1 Rules:

1.1 The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing.

1.2 The rules and regulations of Maritime Safety Queensland;

1.3 Racing rules 35, 44.1, 60.1(a), 66, 62.2, A4 and A5 will be changed as per these Sailing Instructions 

1.3 The rules of the respective class associations will apply.

2 Notices to Competitors:

2.1 Notices to competitors will be given on the day at the pre-race briefing and via flags flown on the committee boat (start only). 
2.2 Notices to competitors may also be given during the event particularly on matters relating to safety and shipping movements.  These notices may be via VHF73 or by direct instruction for one of the race management boats. 

3 Changes to Sailing Instructions:

3.1 Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted at least one hour before the first race on the day it will take effect, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted by 20:00hrs on the day before it will take effect.

4 Signals made ashore:

4.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed on the flag mast in front of the Humpybong Yacht Club.

4.2 When flag AP is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 30 minutes’ in race signal AP.

5 Schedule:

5.1 The dates of racing, registration, briefing  and warning signal schedules are detailed in the Notice of Race.

5.2 After a long postponement, to alert boats that a race or sequence of races will begin soon, an orange flag will be displayed (with one sound signal) for at least five (5) minutes before a warning signal is displayed.

5.3 No warning signal will be made after 14:30 on any racing day.

6 Divisions:

6.1 Numeral pennants 1 through 4 will be used to identify each division’s warning signal except where the Principal Race Officer or Race Officer of the Day shall determine that one or more divisions will start together. Competitors will be advised of any changes and the warning signals to be used at the pre-race briefing.

6.2 Racing shall be conducted in Divisions based on Australian Sailing Yardstick Ratings.

6.3 The Divisions will nominally be as described below:

7 Racing Areas:

7.1 Attachment A shows the location of the racing areas.

8 The Courses:

8.1 The course will be set before the Race briefing on the day and communicated to all competitors in the race briefing.

9 Marks:

The fixed navigation features that may be used as marks of the course may include: 

• Woody Point jetty (an inflatable buoy may be set off the jetty)
• Pine River outer channel markers – green and red
• Shorncliffe pier enclosure – enter and round a pile
• Cabbage Tree Creek Outer Leads – green and red marks
• Fisheries marker - Yellow
• MNP Marker – yellow buoy
• Otter Rock, green buoy 
• South Reef – yellow buoy
• Scott’s Point -yellow buoy
• Garnet Rock - green buoy 
• Redcliffe Point – green buoy
• Redcliffe Pier Leads (2 green buoys)
• Rocky Point – green buoy
• North Beacon – green light

10 Areas that are Obstructions:

9.1 The following areas are designated as obstructions: 

• The reef area to the east of Woody Point Jetty delineated by the yellow Marine National Park yellow markers.
• The spit and reef area due west of North Reef Beacon.

9.2 The Redcliffe Peninsula foreshore has occasional rocky outcrops.  The extent of those outcrops is marked by green lateral beacons and buoys.  Participants are advised to keep to the east of direct lines between those navigation marks.

9.3 Participants without local knowledge or with a draft exceeding 1.0m are advised not to sail in the area defined by yellow boys as MNP offshore of Scotts Point around to Woody Point. Rock protrusions exist in that area.

9.4 All commercial ships shall be avoided.  All yachts must give way and keep well clear.  

9.5 Any Junior Fleet course set to the west of the boat ramp is defined as an obstruction and all Division 1 – 3 boats are to stay clear. Division 1 – 3 boats entering the junior fleet course will be recorded as DSQ.

11 The Start:

11.1 The starting line will be between a post displaying an orange flag on the starting mark at the starboard end and the port-end starting mark.

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

11.3 A boat starting later than 10 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start without a hearing. This changes rule A4.

12 Change of the next leg of the course:

12.1  In the event of extra light weather on the day, the courses for all divisions may be shortened by the removal of one or more rounding points. This will be notified to boats on the water in accordance with RRS

13 The Finish:

13.1 The finish mark will be an imaginary line extending between the staff flying the blue pennant on the Committee Boat located off the end of Woody Point Jetty and a yellow barrel buoy located approximately 300m SSW of the Jetty.
13.2 Yacht finish times will be taken by the race committee from the Committee Boat. 

