1. RULES
1.1 The Regatta will be governed by the I.S.A.F. Racing Rules of Sailing for 1997-2000 (RRS), the S.C.I.R.A. Rules for Conducting National and International Championship Regattas (RCNICR), and by these Sailing Instructions (SI).
1.2 The Regatta is Category "A" event per RRS Appendix G as specifically modified by the S.C.I.R.A. Event Sponsorship Policy.

2. ENTRIES
The Regatta is open to S.C.I.R.A. registered boats and skippers of European nationality, and shall be entered by completing registration with the Sport Club do Porto - Centro de Vela (Race Office of the Regatta), until 12:00 hours of the 25th July 1998.

3. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
3.1 Notices to competitors will be posted on the Official Notice Board, located near the Race Office of the Regatta.
3.2 A notice posted on the Official Notice Board replaces any individual notification to each competitor.

4. CHANGES IN THE SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
4.1 Any change to the Sailing Instructions will be posted on the Official Notice Board before 10:00 hours on the day it will take effect, except that any change in the schedule of races will be posted by 20:00 hours on the previous day.
4.2 Changes to the Sailing Instructions will be signalled in accordance with SI 5.3.

5. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
5.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed at the flagpole of the Sport Club do Porto - Centro de Vela, located near the Race Office of the Regatta.
5.2 RRS Race Signal "AP" means: "The race is postponed. The warning signal will be made not less than 60 minutes after "AP" is lowered".
5.3 RRS Race Signal "L" means: "A change to the Sailing Instructions has been posted".
5.4 Code flag "B" hoisted with one sound signal means: "Protest time has begun". When lowered with one sound signal means: "Protest time has ended".

6. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND RACES 6.1 Events and races are schedule as follows:

Events			Day		Date		Time
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Registration		Saturday,	July 25		10h00 - 12h00
Prize Giving Ceremony	Sunday,		July 26		19h30

Races			 Day		Date		Warning Signal
------------------------------------------------------------------------
First race of the day	Saturday,	July 25		13h30
First race of the day	Sunday,		July 26		11h00

7. CLASS FLAG
Class flag will be the International Snipe Class flag.

8. RACING AREA
8.1 The racing area will be off Leixões harbour, in an area comprised between Lavadores and Boa Nova, as shown in Annex A.
8.2 The location of the racing area for each race may vary at the discretion of the Race Committee who will signal it by displaying code flags "C over L" on the Race Committee boat.

9. RACE COURSES 9.1 The courses will be S.C.I.R.A. type: "Olympic", "Triangle" or "Windward-Leeward" at the discretion of the Race Committee and determined by wind and wave conditions.
9.2 Diagrams in Annex B show the courses, including the approximate angles between legs and the order in which marks are to be passed.
9.3 All marks will be left to port.
9.4 Mark 1 will be laid approximately at one nautical mile from the starting line.
9.5 The approximate compass bearing from the middle point of the starting line to mark 1 will be displayed from the starboard side of the Race Committee boat.
9.6 Courses will not be shortened. This changes RRS 32.

10.MARKS

10.1 Marks 1, 2 and 3 will be orange cylindrical inflated buoys.
10.2 When the course is changed after the start, the new mark will be an orange cylindrical inflated buoy with a blue band.

11.MARK BOATS
11.1 Mark boats may be stationed near the course marks and will display a yellow flag marked "RC", when on station.
11.2 Failure of a mark boat to be on station or to display the flag, will not be grounds for redress. This changes RRS 62.1 (a).

12.THE START
12.1 Races will be started using RRS 26, System 1.
12.2 Starting line will be between staffs displaying orange flags on two Race Committee boats, at each end of the line.
12.3 If conditions so require, the Race Committee boats can maintain station on the starting line with their engines on.
12.4 Course signals, code flags: "O" for Olympic, "T" for Triangle and "W" for Windward-Leeward, will be hoisted not later than one minute before the first warning signal for that race.
12.5 If a postponement is signalled after the preparatory signal, the next preparatory signal will be made one minute after the lowering of the postponement signal, unless that postponement was necessitated by a new course selection.
12.6 Race Committee may use RRS 30.1 (race signal "I") after the first general recall of a race.
12.7 Race Committee may use RRS 30.2 (race signal "Z") after the second general recall of the same race.
12.8 Race Committee may use RRS 30.3 (race signal "Black Flag") after the third general recall of the same race.
12.9 A boat shall not start later than 5 minutes after her valid starting signal.

