General Conditions 2008

1. (a) Rules: Races will be sailed under ISAF RRS with RYA Prescriptions ; ISAF/ORC Special Regulations (See Category in race details), IRC Rules, Parts 1, 2 and 4, IRC; stability/safety (SSS) screening numbers; General Conditions, Race details in this Programme (which comprises the ISAF Notice of Race), Offshore One -Design Class Association Rules (as appropriate) and Sailing Instructions. Between sunset and sunrise (as defined in the Sailing Instructions) navigation lights shall be lit and the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea shall replace the corresponding rules of RRS Part 2.

(b) Regulation 20 ISAF Advertising Code Category A.

Yachts shall comply with ISAF (RRS) Category A.

The Races in the JOG Annual Programme comprise a series.

(c) Eligibility: JOG Races are invitational to yachts that comply with the appropriate rules above. Races are invitational to members and non - members.

2. Time Allowance:

Corrected Time = Elapsed Time x TCC

3. Responsibility:

( a ) A boat is entirely responsible for her own safety, whether afloat or ashore, and nothing, whether in the Notice of Race or Sailing Instructions or anywhere else, reduces this responsibility.

( b ). It is for the boat to decide whether she is fit to sail in the conditions in which she will find herself. By going to sea the boat confirms that she is fit for those conditions and her crew is competent to sail and compete in them.

( c ). The boat is required to hold adequate insurance and in particular to hold insurance against third party claims.

( d ). Nothing done by the organisers can reduce the responsibility of the boat nor will it make the organisers responsible for any loss, damage, death or personal injury however it may have occurred, as a result of the boat taking part in the racing. The organisers encompass everyone helping to run the race and the event, and include the organising authority, the race committee, the race officer and the starting and finishing officials.

( e ) The provision of patrol boats do not relieve the boat of her responsibilities.

( f ). The boat is responsible to ensure that she is equipped and seaworthy so as to be able to face extremes of weather; that there is a crew sufficient in number, experience and fitness to withstand such weather; and that the safety equipment is property maintained, stowed and in date and that the crew know how to use it.

( g ). The fact that the race committee conducts inspections of a boat does not reduce the responsibilities of the boat set out in this paragraph.

4. Race Committee: The Race Committee shall be the committee of JOG except that the JOG Race Officer for the race shall be the Secretary or his deputy may call a sub-committee of not more than five nor less than three officers, members of the committee or members of JOG, the organizing club(s) or other yacht clubs. The sub-committee will be included in the term “race committee” wherever it is used

5. (a) Entry form, handicap certificate: Entries shall be made on the official entry form. All yachts, except those with handicap certificates issued by the RORC Rating Office, shall enclose a copy of their certificate with the entry form, or shall send, or bring, a copy to the race headquarters as early as possible before the start of the race. See G.C.9.

(b) Inspection Checklist: Each entrant will receive an Inspection Checklist which shall be completed and returned before a yacht may race. Checklists from other organizations may be accepted if they are current, comprehensive and based on ORC Special Regulations. However, an inspection may be made by an official of the club at any time, under Special Regulation 2.02.

6. Spare Number.

7. Late Entries: Entries close 8 days before the race. Late entries, if accepted, pay an extra 25%.

8. Refunds: 75% of race fees are refundable on demand if a yacht is scratched at least 24 hours before the start (except block entrties).

9. Ratings, Rating Protests: [affects RRS Rule 64.3 (B)] (See also G.C.5)

(a)The Committee may at its discretion require an Endorsed Certificate prior to acceptance of a Yachts race entry.

(b)All yachts shall have an appropriate and valid handicap certificate of which a signed copy shall be kept on board. Yachts competing as one-designs shall carry on board a valid copy of any certificate carried by their Class Association.

(c) A master list of TCCs may be consulted at the Headquarters from which the race is started. Details so listed at the start shall be final for the race except when another yacht entered for the same race lodges written notice of intent to protest together with a deposit of £50, at race Headquarters before the start.

(d) Notwithstanding (c) above, the committee has discretionary power to correct errors in handicaps.

(e) Invalid Handicaps: Exceptionally, a yacht without a valid handicap may be accepted by the Race Committee to race without placing or points (facility available only when a yacht is in process of measurement or remeasurement and a new handicap is not yet delivered). She may be listed in race information with her TCC in brackets.

10. Crew Limits.

The following scale applies:

Initial Crew Limit of variation

Up to 4: -1 +2

5 - 12: -2 +2

13 - 20: -3 +2

21 or more -4 +3

The initial number of crew, must be declared on the yachts race entry form. Crew numbers will be randomly checked. Variations to initial numbers will be permitted on an exceptional basis following an application in writing. Those taking part in the Double Handed Series shall only have two crew.

11. Sailing Instructions and Race Results:

(a) Sailing Instructions are normally sent to owners about a week before the race together with a provisional list of yachts with handicap details but these may not be complete or exact.

(b) Race Results are displayed at Race Headquarters as they become available and placed on the Website as soon as possible after the race. Any query over results shall be raised as soon as possible and in any case within 14 days of publication.

12.Crew Lists, Shoreside Contact and Race Information: Each yacht shall nominate one or more shoreside contacts who will keep a copy of the crew list for the current race (a blank form is sent with Sailing Instructions) and be available by telephone during the race in case of any query.

13. Self-Steering: All races may be sailed with the assistance of self-steering gear, electric or wind, provided that:

1) A proper look-out is kept at all times and;

2) Use of the gear is reported on the Declaration Form.

14. Use of Engine: (Affecting RRS Rules 42 and 52)

(a) An engine may be used to recover a man over-board, to render assistance, or in any other grave emergency, and full details must be reported on the Declaration Form.

