Jackson Yacht Club
Sailing Instructions

1.      RULES

Races will be governed by the ‘rules’ as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing (2009-2012) and the prescriptions of the US Sailing Association, except as they are modified by these instructions and any amendments hereto.

 2.      ENTRIES

Any boat can participate in the Club Race Series, whether or not the owner of the boat is a club member. The skipper of the boat should notify the Race Committee prior to the Warning Signal to let the Principal Race Officer know his intention. To be eligible to be scored, a boat must be owned by member in good standing of the Jackson Yacht Club.

 Any boat racing in the handicap fleet will be scored in accordance with Paragraph 16.

 3.      CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

 3.1    Any changes to the sailing instructions will:

         a) If in writing, be posted on the bulletin board located in the Jackson Yacht Club clubhouse bar no later than one (1) hour prior to the Starting Signal of any race;

         b) If orally given on the water must be given pursuant to Rule 89.2(c). Oral instruction shall be communicated to each boat before here warning signal after the Race Committee has displayed flag L. Oral changes may be given only on the water.  It is anticipated that oral communications will be used when the Race Officer determines that visual and sound communications may be inadequate or when oral communications are used in conjunction with visual and sound communications. 

4.      SIGNALS MADE ASHORE 

Signals made from shore will be displayed either from the Jackson Yacht club Race Committee pad or hung from the Jackson Yacht club yardarm. The Race Committee pad will be near the base of the Jackson Yacht club flagpole.

5.      SCHEDULE OF RACES

The dates and Warning Signal times for races will be posted on the bulletin board located in clubhouse bar. 

6.      CLASS FLAGS

6.1    One Design: J/22 class - Red flag with white letters.
6.2    Handicap: (Portsmouth / PHRF/Catalina 22) – Pink flag.
6.3    Other Classes: Appropriate class flag or flag as specified by the Race Committee

         Pursuant to Paragraph 3 above.

7.      RACING AREA

The racing area shall be the Ross Barnett Reservoir. 

8.     COURSES

8.1    The course will be displayed from the Race Committee boat or from the Race Committee pad If the Race Committee is ashore or orally announced either from the shore or from the Race Committee signal boat after displaying flag L.

 8.2    An approximate compass heading to the first mark of a course will be displayed or orally announced.

Example: W5 / 180 = Windward and leeward course with five (5) laps and a windwardmark bearing of 180 degrees.

 8.3    One of the following letters and/or numbers may be displayed or orally announced to indicate the course to be sailed. The number of laps to sail may be varied.

    L     SET FROM SHORE: Course Number flags may be displayed and/or course number placed on the course board or orally announced prior to the warning signal.  See Appendix L for Land Based Course Chart.  [ click here for Appendix L ]

    G    GOLD CUP (triangle, windward, leeward).
          See Appendix G.  [ click here for Appendix G ]

    O    OLYMPIC (triangle, windward, leeward, windward).
          See Appendix O.  [ click here for Appendix O ]

    W    WINDWARD AND LEEWARD.
         See Appendix W.  [ click here for Appendix W ]

    T    TRIANGLE (triangle, windward, leeward, windward).
         See Appendix T.  [ click here for Appendix T ]

9.      MARKS

 Marks will be ORANGE shapes. New marks will be YELLOW shapes when changing the position of the next mark. When in a subsequent change, a new mark will be the original ORANGE shape.

 10.    THE START    

10.1   Three (3) boats must start to constitute a race for a one design class. The handicap class (Portsmouth, PHRF, and Catalina 22) will consist of one (1) or more boats.

 10.2    The starting line will be between a pole displaying an ORANGE flag or shape on the Race Committee boat OR the Jackson Yacht Club Race Committee pad and the starting mark.

10.3    Boats whose warning signal has not been made shall avoid the starting area.

10.4    A boat starting later than ten (10) minutes after her starting signal will be scored  “Did Not Start“.

 11.    CHANGE OF THE POSITION OF THE NEXT MARK

 To change the next mark, the Race Committee will lay a new mark (or the finishing line) and remove the original mark as soon as practicable. The change will be signaled before the leading boat has begun the leg, although the new mark may not yet be in position. Any mark to be rounded after sounding the new mark may be relocated without further signaling to maintain the course configuration. When in a subsequent change a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced by an original mark.

 12.    SHORTEN COURSE

 The Race Committee may shorten the course for one (1) class only by displaying the class flag and making the appropriate sound and flag signal.  The course shortened under these circumstances shall not apply to any other class sailing.

 13.    THE FINISH

 The finishing line will be between an ORANGE flag on the Race Committee boat and a mark or the Jackson Yacht Club Race Committee pad and an off shore floating mark.

 14.    TIME LIMIT

14.1   The time limit will be two and one-half (2 ˝) hours for all fleets/classes. Boats failing to finish within the two and one-half (2 ˝) hours limit will be scored “Did Not Finish”.  This changes Rules 35.