14 Penalty System:

14.1 For all classes’ rule 44.1 is changed so that the two-turns is replaced by the one-turn penalty.

15 Time Limits:

15.1 Boats failing to finish within 45 minutes after the first boat in their division sails the course and finishes will be scored ‘Did Not Finish’.  This changes rules 35, A4 and A5.

16 Protests and Requests for Redress:

16.1 Protest forms are available at the race office.  Protests and requests for redress or reopening shall be delivered there within the appropriate time limit.

16.2 For each division, the protest time limit is 30 minutes after the last boat racing in that division finishes the last race of the day. This time will be displayed on the official notice board.

16.3 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 Humpybong Yacht Club at the time posted.

16.4 Notices of protests by the race committee or protest committee will be posted to inform boats under rule 61.1(b).

16.5 Breaches of instructions 11.3, 18, 22, and 23 will not be grounds for a protest by a boat.  This changes rule 60.1(a).  Penalty for these breaches may be less than disqualification if the protest committee so decides.  The scoring abbreviation for a discretionary penalty imposed under this instruction will be DPI.

16.6 On the last scheduled day of racing for each series a request for reopening a hearing shall be delivered:

(a) within protest time limit if the requesting party was informed of the decision on the previous day;

(b)  no later than 30 minutes after the requesting party was informed of the decision on that day.  This changes rule 66.

16.7 On the last scheduled day of racing for each series a request for redress based on a protest committee decision shall be delivered no later than 30 minutes after the decision was posted.  This changes rule 62.2.

17 Scoring

17.1 The scoring system is as detailed in the Notice of Race

18 Safety Regulations

18.1 Sign-in and Sign-out: All competitors intending to start shall complete a Race Entry Sheet provided in the ‘Sign-on’ area at the club before the warning signal for each race.  All competitors shall ‘Sign-off’ on the Race Entry Sheet within 60 minutes of the last boat racing finishing for the day. Failure to sign on or off may result in protest by the Race Committee.

18.2 A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.

19 Replacement of crew or equipment:

19.1 Substitution of competitors or crew will not be allowed during a race day without prior written approval of the race committee.

19.2 Substitution of damaged or lost equipment will not be allowed unless authorized by the race committee. Requests for substitution shall be made to the committee at the first reasonable opportunity.

20 Equipment and Measurement Checks

20.1 A boat or equipment may be inspected at any time for compliance with the class rules and sailing instructions. On the water, a boat can be instructed by a race committee measurer to proceed immediately to a designated area for inspection.

21 Official Boats

21.1 Official boats may fly an HYC Burgee.

22 Support Boats

22.1 All support boats shall be registered with the Organising Authority via the online Officials Registration link as part of the competitors’ entry system and will be required to comply with local legislation and event support boat regulations.  The Organising Authority may refuse registrations and accept later registrations at their sole discretion

22.2 Only coaches, who hold, as a minimum, current Yachting Australia recognised Coach / Instructor Accreditation, or an equivalent international qualification, are authorised to go afloat in a coach boat within the course area.

22.3 Authorised coach boats within the course area shall keep to leeward of the start line between the preparatory and start signals and more that 50 meters clear of any competitor or mark of the course between the start signal and the finish of the last boat, except when asked to assist by the Race Committee.

22.4 Non-registered coaches, parents, private and spectator craft must remain more than 100 meters outside the entire course area and not receive the above benefits.

23 Radio Communications

23.1 A boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats. This restriction also applies to mobile telephones.

23.2 GPS tracking devices are allowed to be carried by competitors provided they are mounted or stored in such a way as to prevent any readout or screen from being viewed by the competitor while racing. Mobile devices such as mobile phones may be used as a GPS tracking device provided it is not used for making or receiving other radio transmissions while racing.

25 Disclaimer of Liability

25.1 Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See rule 4, Decision to Race. The organizing authority will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the regatta.

26 Insurance

26.1 All helmspersons shall have current third party insurance cover of not less than AUD $10,000,000  per event or the equivalent.

Attachment A – Racing Areas

The race area is the Moreton Bay area taking in Bramble Bay as far south as Cabbage Tree Creek and the area to north as far as the North Rocks light off Scarborough. (shown below).