SAILING INSTRUCTIONS - LWA Summer and Icebreaker Series 2010
The Organising Authority is the London Windsurfing Association.
	MELTING POT: Feb 13 Queen Mary SUMMER SERIES: March 20 Sat             Bough Beech SC April 24 Sat   Brogborough SC May 15 Sat   Fisher Green SC June 19 Sat  Bewl SC July 10 Sat  Queen Mary SC Sept 4/5 Sat/Sun Oxford SC (UKWA 2 day Inlands, LWA Sat only) Oct 4th Sat King George SC   ICEBREAKER SERIES: Nov 6 Sat  Bewl SC Nov 20 Sat   Queen Mary SC Nov 27 Sat Oxford SC
1	RULES
1.1	The events and the series will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012. These include Appendix A (Scoring), Appendix B (windsurfing competition rules), the Prescriptions of the RYA, the Notice of Race, these Sailing Instructions, and the rules of the relevant International classes as amended by national class rules where applicable.
1.2	Club or council rules and byelaws apply if displayed on the premises of the club or council hosting the event.
1.3	Under rule 87, a) International Raceboard class rule C.1.1(a) is changed to allow competitors in the Raceboard fleet to use 3 sails per event for National competition. b) The Techno 293 class rules are changed for National competition by the latest RYA rules.
2	NOTICES TO COMPETITORS Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located at the race office.
3	CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
3.1	Any change to the sailing instructions will be notified at the Briefing or will be posted at least 30 minutes before the warning signal of the race or races affected. (As amended for LWA Events)
3.2	N/A for LWA events
4	SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
4.1	Signals made ashore will be displayed at a location that will be indicated at the Briefing. (As amended for LWA Events)
4.2	N/A for LWA Events
4.3	When requested by the Race Officer all personnel shall wear a personal flotation device to an appropriate standard at all times when afloat except briefly while changing or adjusting clothing or personal equipment (changes rules 1.2 and 40). Wet suits and dry suits are not personal flotation devices (As amended for LWA events)
4.4	When requested by the Race Officer every competitor shall wear a wetsuit or drysuit while afloat. A wetsuit is defined as a neoprene garment covering at least the shoulders, torso and legs. (As amended for LWA events)
5	SCHEDULE OF RACES
5.1	The normal programme will be 4 races per day. The programme may be varied by signals ashore or afloat without the posting of an amendment, or verbally by the Race Officer. (As amended for LWA events)
5.2	The scheduled time of the first start signal is 11:00 (As amended for LWA events)
5.3	(N/A for LWA events)
6	FLEET FLAGS
	Fleet flags will be:   Techno __R___ Raceboard __R___ RS:X __R___ Formula __F___   (As amended for LWA events)
7	SAFETY PROCEDURES
7.1	All competitors who will be under the age of 17 on 31st December 2010 shall wear a personal flotation device to an appropriate standard at all times when afloat except briefly while changing or adjusting clothing or personal equipment (changes rules 1.2 and 40). Wet suits and dry suits are not personal flotation devices.
7.2	If conditions dictate, the organisers may require all competitors to wear personal flotation devices and/or wet or dry suits – See SI 4.
7.3	Tally system (N/A for LWA events)
7.3.1	(N/A for LWA events)
7.3.2	(N/A for LWA events)
7.3.3	(N/A for LWA events)
7.3.4	(N/A for LWA events)
7.3.5	(N/A for LWA events)
7.4	A board that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.
7.5	When the race committee considers that a competitor is in difficulty, it may instruct the competitor to accept help, retire, or sail ashore (changes rule 4).
8	COURSES
8.1	The course to be sailed will be described at a briefing. Diagrams on the LWA website show the some of the courses that may be used. (As amended for LWA events)
8.2	(N/A for LWA events)
9	MARKS
9.1	Course marks will be indicated at the Briefing. (As amended for LWA events)
9.2	The starting marks will normally be a committee boat at the starboard end and a mark to be indicated at the Briefing at the port end. (As amended for LWA events)
9.3	The finishing marks will normally be a committee boat at the leeward end and the leeward mark at the windward end. (As amended for LWA events)
9.4	A board shall not touch a starting or finishing vessel (changes rule B2.5).
10	THE START
10.1	Races will normally be started using rule 26 with the warning signal for each succeeding fleet normally made 1 minute after the preceding starting signal unless otherwise indicated at the Briefing. (As amended for LWA events)
10.2	The normal starting line will be between a staff on the committee boat as indicated at the briefing at the starboard end and the windward side of the port-end starting mark. (As amended for LWA events)
10.3	Boards whose warning signal has not been made shall avoid the starting area during the starting sequence for other races.
