# Autumn League 2025 sailing instructions

Autumn League 2025 Organised by Howth Yacht Club CLG

Saturday September 13th to Saturday October 18th

Sailing Instructions The notation [DP] in a rule means that the penalty for a breach of that rule may, at the discretion of the Protest Committee, be less than disqualification. The notation [NP] in a rule means that a boat may not protest another boat for a breach of this rule. This changes RRS 60.1(a)

## 1. Rules

1.1 The races shall be governed by the current Racing Rules of Sailing (Rules), Irish Sailing Prescriptions, the Notice of Race and these Sailing Instructions (SI) and any changes thereto.

1.2 Competitors in races for One Design classes shall comply with their relevant Class Rules. Competitors in IRC and HPH handicap classes shall comply with the Rules of those handicapping systems

1.3 Boats which have entered the HYC Autumn League and have entered the Squib Inland Championships shall be scored in the race scheduled for 11th October points equal the average, rounded to the nearest tenth of a point (0.05 to be rounded upward), of her points in all races sailed before the last scheduled day of the series, except race scheduled for 11th October, providing they complete at least 50% of the races sailed. However, if 11th October is a two race day, then average points will be gven only for the first race on that day and the second race will be regarded as a discard for the series.

1.4 Boats competing in Class 4 and Class 5, in both IRC and HPH divisions, shall be subject to the following headsail Rule: Boats shall use only one headsail at any time (i.e. drop one headsail before setting another). This changes Rule 50.1.

## 2. Measurement

A measurer(s) competent in the measurement of boats in each one design Class and handicap system may be appointed by the Organising Authority to the Race Committee. The Race Committee may order measurement checks on any boat which enters and comes to the race area at any time during the event. A boat which the Race Committee requires to be measured shall be present at a time and place specified by the Race Committee.

## 3. Notice to Competitors

Notices to competitors will be posted on the Official Notice Board located in the archway beside the Marina Office. In addition, notifications may be made via the regatta WhatsApp group. Failure to receive such notifications will not be a case for redress.

## 4. Changes to Sailing Instructions

Changes to Sailing Instructions will be posted not later than two hours before the scheduled start of the first race so affected. Flag L displayed on the flagpole at the top of the marina bridge denotes that a change of Sailing Instructions has been made.

## 5. Signals Made Ashore

Signals made ashore will be displayed on the flagpole at the top of the marina bridge. When flag AP is displayed ashore ‘one minute’ is replaced with “not less than 45 minutes” in race signal AP. This changes Rule ‘Race Signals’.

## 6. Schedule of Races

## 6.1 Offshore Committee Vessel Starts

Saturdays – excluding last scheduled

day

```text
First Warning Signal                         1400
```

```text
Class   Flag                 Start
```

```text
Cruiser Class 1              No. 1           1405
Cruiser Class 2              No. 2           1410
Cruiser Class 3              No. 3           1415
Non-Spinnaker 4              No. 4           1425
Non-Spinnaker 5              No. 5           1430
```

Last scheduled Saturday

All times shall be 1 hour earlier than listed above

## OFFSHORE COMMITTEE BOAT STARTS

Start Vessel: North Star, VHF Ch. 77 (Reserve channel 72)

## A Starting Area

The starting area will be North of Ireland’s Eye.

## B Starting Line

The starting line shall be between an orange outer distance mark (to be passed to port) and a red/white pole (or mainmast) on the Committee Starting Vessel that will display an orange flag.

## C Course Designation

“Fixed Mark” Courses shall be designated by numerals displayed on boards on the Committee Starting Vessel. The course applicable to each race will be displayed for not less than 4 minutes before its start. This changes Rule 27.1. Marks are described by letters on the Offshore Committee Vessel Course Card. A windward mark, Z (BLACK inflatable for classes 1 and 2, and YELLOW for classes 3,4 and 5)) will be laid approximately to windward of the starting line. This is the first mark on all fixed mark courses. In addition, the race committee may select a course from the list of marks shown on the Technical Sheet and displayed on a board on the committee vessel. In all cases, the course will also be broadcast on the relevant VHF channel for that course. The Course Card and Technical Sheet form part of these Sailing Instructions .

