Fleet 58
Fleet Race Sailing Instructions

1.0           RULES

All Fleet 58 series races will be governed by The Racing Rules of Sailing.

2.0           ENTRY

2.1           Only Catalina 22 yachts whose skippers are members in good standing of Fleet 58 or members in good standing of another C22 National Association fleet may compete for prizes. Gold Fleet competitors must be members in good standing of C22 National Association.

2.2           Non-Fleet 58 members sailing a Catalina 22 yacht may compete on three different days, but are ineligible for prizes. A nonmember who wishes to continue competing is expected to join Fleet 58. If a nonmember joins the fleet he will become eligible for prizes not already awarded, including those he may have been eligible for prior to joining.

4.0                CHANGES IN THE SAILING INSTRUCTIONS – Any change in the Sailing Instructions will be posted on the Official Fleet 58 Website before 2000 hours on the day before it will take effect.  This version of the sailing instructions is effective 07/25/03.

5.0                          SCHEDULE OF RACES – Races will be sailed in accordance with the posted series schedule posted on the Official Fleet 58 Website.

6.0           CLASS FLAGS - Race Committee will post class flags to be used on a board on the signal boat prior to the start of racing.  Gold Fleet and Silver Fleet races will be run at the same time unless Race Committee elects to run these classes separate.

7.0           RACING AREA – The racing area will be Chattahoochee Bay (just outside of Lake Lanier Sailing Club) or waters directly adjacent to Chattahoochee Bay.

8.0           COURSE

8.1           The course will be windward/leeward whenever possible.  LLSC race committee will indicate on a board on the signal boat the course and the number of times each yacht shall sail the course from a board

9.0           MARKS – In most circumstances, tetrahedron-shaped marks will be used for weather and leeward marks and ball shaped marks will be used for line pins, however marks used are at the discretion of LLSC race committee.

10.0         THE START

10.1                Races will be started by using rule 26 with the warning signal given 5 minutes before the starting signal.

10.2         Catalina 22 Gold and Silver Fleets will be started at the same time unless race committee designates them separate.

10.3         The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the RC boat and the starting line pin.

10.4                A yacht shall not start later than 5 minutes after her starting signal.

10.5         Boats not racing shall keep clear of the starting area once a preceding fleet starts racing.

11.0         THE FINISH – The finish line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the RC boat and a pin to be set by race committee.

12.0         TIME LIMIT – If no yacht reaches the first mark within 30 minutes or finishes within two hours after its starting signal, the race may be abandoned. Yachts that fail to finish within 30 minutes after the lead yacht finishes may be scored DNF or assigned a finishing position by the race committee. This changes RRS 35.

13.0                PROTESTS

13.1         Protests shall be in accordance with RRS, Section A. Code Flag “B” or a red flag of reasonable size shall be displayed. A protesting yacht shall immediately try to inform the yacht she intends to protest that a protest will be lodged and oral intent to protest shall be given to the RC boat at the finish of the race. 

13.2         Protests shall be written on forms available from the race committee and lodged with the race committee within the protest time which will begin when the RC boat docks and end 60 minutes later.

13.3         The time of protest hearings shall be posted on the official bulletin board and heard by the serving Fleet 58 board.

14.0         SCORING

14.1                The Low Point scoring system of Appendix A will apply.

14.2                Rule A9 applies for all series races.

14.3                A skipper’s score, who is serving as Race Committee (for Catalina 22 fleet races) for each race during their time as race committee will be assigned their average finish of all races, including throw outs, for the series. A skipper may apply this rule one time during a calendar year. This changes RRS A2.  Skipper must report to series scorer (usually Fleet 58 webmaster) he or she performed race committee within 72 hours in order to be scored in the described manner.

14.4                For those fleet races where Catalina 22s have been started, 60% of the races will be counted.  Calculations will be rounded using normal rounding rules.  All others will be discarded from scoring except those identified as non-discardable by the RRS.

14.5                Should conditions dictate (too much or too little air, lightening, etc.), Fleet Captain may abandon racing for the day for the Catalina 22 fleet independent of the LLSC race committee.  Once this action has been taken, races subsequent to those already run for the day will not be counted in the series scoring.  If Fleet Captain is not present, next highest officer present may take this action.

15.0                ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS – A yacht shall not transmit or receive radio or telephone transmissions, not available to all racing yachts, for purposes of gaining a competitive advantage.  VHF radios used for monitoring race committee are eligible for use.

16.0         SAFETY

16.1         Each competitor is solely responsible for his/her own safety, and by participating agrees to sail and utilize the facilities at his or her own risk. Neither Catalina 22 Fleet 58 nor persons assisting with the conduct of races shall be responsible for damage or injury suffered during races or related activities.

16.2          A yacht, which retires from a race, shall, if reasonably possible notify the Race Committee before leaving the course area.

17            AWARDS

17.1          Awards furnished by Lake Lanier Sailing Club will be presented for the top three positions to eligible Silver and Gold Fleet skippers for each series.

17.2          Silver Fleet participant with the lowest score for each series will be used to determine the Silver Fleet Champion.  Lowest series score will not be excluded from the calculation since individual lowest race results will be discarded from each series as described in 14.5.

17.3          Gold Fleet participant with the lowest score for each series will be used to determine Skipper of the Year.  Lowest series score will not be excluded from the calculation since individual lowest race results will be discarded from each series as described in 14.5.

17.4          Winner of the prior year’s Silver Fleet Champion award is not eligible for Silver Fleet Champion award.

17.5          The serving Race Chairman will perform calculation of trophy winners with a validation and recalculation performed by a qualified board member.