10.4	A board starting later than 4 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start without a hearing (changes rule A4 and A5).
10.5	Attention signal Unless indicated otherwise at the Briefing, at the beginning of each series of starts (to alert boards that a race or sequence of races will begin soon) flag F will be displayed with one sound two minutes before the first warning signal and removed with one sound one minute later. A fleet flag (or flags) may be displayed with flag F to indicate the fleet(s) that will be starting first. (As amended for LWA events)
10.6	The normal order of fleets within a series of starts will be:   Start 1:     Techno, Raceboard & RS:X     Start 2: FW (As amended for LWA events)
10.7	In rule 30.1 (I flag) - delete "or one of its extensions".
10.8	In rule 30.3 (Black flag) add after “…the race committee shall display her sail number” the words “or otherwise inform her”.
10.9	(N/A for LWA events)
11	CHANGE OF THE NEXT LEG OF THE COURSE To retain the intended alignment of the course to the wind, the race committee may move a mark or the finish line up to 150 metres without signalling the change (changes rule 33).
12	THE FINISH
12.1	The normal finishing line will be between a staff displaying an “S” flag on the finishing vessel at the leeward end and the leeward mark at the windward end. (As amended for LWA events)
12.2	Unless otherwise indicated at the Briefing, numeral pennant 2 displayed at the finishing line means that a new starting sequence will begin as soon as possible after the finish of the race in progress. This signal may be repeated ashore. (As amended for LWA events)
12.3	If the race committee signals a shortened course (flag S) at the finish line, boards will finish at the designated finishing line (amends rule 32.2). (As amended for LWA events)
12.4	If the race committee signals a shortened course (flag S) at any other mark or gate, the finishing line shall be between the staff displaying the flag and the nearby mark, or between the gate marks.
12.5	If the race committee displays flags C and S at a rounding mark or gate, boards shall proceed from the mark or gate directly to the designated finishing line (amends rule 32.2 and 33 and Race Signals). The boat will draw attention to this signal by making intermittent sound signals.
12.6	Grand Prix finish Unless otherwise specified at the Briefing or by the Race Officer verbally all LWA events use a Grand Prix finish. In this case   there will be no separate finishing mark or set number of laps, each lap will be the same for all boards, and the approximate race duration will be specified. Shortly before the finish, flag S will be displayed on the finishing vessel (with two sound signals) *.  All boards will finish when they next pass between the finishing vessel and the nearby mark of the course. Any boards completing one lap fewer than the leading board will be scored in their finishing order after those completing the full number of laps, and so on for those completing two or more rounds fewer. *  Note that the first board to be finished will often not be the leader.  The display of flag S will usually be timed to avoid slower boards being sent on another lap rather than just before the leaders finish. (As amended for LWA events)
12.7	Competitors shall make every effort to avoid the finishing line once they have finished and before their next race.
13	PENALTY SYSTEM
13.1	Exoneration Penalty A boat that may have broken a rule of Part 2 may, after finishing the race concerned and before the start of a related protest hearing, notify the race committee that she accepts a 20% scoring penalty as stated in rule 44.3(c), except that the minimum penalty is five places if that does not result in a score worse than DNF. This penalty does not reverse an OCS score, or a disqualification under rule 30.3. It is not available for a breach of rule 2 or of class rules or for gross misconduct under rule 69. Nor is it available to a boat that caused injury or serious damage, or gained a significant advantage by her breach: in these circumstances, her penalty is to retire.   (NB Rule 2 referred to above is “Fair Sailing” - recognized principles of sportsmanship and fair play.)
13.2	When an Exoneration Penalty is accepted, (a) Neither the boat nor a protest committee may then revoke or remove the penalty. (b) The boat shall not be penalized further in a protest hearing when the protest committee decides that it was appropriate to the facts found and the applicable rules.   When a board accepts an Exoneration Penalty, the designation XPA (Exoneration Penalty Accepted) will be used. If she retires, she will be scored RAF.
14	TIME LIMITS AND TARGET TIMES
14.1	If no board in a fleet has passed the first mark within 15 minutes the race will be abandoned.
14.2	There is no time limit for a race, but the intention is to have most boards finish within 40 minutes for raceboards and 30 minutes for FW. To achieve this, the race committee may shorten the course or make an equitable arrangement to award finishing positions to back-markers although they have not yet finished. This changes rules 32, 35, A4 and A5.
15	PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS
15.1	Protest forms are available at the race office. Protests and requests for redress or reopening shall be delivered there within the time limit.
