1 REGATTA MANAGEMENT
All races are under the jurisdiction of the Snipe Class International Racing Association (SCIRA) and under the management of the regatta Race Committee at Severn Sailing Association.

2 RULES
2.1 The current ISAF Racing Rules (RRS) shall govern except as specifically changed by the SCIRA Constitution, By-laws, Rules for Conducting National and International Championships as published in the current Class Rulebook (subsequent amendments), the trophy restrictions of the Roy Yamaguchi Deed of Gift, except as any of these are changed by these Sailing Instructions, and by these Sailing Instructions. Any conflict arising between the Deed of Gift and the SCIRA Rules of Conduct shall be resolved by the application of the Rules of Conduct.
2.2 This regatta is classified as a Category "A" event per Appendix "G" of the RRS.

2.3 The following US Sailing prescription to RRS 68 (Damages) will be in effect for this regatta:
a) A boat that retires from a race or accepts a penalty does not, by that action alone, admit liability for damages.
b) The Jury shall find facts and make decisions only in compliance with the Rules. No Jury, US Sailing or SCIRA appeal authority hall adjudicate any claim for damages. Such a claim is subject to the jurisdiction of the courts.
c) A basic purpose of the rules is to prevent contact between boats. By participating in an event governed by the rules, a boat agrees hat responsibility for damages arising from any breach of the rules shall be based on fault as determined by application of the rules, and that she shall not be governed by the legal doctrine of 'assumption of risk' for monetary damages resulting from contact with another boat.

2.4 An International Jury is constituted and appointed by SCIRA and shall have the authority per rule Appendix "Q". As the Organizing Authority SCIRA reserves for itself the right and responsibility (rule Q2) to decide issues of eligibility, measurement and equipment and to make or approve changes to the sailing instructions. SCIRA may refer any issue to the Jury for advice or decision.

2.5 If the Race Committee makes any signal which requires an attendant sound signal, such a sound signal(s) will be either by gun, cannon, horn or whistle.

3 ENTRY AND ELIGIBILITY
3.1 Eligible boats and Class member skippers may enter by completing registration with SCIRA, the organizing authority.

3.2 The same crew shall race in all races, except for reasons satisfactory to the Jury. Requests shall be submitted in writing to the Jury. Approved crew changes will be posted.

3.3 Once a crew has been excused, she may not return for the balance of the series.

3.4 Competitors shall establish with SCIRA their entry approval and credentials through their own respective National Secretary.

3.5The Race Committee, Jury and SCIRA Representative may inspect boats at any time they are not racing.

3.6 Bow numbers shall be assigned at registration and affixed by each competitor. It shall be each competitor's sole responsibility to properly maintain the numbers. Any boat that is in violation of this instruction is subject to protest and may be assessed the same 20% penalty as a Check In Failure (CNF) for the first race competed in by the infringing boat on the day of the infraction.

4 NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
4.1 Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice boards located on the second floor great room at Severn Sailing Association (SSA) and across from the ground floor snack bar.

4.2 There will be a competitors' meeting on the second floor of the SSA clubhouse on Sunday October 4th at 1100 hours announced by one sound signal.

5 CHANGES IN SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
5.1 Race Committee notices or changes to the Sailing Instructions will be posted and signaled not later than 90 minutes before the next warning signal, except that any change in the schedule of races shall be posted by 2000 hours on the day before it will take effect.

5.2 Any change or amendment to the Sailing Instructions must have the prior approval of the SCIRA Representative and the Principal Race Officer.

6 SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
6.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed at the SSA flag hoist and announced by the appropriate sound signal per Race Signals.

6.2 Pennant "AP" with two sound signals (one when removed) means the race is postponed. The next warning signal will be made not less than 75 minutes after the "AP" is lowered.

6.3 Pennant "AP" over Flag "H" shall mean "Boats shall not leave the launching basin until this signal is lowered".

6.4 Flag "L" and an attendant numeral pennant will indicate that a change or amendment to the Sailing Instructions has been posted. The specific numeral pennant will indicate the identifying number of the most recent posting and will remain displayed. When so used, Flag "L" will remain displayed for a minimum of one hour.

6.5 Flag "B" displayed with an attendant sound signal indicates that a notice has been posted in accordance with Sailing Instruction 17.2 stating the time that the main Race Committee boat has docked. The flag will be lowered to half mast to indicate that less than 30 minutes remain before the protest filing period ends. When removed it means the protest filing time has ended.

