• Beer Can Regattas
• Junior Boat Camp
• Laser
  Regattas
• Launching/
  Mooring Info
• Notice of Race
• PHRF Chart for Tahoe
• PHRF Bylaws
• Regatta Registration
• Results
• Sailing Bulletin Board
• Sailing Instructions
• Trans Tahoe Regatta
• Waiver
• Weekend Regattas

1.         Rules

All regattas of the Tahoe Yacht Club will be governed by "The Racing Rules of Sailing, 2005-2008" (RRS), the prescriptions of the United States Sailing Association when they apply, the rules of each class concerned, except as any of these are changed by these sailing instructions.  All regattas are designated category "C".

2.         Entries

Eligible boats may be entered by completing the appropriate race registration form and filing it with the Tahoe Yacht Club at least one hour before a scheduled warning signal.  Registration forms can be obtained at the TYC clubhouse or at www.tahoeyc.com/sail/reg_reg.php.  Eligibility requirements are contained in the notice of race for each event.

3.         Notice to Competitors

Notice to competitors will be posted on the Tahoe Yacht Club official notice board located inside the main clubhouse.

4.         Changes in Sailing instructions

Race committee will post any changes to the Sailing Instructions on the official race notice board at the TYC Clubhouse at least one (1) hour prior to the warning signal.

5.         Signals Made Ashore

Visual signals made ashore will be in accordance with race signals and will be displayed on the flag staff at the bulkhead in front of the TYC clubhouse in Tahoe City, CA.

6.             Schedule of Races

Races are scheduled as follows:

7.         Classes

For all spring and summer races, the following classes will be recognized (see below for Conner Fall Beer Can Series).  Race Committee reserves the right to modify, remove or add classes depending on the entries for each event.   Changes will be posted on the official race notice board at least one (1) hour prior to the warning signal. 

Melges 24's – A white flag with the letter "M"

Multi-hull boats - A white flag with the letter "M".

Keel boats, Division 1 (PHRF up to 53) - A black flag with number "1".

Keel boats, Division 2 (PHRF 56-114)- A black flag with the number "2".

Keel boats, Division 3   (PHRF 117 & above) - A black flag with the number "3".

Non-spinnaker/cruising boats - A white flag with the letter "C".

Laser "A" Fleet  - A white flag with the letter "A".

Laser "B" Fleet  - A white flag with the letter "B".

Any one design class with three (3) or more boats may request their own class and start, for one design racing.

8.         Racing Area

·       The racing area for Laser races, Wednesday night beer can races, Short handed, Women's skipper regatta, and the Trans Tahoe warm up buoy race will be in Tahoe City between Dollar Point and Tahoe Tavern, with the start off of the US coast guard station. 

·       The Trans-Tahoe will be sailed on the northern half of Lake Tahoe, with the start/finish just off of Tahoe City. 

·       The Sunnyside regatta will be raced off of the waters of Sunnyside restaurant on the West shore of Lake Tahoe.

·       The Gar Woods regatta will be sailed off of the waters of Gar Woods restaurant in Carnelian Bay.

·       The Chambers Landing regatta will be sailed off of the waters of Chambers Landing.

·       The Laser Fleet championships will be held at Stampede Reservoir just West of the Dam.

9.         The Course

The “Course Descriptions” page shows the courses including the order in which marks are to be passed and the side on which each mark is to be left.  Race committee course selection will be signaled with numeral pennants or a course board and may be followed by the pennant  "X2" which means twice around.  Race committee may elect to provide an alternate course to be explained on the water.

Start/Finish lines are restricted for all boats not starting or finishing.  This rule does not apply to Monday Night Laser races. RACE COMMITTEE WILL DSQ BOATS SAILING THROUGH THE LINE.