(b) An engine or power pump may be used for charging batteries, pumping bilges or supplying power for weighing anchor.

(c)A yacht which is required by the Sailing Instructions to pass through an identity gate and does so, for the first time, after her preparatory signal, may use an engine or tow provided that she:-

(i) switches off her engine or drops her tow and then completes a 360 degree turn before starting;

(ii) does not start until five minutes after her starting signal;

(iii) reports the incident on her Declaration Form.

15. Spare Number.

16. Temporary Discontinuance of Racing (affecting RRS Rules 42.1, 45, 47.1 and 47.2):

(a) After a yacht starts she may, without penalty, moor or berth alongside any fixed, anchored or made-fast object for the purpose of taking shelter, disembarking crew who shall take no further part in the race, or attempting repairs from entirely her own resources. Mechanical propulsion may be employed for no longer than five minutes each for the purpose of berthing and departure from the temporary berth; however, crew intending to continue racing shall not go ashore other than solely for the purpose of mooring.

(b) A yacht availing herself of this privilege shall NOT seek or accept outside assistance.

(c) It is prohibited for any work to be done off the boat including that by any person on a pontoon, dock or tender etc., other than a tender carried by the yacht when racing.

(d) It is prohibited to take on equipment, supplies, spares, components or tools of any kind.

(e) It is prohibited to take on food, water, beverages, fuel or stores of any kind.

(f) It is prohibited for any crew member to eat or drink except on board using the yachts original supplies.

(g) A Declaration Form giving a log or account of all relevant activities during a yacht’s discontinuance of racing shall be submitted to the Race Committee within the time limit for the lodgement of protests.

17. Rule Infringements and Penalties (affecting RRS Rule: 44; 60.2, 64.1 and App A).

(a) Unless sailing instructions state that a scoring penalty applies, a yacht may take a Two Turns Penalty as permitted and described in RRS 44.2 for breaking a rule of RRS Part 2 or a right-of- way rule of IRPCAS, whichever applies at the time. When the right-of-way rules of IRPCAS applies to all yachts, a penalty need not be taken until it is safe to do so. This adds to RRS 44.1.

(b) If the Race Committee considers that a breach of the rules (other than a rule of Part 2 when RRS Rule 44 governs) has been committed it may:-

(i) disqualify the yacht (in which case the places and scores of other yachts which were below, will normally be moved up); or

(ii) impose a penalty by allotting to the yacht the place, score and corrected time for the place worse than her actual finishing position by 20% (minimum 2 places), or 5% (minimum 1 place) of the number of starters in that class, except that in no case shall she receive a score for a position worse than one more than the number of starters;

(iii) a yacht infringing a rule in more than one incident may receive a percentage penalty for each incident;

(iv) the imposition of a percentage penalty on a yacht shall not affect the place or score of other yachts. (Thus two yachts may receive the same place, score and corrected time leaving a place vacant).

(c) When the Race Committee observes an infringement by a yacht of the General Conditions, it may act in accordance with General Condition 17 without protest or hearing, except that the yacht shall be entitled to a hearing when she satisfies the Race Committee that an error may have been made.

(d) Penalty may be waived for a minor infringement of Special Regulations, General Conditions and IR2000 Rules, Parts 1,2 & 4.

18. Spare Number.

19. Prizes and Trophies:

(a) JOG tankards will be engraved and presented as prizes for each class as follows:-

No. of starters 3. 4/6. 7/11. 12/19. 20+

Engraving 1. 2. 3. 4. 5

(b) Spare.

(c)Spare.

(d) Trophies: When no yacht qualifies to win a particular trophy, the Race Committee may, at its discretion, award it otherwise. Trophies are returnable by 1st November in time for the next Prizegiving at the expense of the current holder, who is also responsible for their safe keeping .

20. Spare

21. Declarations and Reporting:

(a) Written Declarations of Rules compliance are required for all races, and shall be signed by the owner or his representative. A Declaration Form is sent out with Sailing Instructions.

(b) No prize will be presented unless a Declaration has been received. If no Declaration is received within three days of the finish of the race, the yacht will be marked as 'retired' in the results.

(c) It is the responsibility of the yacht to report without delay if not starting, or on finishing or retiring, to the Race Office as detailed in Sailing Instructions. Failure to report may lead to disqualification and/or future entries being rescinded.

22. Scoring:

Points gained for each yacht are computed as:-

101 + 1000* log (no. of starters) - 1000* log (Yachts finishing position). A minimum number of starters will be taken as 10 and a maximum as 30. Where more than 30 yachts start, 31st and subsequent places receive 90, 82, 76 and 72, then less 2 points for each place down to 50th and thereafter less 1 point for each place. No yacht shall receive less than 1 point except that yachts which are disqualified count nil. Yachts which retire count the points below the last yacht to finish or 50 points whichever is less. The term 'starters' refers to the number of starters in each class. In 2008, the best five Category 4 races and the best five Category 3 races shall count. Points awarded to a yacht during the current season may not be carried forward to a new class in the event of said yacht changing class due to rating change.

23. Spare Number.

24. Spare Number.

25. The JOG Committee reserve the right to alter or amend General Conditions or any other part of this programme at any time.

26. Considerations of Merchant Shipping: Skippers are reminded of their obligation to keep clear of merchant shipping using restricted channels and are requested to avoid dazzling bridge watchkeepers with powerful electric torches.

27. Alterations to Sailing Instructions: Alterations will carry a serial number. If any alteration is made, International Code Flag L above the serial number pennant will be hoisted at the original start line, and it will then be the responsibility of skippers to obtain amended instructions.