7 SCHEDULE OF RACES

Race			Day and Time		Time of Warning Signal
1			Sunday October 4 	1315 hours
2 & 3 (+ make up)	Monday October 5	1100 hours
4 & 5 (+ make up)	Tuesday October 6	1100 hours
6 & 7 (+ make up)	Wednesday October 7	1100 hours

7.2 No more than three races will be sailed on any day and no warning signal will be made after 1630 hours on all days.

7.3 The warning signal for the next race will be made as soon as possible following completion of the previous race.

8 RACING AREA
The Racing Area is on Chesapeake Bay as indicated by the chart posted on the official notice board.

9 COURSES
9.1 Three courses, as shown in the diagrams, may be used. All marks shall be rounded or passed to port. The approximate compass bearing to Mark 1 shall be displayed on the main Race Committee boat before the preparatory signal. Mark 3 shall not be considered a mark of the course on the first leg of the race.

9.2 An Olympic Course signaled by Flag "O" will consist of a triangle followed by windward, leeward and windward legs. The distance between marks 1 & 3 shall initially be approximately between 0.85 to 1.0 nm.

9.3 A Windward/leeward Course signaled by Flag "W" shall consist of a windward and leeward leg, twice around, and followed by a windward leg. The distance between marks 1 & 3 shall initially be approximately 1.0 nm.

9.4 A Triangular Course signaled by Flag "T" shall consist of TWO triangles followed by a windward leg. The distance between Marks 1 & 3 shall initially be approximately 0.8 nm.

9.5 The course signal flag ("O", "W", or "T") will be hoisted no later than one minute before the warning signal and accompanied by one sound signal. It will remain displayed for 10 minutes after the start.

9.6 The approximate compass bearing to Mark 1 will be displayed by numerical posting on a board on the main committee boat before the preparatory signal.

9.7 Courses will not be shortened.

9.8 Course length will be between 5 and 7 nautical miles.

10 MARKS
10.1 Primary marks 1, 2 and 3 will be orange cylinders.

10.2 New marks used in accordance with Change of Course after the Start will be orange tetrahedrons.

10.3 The starting line mark will be a yellow cylinder.

10.4 The finish mark will be either a Primary or a New mark.

11 THE START
11.1 Races will be started in accordance with RRS 26 System 2.

11.2 The starting line will be between a hoist displaying an orange flag on the Race Committee boat at the starboard end and the course side of the port end starting mark.

11.3 The starting line will be set between approximately 30 - 100 meters downwind of Mark 3 (leeward). Mark 3 is not a mark of the course for the first leg of the race.

11.4 A boat shall not start more than 10 minutes after her starting signal.

11.5 Before the start of EACH RACE each boat is required to sail past the stern of the Main Race Committee boat to verbally CHECK IN. When the Race Committee verbally acknowledges a boat's bow number, the check-in has been officially noted. Any boat failing this check-in shall receive a 20% scoring penalty (CNF) equal to 20% of the starters in that race, without a hearing and in conformance with the SCIRA Low Point Scoring Table as published in the Official Rulebook (1996-2000). This changes RRS 63.1.

11.6 Individual recalls will be signaled in accordance with RRS 29.2 and indicated by the hoisting of Flag "X", and accompanied with one sound signal. An attempt to hail On Course Side boats will be made, but the timing of such a hail, or the failure to hear such a hail is insufficient cause for redress under RRS 62.

11.7 RRS 30.2 is changed such that on any restart following a general recall, the Race Committee may display Flag "Z" before or with the preparatory signal. Flag "Z" will be lowered one minute before the starting signal and accompanied by one long sound to indicate that the one minute infraction period has begun. Any part of a boat or crew identified as being within the triangle formed by the two ends of the starting line and Mark 3 during the one minute before the start shall receive a scoring penalty equal to 20% of the number of registered boats per the SCIRA Scoring Table, if she properly restarts that race. RRS 36 is changed so as to penalize a boat making her scoring penalty cumulative at 20% per infraction on subsequent restarts of a race, if that race is postponed or recalled. Flag "Z" may also be displayed over Flag "I" to indicate that an infringing boat must return to the pre-start side of the line around either line end before starting. A boat infringing this rule may be hailed immediately.

11.8 RRS 30.3 (Black Flag) will not be used.

12 MARK BOATS
The Race Committee will attempt to station Mark boats beyond each mark, but failure of a mark boat to be on station will not be grounds for redress. This changes RRS 62.1(a).

13 CHANGE OF COURSE AFTER THE START
13.1 Changes of course will be signaled in accordance with RRS 33. The new mark may not be in position at that time. Any mark to be passed subsequent to rounding the new (changed) mark may be relocated in order to maintain the correct course configuration.

13.2 When a subsequent Change of Course is signaled for a mark that has been previously changed the new replacement mark will be of an initial Primary type (see SI 10 (Marks)).

13.3 A triangular lap will replace a leeward and windward lap if signaled aboard a Race Committee boat near to Mark 1 by displaying Flag "T" accompanied with a periodic horn or whistle while also displaying the approximate numerical compass bearing to the next mark.

