Brighton Sailing Club

Sailing Instructions

Club Rules For Sailing

The safety of a boat and her entire management including insurance shall be the sole responsibility of the owner/person in charge. He/she must ensure that the boat and crew are adequate to face the conditions that may arise in the course of sailing. Neither these sailing instructions nor any inspection of the boat limits or reduces the absolute responsibility of the owner/person in charge of the crew, the boat and her management. The club shall not be responsible for any loss, damage, death or personal injury howsoever caused to the owner/person in charge or crew as a result of their taking part in the sailing activities. Every owner/person in charge warrants the suitability of their boat for the conditions.

It is a club rule that all persons wear adequate personal buoyancy at all times when on the water. With the exception of windsurfers, adequate buoyancy is as described in the EU regulation CE 50 Newton personal buoyancy aid.

Sailors are required to keep out of the “swimming area” at all times and comply with the Brighton Council by-laws.

Sailing Instructions

2. Notices to Competitors

2.1 Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located on the rescue boat hut door.
2.2 The Officer of the day will hold a briefing 30 minutes prior to the first race of the day.

4. Signals Made Ashore

4.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed at the Race Control Hut on the beach and associated flagpole.
4.2 Rule 40.1 is changed to: Personal Buoyancy will be worn at all times when afloat. This also changes the part 4 preamble.

5.3 If races are not completed as scheduled or if the race officers or Sailing Committee considers it unlikely that races will be completed as scheduled, then lost races may be run as additional races on the following Sunday (within the series). In the event of a race postponed to the following week, this will be publicised in accordance with section 3.
5.4 When more than one race (or sequence of races, for two or more classes) will be held on the same day the warning signal for each succeeding race will be made as soon as practicable. To alert boats that another race or sequence of races will begin soon, the shortened course flag will be lowered 1 minute before the first warning signal of the next race.

7. Racing Areas

7.1 The racing area will take place in the vicinity of the area between the 2 piers in Brighton with the exception of long distance races and pursuit races.

9. Marks

9.1 Marks will be inflatable Day Glow orange cylinders, round pink day glow buoys or the following charted navigational marks:
Portobello (squat, large, yellow special navigational marker) off Saltdean
BMYC Racing Mark 1 (Yellow, thin Special Navigational marker, approx 1/4 south of marina entrance
West Pier (red port hand marker) by the end of West Pier
BMYC Racing Mark 2 (Yellow thin Special navigational Marker) approximately 1NM south of palace pier.
Shoreham South Cardinal Mark, name unknown, approximately 1 mile south of Hove lagoon.

11. The Start

11.1 Races will be started by using rule 26 with the warning signal given 5 minutes before the starting signal.
11.2 The warning signal for each succeeding class shall be made with the starting signal of the preceding class. This Amends rule 26
11.3 Rule 30 (Round the ends, black flag & Z flag rules) shall NOT apply.
11.4 Boats whose warning signal has not been sounded must keep clear of the starting area.
11.5 When conditions are suitable gate starts can be used as a starting system.
11.6 The start will be a line will be an extension of a line through the flagstaff marked with an orange triangle and an orange transit triangle set up approximately 20 metres south of the flagstaff. An outer distance mark will form the outer limit of the line. OR the Start line will be a line between the centre of the committee boat, or its main mast, as appropriate, and a mark. An inner distance mark may be used.
11.7 A boat starting later than 10 minutes after her starting signal will be scored DNS (Did Not Start). This changes rule A4.

13. Penalty System

13.1 The Scoring Penalty, rule 44.3, will not apply.
13.3 Appendix P will apply. - Under rule P1 the Protest committee's designated observers are the Rescue Boat Helm and Officer of the day.

15. Protests and Requests for Redress

15.1 Protest forms are available in the club bar. Protests shall be delivered there within the protest time limit.
15.2 For each class, the protest time limit is 90 minutes after the last boat has finished the last race of the day. The same protest time limit applies to all protests by the race committee and to requests for redress. This changes rules 61.3 and 62.2.
15.3 Notices will be posted within 30 minutes of the protest time limit to inform competitors of hearings in which they are parties or named as witnesses. Hearings will be held in the Club House beginning at 14:00 on the day of the race or with in 1 hour of the end of protest time.
15.4 Notices of protests by the officer of the day or protest committee will be posted to inform boats under rule 61.1(b).
15.5 Decisions of the jury will be final as provided in rule 70.4.

17. Safety Regulations

17.1 Check in and Check out: Helms must sign a declaration at least 15 minutes before the advertised start time indicating that they have adequate insurance that they and their boats are suitable for the conditions and that they agree to abide by the rules.

Helms must also sign a declaration after each race to indicate that the course has been sailed correctly and the sailing instructions obeyed. For races run from a committee boat the helm must also declare the number of laps completed. Failure to comply will result in disqualification.
The time limit for declarations is 1 hour after finishing the last race of the day. Competitors who do not finish the race or retire must sign off DNF for that race.
17.2 A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.

19. Prizes

19.1 Prizes will be awarded to the crews placing first, second and third in each series.
19.2 Overall prizes will be awarded at the end of the season; prizes will be awarded for crews coming first second and third overall, and in each class. In addition prizes will be awarded for "Ladies Trophy" and a "Junior Trophy".
19.3 Prizes may be issued for special events during the Year.

* The details of the council’s by-laws are complex. In summary: do not enter the yellow buoyed areas or attempt to approach the beach any where except the area by the club.