## D Finishing Line

The finishing line, unless a race is shortened or a Windward / Leeward course is in use, shall be in the vicinity of Mark Q (Rowan Rocks Cardinal Mark) and shall be between an orange spherical buoy and a red/white pole (or mainmast) on the Committee Finishing Vessel which will display a blue flag. For Windward/Leeward courses, the finishing line, unless shortened, will be approximately upwind of the leeward mark. If Flag F’ is displayed with repeated sound signals at a mark of the course, boats shall round that mark and sail directly to the finish line. For classes 4 and 5, on days when the other cruiser classes are sailing W/L courses, the finish line will be in the vicinity of the Spit Mark (S) and the South Rowan Buoy (R) and shall be between a spherical orange Mark F and the main mast (or red/white pole) on the adjacent Committee Finishing Vessel displaying a blue flag.

## 6.2 Inshore Committee Vessel Starts

Saturdays –excluding last scheduled

day

```text
First Warning Signal                         1400
```

```text
Class                 Flag            Start
Puppeteer             A               1405
Squib                 K               1410
Howth 17              C               1420
```

Last scheduled Saturday

All times shall be 1 hour earlier than listed above

## INSHORE COMMITTEE VESSEL STARTS

Start Vessel: Sea Wych, VHF Ch. 69 (Reserve channel 68)

## A Starting Area

The starting area will be Northwest of Ireland’s Eye.

## B Starting Line

The Starting Line shall be between an orange buoy with an orange flag (to be passed to port) and a red/white pole or the mainmast of the Committee Starting Vessel that will display an orange flag.

## C Course Designation

“Fixed Mark” Courses shall be designated by numerals displayed on boards on the Committee Starting Vessel. The course applicable to each race will be displayed for not less than 4 minutes before its start. This changes Rule 27.1. Marks are described by letters on the Inshore Committee Vessel Course Card. A windward mark, Z (YELLOW inflatable) will be laid approximately to windward of the starting line. This is the first mark on all fixed mark courses.

In addition, the race committee may select a course from the list of marks shown on the Technical Sheet and displayed on a board on the committee vessel. In all cases, the course will also be broadcast on the relevant VHF channel for that course. The Course Card and Technical Sheet form part of these Sailing Instructions

## D Finishing Line

The finishing line, unless a race is shortened or a Windward / Leeward course is in use, shall be in the vicinity of the Spit Mark (S) and the South Rowan Buoy (R) and shall be between a spherical orange Mark F and the main mast (or red/white pole) on the adjacent Committee Finishing Vessel displaying a blue flag. For Windward/Leeward courses, the finishing line, unless shortened, will be approximately upwind of the leeward mark. If Flag F’ is displayed with repeated sound signals at a mark of the course, boats shall round that mark and sail directly to the finish line.

6.3 Nine races are scheduled for all Classes with the exception of the HYC 17, and Classes 4 and 5, for whom there are six races scheduled. This changes NOR 9.1 Schedule.

6.4 It is intended to run two races on the following days:

Saturdays 13 September, 27 September and 11 October

In the event of weather conditions preventing racing on one or more days, the OA reserves the right to sail a second race on subsequent day(s) to maximise the number of races held, subject to there being no increase on the scheduled total number. This intention will be indicated by posting a notice on the event website and WhatsApp group no later than1800 on the day prior to the day on which an additional race is planned to be sailed. On days when two races are sailed, HYC 17s and Classes 4 and 5 shall only sail one race.

6.5 The type of course to be sailed each day will be determined by the Race Committee and will be communicated by means of signals as follows: ICF ‘R’ will indicate that a ‘Round the Cans’ (RTC) course will be sailed. ICF ‘W’ will indicate that a Windward/Leeward (W/L) course will be sailed.

6.6 The Starting Time Limit shall be 5 minutes. Any boat failing to start within that time will be scored as DNS. This changes Rules 35, A4 and A5.

## 7. [DP] Re-crossing Start/Finish Lines

All boats shall keep clear of the starting lines until their Warning Signal. Boats, having started and cleared their starting line, shall not re-cross that line whilst starts are in progress. Boats shall not cross any other starting line whilst starts are in progress. Boats shall not cross the finish line on another course.

## 8. Finishing Time Limit

The Time Limit for races on days with a single race is 1700 and 1600 on the last day of racing. This will apply to HYC 17s and Classes 4 and 5 on two race days when they only have one race. In the event of a postponement and/or general recall the time limit for races so affected shall be extended by the time the start is delayed. If a boat finishes a race within this limit, the time limit for her Class shall be extended by 20 minutes in that race. A boat which fails to finish within the time limit will be scored DNF. This changes Rule 35 and A5.1. On days when a second race is sailed, the time limit for each race shall be 15 minutes from the time of the first finisher in each Class.