13.4 RRS 33 (Changing the Course After the Start) is changed so that any leg shortened or lengthened will not be by more than 30% of the original leg length.

14 THE FINISH
14.1 The finish line will be between an orange flag or shape on a Race Committee boat and Mark 1 at the port line end.

14.2 Flag "R" displayed by a Race Committee boat at the finish means that the Race Committee will attempt to have another race immediately after the last boat is recorded in the present race.

14.3 A Race Committee boat displaying a red flag or shape in the area of the finish will, at its discretion, hail finished boats to come close aboard for the inspection of required equipment.

15 TIME LIMIT
15.1 The time limit is 2 1/2 hours for the first boat to finish.

15.2 Any boat finishing more than 30 minutes after the first boat or after the time limit, whichever is later, shall be scored Did Not Finish (DNF) and shall be awarded points equal to one point more than the last boat to have finished. This changes RRS 35 and A2.2.

15.3 Should the first boat fail to complete the first lap within 75 minutes, the Race Committee will abandon the race. For the purpose of this Rule a lap means the rounding of Mark 3 for the first time.

16 WITHDRAWING FROM THE RACE
A boat which exits the course before the completion of the day's races shall notify the Race Committee at the first opportunity.

17 PROTESTS
17.1 A boat's intent to protest along with the identification of the boat being protested shall be reported to a Race Committee boat displaying a red flag or shape in the finish area immediately upon finishing. This changes RRS 61.1(a).

17.2 Protest forms are available in the upstairs SSA clubhouse. Protests shall be filed with the Jury within one hour after the Race Committee Signal boat docks. The expiration of time for filing protests will be posted on the official notice board.

17.3 Protest notices and hearing schedules specifying the protestor and protestee will be posted no later than one-half hour after the expiration of the protest filing time.

17.4 RRS 66 is changed by adding this sentence: 'On the last day of racing, a party to a hearing may ask for a reopening of the protest, only if the request for opening is received by the Jury in writing within one hour of the protest decision.

18 SCORING
18.1 The regatta will be scored using SCIRA Option 2 (Low Point) of the SCIRA Official Scoring as published in the Class Rulebook.

18.2 A drop race will be permitted upon completion of six races subject to the Disqualification Not Discardable (DND) options of the SCIRA Scoring, excluding Option 1. In case of tie scores, the score of the drop race will first be included to break the tie. If the tie persists, the boat that beat the other more times will win the tie. If the tie still persists, the boat that beat the other in the last race will win the tie.

18.3 RRS 62 and Appendix A1.3 is changed such that a violation of RRS 29.1 (OCS) will not be dropped if unsuccessfully contested by the infringing boat and shall be scored DND.

18.4 The provisions of Appendix A1.3 will further apply to include the US Sailing prescription to this Rule as follows: A disqualification for an infringement on RRS 42 (Propulsion) will be eligible to be dropped. The Jury may penalize a boat infringing RRS 42 without a hearing in compliance with RRS 67. Any boat so penalized may request redress under rule 62.1(a), provided that this request is filed with the Jury within one hour of the time the scores reflecting her DSQ are posted. This modifies RRS 62.2.

19 TEAM RACING
The use of team racing tactics shall not be tolerated. If the Race Committee (acting under RRS 32(e)), or the Jury determines that the use of team racing tactics may have significantly influenced the outcome of a race they shall order that race abandoned and, if possible, resailed excluding the participation of the infringing boat(s). This changes RRS 36. If the race is not resailed the infringing boat(s) will be subject to protest and disqualification.

20 SUPPORT BOATS
Team leaders, coaches and other support personnel shall not go afloat in the racing area during the racing except upon Race Committee designated spectator boats. The Race Committee may initiate additional restrictions by posting them on the official notice board. Any competitor associated with personnel determined to have infringed this rule will be subject to protest and assessed a 20% penalty equal to a Check in Failure (CNF) for the race in which the violation occurred.

21 DISPOSAL OF REFUSE
The discharge of refuse into the water is prohibited for the entirety of this event. Any boat observed to be in violation is subject to protest and the assessment of a 20% penalty equal to a Check in Failure (CNF) for the first race competed in by the infringing boat on the day of the infraction.

22 PRIZES
22.1 The Roy Yamaguchi Trophy will be awarded to the winning skipper and crew.

22.2 Prizes will be awarded to the top five finishing skippers and crews.

Signatures:

 
 
______________________________
Philip Richmond
Race Committee Chairman
Principal Race Officer

 
 
______________________________
Akimbumi Shinoda
SCIRA Representative
Commodore SCIRA

Final 9-15-98