13.RECALLS
13.1 Recalls will be signalled in accordance with RRS 29, with RRS Race Signal "X" displayed at each end of the line, with repetitive horn sound signals during at least one minute. When RRS 30.2 (race signal "Z") or RRS 30.3 (race signal "Black Flag") is in use, no individual recalls will be made.
13.2 If possible, a Race Committee boat near the mark 1 will call the attention of the "OCS"s (premature starters), which failed to exonerate themselves, or have his sail numbers displayed at the Race Committee boat if a start is made with black flag rule, by pointing them with a code flag "X" or a black flag, respectively. Repetitive sound signals may be made to draw attention.
13.3 A boat called in accordance with SI 13.2 shall rapidly leave the racing area, unless it immediately displays a protest flag. If no valid request for redress is lodged or redress is not granted, the International Jury may impose a "DND" (disqualification not discardable).

14.CHANGES OF COURSE AFTER THE START
14.1 A change of the course after the start, made in accordance with RRS 33, will be signalled before the leading boat has begun the new leg, although the new mark may not then be in position.
14.2 Any mark to be rounded after rounding the new mark may be relocated to maintain the original course configuration.
14.3 When in a subsequent change of the course a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced with an original mark.
14.4 A change of the course will be signalled, near the mark beginning the leg to be changed, and all boats shall sail between the Race Committee boat and the nearby mark, leaving the mark to port and the boat to starboard. This changes RRS 28.1.

15.THE FINISH
15.1 The finishing line will be between a staff flying an orange flag on the Race Committee boat at the starboard end of the line, displaying a blue flag when on station, and mark 1 at the port end of the line.
15.2 If conditions so require, the Race Committee boat can maintain station on the finishing line with its engine on.
15.3 RRS Race Signal "L" when hoisted on the Race Committee boat at the finishing line means: "Another race will be sailed, as soon as the present one ends. Go to the starting area".

16.PENALTY SYSTEM
The alternative penalty 720º turns, as RRS 44 will apply.

17.TIME LIMIT
The time limit for the first boat to finish will be two and a half-hour from the time of the start, and the time for completion of the first lap will be 75 minutes. Any boat finishing more than 30 minutes after the first boat, or after the time limit, whichever is later, will be scored "DNF" (did not finish). This changes RRS 35.

18.PROTESTS
18.1 Protests shall be written on forms available at the Race Office and delivered there within the protest time.
18.2 Protest time begins at the return of the Race Committee to shore, is ended one hour after, and will be posted on the Official Notice Board and signalled as per SI 5.4.
18.3 Notices informing the parties of the protest of the approximate time of the hearing will be posted on the Official Notice Board, as soon as possible, and not later than 30 minutes after the end of the protest time.
18.4 It is intended that protests are heard in the approximate order of receipt and parties and witnesses are requested to remain in the vicinity of the Jury Room to expedite hearings.
18.5 Protest hearings will be held at the Jury Room close to the Race Office of the Regatta.

19.SCORING
19.1 The RRS Appendix A Bonus Point scoring system will be used.
19.2 The number of races scheduled is 6, and the worst score will be discarded if more than 4 valid races are completed.
19.3 "DND" (disqualification not discardable) will be a disqualification resulting from the protest of an infraction to RRS Fundamental Rule 2, a disqualification resulting from the protest of an infraction that was eligible for an alternate penalty solution or, an unsuccessful request for redress. This changes RRS Appendix A 1.3.

20.OFFICIAL BOATS
Race Committee boats will display a yellow flag marked "RC".

21.SAFETY REGULATIONS
21.1 A boat that retires from a race shall, when possible, notify a Race Committee boat before leaving the course and also notify the Race Office when arriving.
21.2 Boats not leaving the harbour for the day's races shall inform the Race Office, as soon as possible.

22.PRIZES
22.1 The Perpetual Trophy "European Snipe Cup" donated by S.C.I.R.A. United Kingdom will be awarded to the winning skipper, whom will be responsible for engraving, safekeeping and return of trophy to site of next competition.
22.2 The Perpetual Trophy "Manuel Menéres" donated by João Menéres will be awarded to the winning skipper, and Sport Club do Porto will be responsible for safekeeping the trophy to the next competition.
22.3 Special and original Trophies for place from first to third will be awarded for skippers and crews.

23.DISCLAIMER
The Organizing Authority or any part involved in the organization of this event disclaim, any and every responsibility whatsoever for loss, damage, injury or inconvenience that might occur to persons and goods, both ashore and at sea, as a consequence of the participation in the races covered by these Sailing Instructions. Attention is drawn to RRS Fundamental Rule 4, which states: "A boat is solely responsible for deciding whether or not to start or to continue racing".

24.LANGUAGE
The official language will be English, both written and oral. The use of the Portuguese language, as secondary, is the prerogative of the hosting country. In case of conflict the English version of these Sailing Instructions will prevail.

Appendix A - course diagrams (see MS Word Document)