## 9. Hearing Requests

Hearing Requests and Scoring Inquiries should be submitted online, within the protest time limit, at https://tinyurl.com/54jfd2xs

The Protest Time Limit for the Inshore fleet is 60 minutes from the time of finish of the last boat in the last race sailed on the day by a Class assigned to the Inshore fleet. The protest time limit for the Offshore fleet is 60 minutes from the time of the finish of the last boat in the last race sailed on the day by a Class assigned to the Offshore fleet.

Notices of protests by the Race Committee will be posted at https://tinyurl.com/54jfd2xs This changes Rule 61.1(b).

The protest flag exemption for boats less than six metres shall not apply. This changes Rule 61.1(a) (2).

## 10. Protest Hearings

Protest hearings will be held on the Tuesday following the race in question at 1930 in Howth Yacht Club. On the last scheduled day of racing protests will be held on that day.

The schedule of protest hearings will be posted online, 30 minutes after the protest time limit, at https://tinyurl.com/54jfd2xs

The listing of a boat on this schedule shall constitute informing her of a hearing under Rule 63.2. Parties involved shall be present with their witnesses at the time and place indicated on the schedule.

On the last scheduled day of racing a request to reopen a hearing shall be delivered to the Protest Committee not later than 30 minutes after the party was informed of the decision. This changes Rule 66.

## 11. Scoring

The Low Point scoring system of Appendix A will apply. However, RRS A 5.2 is changed such that RRS Appendix 5.3 will apply for the series. When four or more races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst excludable score

## 12. Navigation Marks and Obstructions

See the Technical Sheet.

## 13 Radio Communications

Competitors are advised to keep a listening watch for their respective Committee Vessel - VHF Channel 77 for Offshore Committee Vessel, Channel 69 for Inshore Committee Vessel - where information relevant to racing may be broadcast. Should this information be broadcast, it shall not constitute outside assistance and shall not be the subject of any protest or claim for redress. Failure to broadcast this information shall not be the basis for any claim for redress. Competitors who retire from a race shall inform the Race Committee promptly by radio on Channel 77 or 69, as appropriate. Competitors without radio should inform the Race Office on coming ashore.

## 14 Safety

Competitors participate entirely at their own risk, see Fundamental Rule 3 ‘Decision to Race”’. Open boat entrants are referred to relevant Class Regulations. The wearing of suitable personal floatation devices in all boats is strongly recommended at all times.

The responsibility for the safety of competing boats and their crews lies solely with the said competitors. Howth Yacht Club, and/or the Organising Committee will not accept any liability for material damage, personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with, prior to, during or after racing.

## 15 Insurance

Each participating boat shall be insured with adequate, valid, third-party liability insurance.

## GENERAL

When entering/leaving Howth Harbour, stay on the right-hand side of the fairway and

harbour entrance i.e. always pass port to port. Also, Howth Sound is a restricted channel and accordingly boats shall not impede trawlers.

The attention of all participants is drawn to the car parking regulations in the vicinity of

the Club. These are rigidly enforced by the Harbour Authority.

Competitors are granted temporary membership of Howth Yacht Club on race days of the

Autumn League, subject only to the provisions of the Club Rules for withdrawing or withholding said membership.

Appendix to Sailing Instructions

Windward/Leeward course

S.I. 6.4 refers to the option available to the Race Committee to set a Windward/Leeward course. Should this option be chosen, Flag ‘W’ will be displayed on the Committee Vessel starting the race.

0 ‘Outer’ Windward Mark W (Black)

NOTE: Offset Marks will be laid. These will be small

```text
Orange spherical Marks           0 ’Inner’ Windward Mark W( Yellow)
```

0………F….0□Start/Finish Line

0 “Inner” Leeward Mark L (Yellow)

0 “Outer Leeward Mark L (Black)

For Inshore fleets:

For the inshore fleet. Only one windward mark (yellow) and one leeward mark (yellow) will be laid

For Offshore fleets:

Cruisers 1 and 2 use the Outer windward and leeward marks (Black)

Cruisers 3 and Non-Spinnaker classes 4 and 5 use the Inner windward and leeward marks (Yellow).

The Courses to be sailed and the number of rounds will be displayed on boards on the starting committee vessel: 1: Start - W-O-L-F 2: Start - W-O-L-W-O-L-F 3: Start: -W-O-L-W-O-L-W-O-L-F

Description of marks: W:windward mark O: offset mark L: leeward mark F: finish