14.2   Prior to the expiration of any time period listed in this Rule, the Race Committee may, in its discretion, offer to assign finishing laces to any boats still racing which may be accepted by those boats or, if rejected, such boats must complete the race within the time limit listed herein.

14.3   The first boat of a class that has not reached the windward mark within one (1) hour after starting, the Race Committee shall abandon the race for that class.

15.    PROTESTS

15.1    Protest shall be written on forms available at the Jackson Yacht Club office or the bulletin board at the Jackson Yacht Club.

 15.2    Protests shall be delivered to the Principal Race Officer of the day within thirty (30) minutes of a gun signal made as the Race committee boat docks. If the races are conducted by Land Based Race Committee and are finished off the Jackson Yacht Club point, protest shall be delivered within thirty (30) minutes after the last boat finishes.

 15.3    Protests will not delay announcing of scores. All scores for the race will be announced subject to any pending protest.

 16.    SCORING

 16.1   The Low Point scoring system, Rule A4.1 will apply.

 16.2   A boat that did not finish (DNF), retired after finishing (RAF) or was disqualified (DSQ) shall be scored points for the finishing place one (1) more than the number of boats that that started the race. The  changes Rule A4.2

 16.3   A boat that did not start (DNS) or did not compete (DNC) shall be scored pointsequal to the number of boats entered in the series.  This changes Rule A4.2. The number of boats entered in the series shall be determined by the JYC Race Chairman at the beginning of each series, placed on the Race Committee scorsheet, and shall remain constant for that series.

 16.4  Series Scoring:  Four (4) series are scheduled for the year.  A boat’s best six (6) race scores in a series will be counted for each series and a boat’s best eighteen (18) race scores during the four (4) series will be counted for Overall.  The numberof races needed to qualify for a series or for the year may be changed by the Race Committee.

 16.5  A boat which receives a DNF, DSQ or Retired after finishing (RAF) may utilize that race to be counted as a race for participation in a given series.

 16.6  A boat which receives a DNS or DNC may not utilize that race to be counted as a race in a given series.

 16.7  All boats sailing in the Handicap Fleet and the Catalina 22’s will start and race as one fleet, but will be scored as indicated in the following paragraphs.

 16.8  All boats racing in the Handicap Fleet will be sub divided into either the PHRF Handicap Group, or Portsmouth Handicap Group as determined by the JYC Race    Chairman and or the JYC Handicap committee.

 16.9  Handicap Fleet Boats will be scored within their respective handicap group utilizing the appropriate handicap rating assigned by the JYC Handicap Committee. A boat will receive a score in it's respective group for each race in which it participates, regardless on the number of boats starting the race in that group.

 16.10 To encourage participation, boats which do not have or have not yet received assignment to a handicap group or rating may race with the Handicap Fleet and will have their finish time recorded.  Scoring however, can not be completed until the boat is assigned a handicap group and a rating has been assigned and received by the JYC Race Chairman.

 16.11  Boats in the Catalina 22 Class will be scored as follows:

 (a) Will receive a PHRF Handicap Group score as part of the Handicap Fleet for each race sailed unless the Catalina 22 Fleet is given a separate course or the Catalina 22 fleet is given a shortened course not given to the rest of the Handicap Fleet.

 (b) If three (3) or more Catalina 22’s participate in a given race, each boat will receive a Catalina 22 Fleet score in addition to the PHRF Handicap Group score.

 16.12  To encourage participation in the PHRF Handicap Group by the large cruising boats, a unique Cursing Boat sub Group will be designated for boats 28 Ft. LOA and larger. Assignment to the Cruising Boat group will be determined by the JYC Race Chairman and or the JYC Handicap committee.      

 (a)  Cruising Boat sub Group boats will receive a PHRF handicap score as part of the PHRF Handicap Group for each race sailed.

 (b) If three (3) or more Cruising Boat group boats participate in a given race, each boat will receive Cruising Boat sub Group score in addition to the PHRF Handicap Group score.

18.1   Boats may communicate with the Race Committee boat about safety relatedmatters. Because the Race Committee boat is manned by volunteers, no boat should rely on the Race Committee boat for assistance. The Race committee boat will always respond to a life-threatening situation, even though that is not its primary function. The Race Committee boat will monitor Channel 16. Mississippi law requires that persons who are twelve  (12) years old and younger wear a USCG approved personal flotation device.  Wearing a personal flotation device for all boaters on the water is recommended.

 18.2   Temperature and Wind Velocity. Races will not be started when the temperature is less than 38 degrees Fahrenheit or the average wind velocity is more than 24 knots (28 MPH)  or the heat index is 105 degrees Fahrenheit or greater within one (1) hour prior to the warning signal. The Principal Race Officer will secure this information from the Reservoir Tower, Phone #601-992-9702.

 19.    DURATION OF SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

19.1   These sailing instructions shall remain in effect until revised or superseded by          later instructions.