.   All yachts shall have one throw-able life cushion or other device that qualifies as Type IV PFD under Coast Guard regulations.  As required by US Sailing, and to comply with state law, all persons on board under 13 years of age must wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket.

18.2.   Spinnakers will not be used on Wednesday Night races.

18.3.   RADIO COMMUNICATIONS: The Race Committee will monitor CH 16 for safety and may communicate with yachts on CH 72.

19.  Insurance & Disclaimer of Liability

19.1.   All yachts competing must have current proof of insurance filed with the Race Committee and the Watch Hill Yacht Club.  This rule specifically applies to competing, not just to scoring.  Each participating yacht shall be insured with valid third-party insurance with a minimum of $300,000 per incident or the equivalent.

19.2.   Competitors participate entirely at their own risk (see RRS 3, Decision to Race).  The Watch Hill Yacht Club will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during or after racing.

Addendum 1: Course Marks

In Little Narragansett Bay

In Fisher’s Island Sound

In Any Location

Addendum 2: Schedule of Races