15.2	For each fleet, the protest time limit is 20 minutes after the last board in that fleet has finished the last race of the day. (As amended for LWA events)
15.3	Notices will be posted no later than 10 minutes after the protest time limit to inform competitors of hearings in which they are parties or named as witnesses. A further notice will be posted with details of the location of the protest room and the time for the first hearing. (As amended for LWA events)
15.4	A board that has taken a penalty or retired under RRS 44.1 shall complete an acknowledgement form at the race office within the protest time limit.
15.5	Advisory Hearing When there is an incident that will not result in the lodging of a protest or a request for redress, a boat, protest committee or race committee may request an advisory hearing with the race office, and notify any board involved in the incident. An adviser will then call a hearing to learn what may have happened and will state whether any rule appears to have been broken, and by which board. A board may as a result notify the race office that she accepts an Exoneration Penalty when it applies to the incident, or choose to retire.
15.6	RYA Arbitration a) When a protest or request for redress is lodged, a board may at the same time request RYA Arbitration, or the protest committee or race committee may offer it. b) If the parties and a member of the protest or race committee agree that RYA Arbitration is suitable, an arbitrator (who may be that member of the protest committee) will call a hearing conforming to Section B of Part 5 of the RRS, except that rule 64.1(a) will not apply. Instead, when the arbitrator decides that a boat that is a party to the arbitration hearing has broken a rule for which the Exoneration Penalty is available, the party will be invited to accept that penalty, and, if it is accepted by a protested board, the protesting boat will be allowed to withdraw the protest, changing rule 63.1. c) When there is not an agreement to use RYA Arbitration, or when, after RYA Arbitration, a protest is not withdrawn or the Exoneration Penalty is not applicable to the facts, there will be a normal protest hearing, at which the arbitrator may be a member of the protest committee. Rule 66 will not apply to the arbitration decision. A boat may still accept an Exoneration Penalty at any time before the start of a protest hearing and receive its protection from further penalization. She may also retire. d) When redress is offered and accepted at the RYA Arbitration, the protest committee or race committee may seek to have this reviewed by asking for a full hearing. When redress is offered and not accepted, or not offered at all, the boat may have her request heard before a protest committee.
15.7	Breaches of sailing instructions 7.3, 7.4, 10.3, 10.9, 12.7, 15.4, 17, 18 and 19 will not be grounds for a protest by a board. This changes rule 60.1(a). Penalties for these breaches may be an exoneration penalty if the protest committee so decides.
15.8	A request for reopening a hearing shall be delivered no later than 10 minutes after the requesting party was informed of the decision. This changes rule 66. (As amended for LWA events)
16	EVENT SCORING
16.1	2 races must be completed for the event to count towards the Series, although event prizes will be awarded if at least 1 race has been completed. (As amended for LWA events)
16.2	(a) When fewer than 3 races have been completed, a board's series score shall be the total of her race scores. (b) When from 3 to 6 races have been completed, a board's series score shall be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score. (As amended for LWA events)
16.3	Rule B8.8 (Ties) is deleted
17	EQUIPMENT AND MEASUREMENT CHECKS A board or equipment may be inspected at any time for compliance with the class rules and sailing instructions. On the water, a board can be instructed by a race committee equipment inspector or measurer to proceed immediately to a designated area for inspection.
18	SUPPORT BOATS Team leaders, coaches and other support personnel shall stay outside areas where boards are racing from the time of the preparatory signal for the first class to start until all boards have finished or retired or the race committee signals a postponement, general recall or abandonment.
19	LITTER DISPOSAL Boards shall not put litter in the water. Litter may be placed aboard support and race committee boats.
20	RADIO COMMUNICATION A board shall neither make nor receive radio or mobile telephone transmissions while racing.
21	PRIZES A list of prizes to be awarded may be posted on the ONB after registration is completed.
22	DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See rule 4, Decision to Race. The organising authority will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the regatta. Competitors are entirely responsible for their own safety, whether afloat or ashore, and nothing reduces this responsibility. It is for competitors to decide whether their board is fit to sail in the conditions in which it will find itself. By launching or going to sea competitors confirm the board is fit for those conditions and that they are competent to sail and compete in them. Nothing done by the organisers can reduce the responsibility of the owners and/or competitors, nor will it make the organisers responsible for any loss, damage, death or personal injury, however it may have occurred, as a result of the board taking part in the racing. The organisers encompass everyone helping to run the event. The provision of patrol boats does not relieve owners and competitors of their responsibilities. Parents or guardians of minors have an additional responsibility for their children and to make the decision as to whether he or she is fit to sail in the conditions that prevail or are forecast.
23	INSURANCE Each participating board shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance with a minimum cover of £2,000,000 per event or the equivalent.