10.       Marks

Marks 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be orange tetrahedrons. Marks S, P and Offset Mark may be tetrahedrons or orange balls at the option of the Race Committee. New marks, as provided in instruction 13, Change of Course After the Start, will be orange tetrahedrons with a black band.  The starting and finishing marks will be the staff displaying an orange flag on the race committee boat and an orange ball.  If an orange ball is absent, then the nearest orange mark to the committee boat shall be used as the other start/finish mark.  Race committee reserves the right to substitute coast guard markers or other permanent buoys for marks as explained on the water.

11.       The Start – Racing Signals

All boats must check-in with the race committee prior to the first warning signal.  All races will be started using the following start system.  Classes will start in the order:

1.     Any one design class

2.     Multi-Hulls (class M, white flag with the letter "M")

3.     Keel Boats up to PHRF 53 (Division 1, white flag with the number "1"). 

4.     Keel Boats with PHRF 56-114 (Division 2, white flag with the Number "2")

5.     Keel Boats with PHRF 117 and up (Division 3, white flag with the Number "3")

6.     Cruising Boats (non-spinnaker, white flag with the letter "C").

Starting system             

11.1      Races shall be started by using the following signals (RRS 26 & 27).  Times shall be taken from the visual signals; the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded.   When possible, the race committee will use several blasts of a horn to warn that warning signal will be coming shortly.

11.2      The warning signal for a succeeding class will be made at any time after the starting signal for the preceding class by displaying the class flag for the succeeding class.

11.3      The starting line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on the race committee boat at the starboard end and the port-end starting mark.

11.4      Boats whose preparatory signal has not been made shall keep clear of the starting area and all of the boats whose preparatory signal has been made.  

12.           Radio Procedure

Race committee may elect to combine some starts at their discretion, look for class flags at warning signal. See “Classes” above. The race committee will attempt to hail sail numbers of premature starters (on course side or OCS) via megaphone and/or VHF channel 65.  Race committee may, at their option also use this VHF channel to communicate other items such as course changes, postponements, abandonment’s etc…   Failure of race committee to communicate via radio or megaphone shall not be cause for redress.  All boats larger than 15 feet are required to carry an operable marine radio and be available for radio communication.  Any boats retiring from competition shall notify race committee immediately. 

13.           Mark Boats

When used, Mark Boats will be stationed beyond each mark.  At the finish, the Mark Boat will be stationed at the pin end of the finishing line.  When on station, each Mark Boat will normally display an orange flag.  Failure of a Mark Boat to be on station or to display her appropriate signal will not be grounds for redress.  This changes rule 62.1(a)

14.       Change of Course After Start

Marks may be moved at any time before the start of a given race.  A change of course after the start will be signaled by a Mark Boat, before the leading boat has rounded the mark before the change of course.  Any mark to be rounded after rounding the new mark may be relocated in order to maintain the configuration of the original course.  When in a subsequent change of course a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced with an original mark.

The finishing line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag or shape on a race committee boat and the nearby mark at the port or starboard end. 

16.           Penalty System

The Taking a Penalty, rule 44.1, is modified for all classes.  A 360° turn penalty shall apply.

17.       Time Limit

For Laser and Beer Can regattas, boats failing to finish within fifteen (15) minutes after the first boat of its class finishes will be scored "Did Not Finish."  For Weekend Regattas, boats failing to finish within twenty (20) minutes after the first boat in its class will be scored "Did Not Finish."  This changes rule 35.  For the Trans Tahoe, all boats must finish by 2400 or they will be scored DNF.  All time limits except the Trans Tahoe time limit may be waived at the discretion of race committee.

18.       Protests

18.1         Protests shall be written and submitted on the appropriate US Sailing forms which can be provided by Tahoe Yacht Club.  For the Beer can series, the form must be delivered to a designated employee of the Club or Race Committee by no later than 2200 the day of the race.  For all other races, the protest must be filed with the Club employee or the race committee within one (1) hour of the race committee reaching the dock. 

18.2         Protest notices will be posted on the official race notice board in the TYC Clubhouse within 30 minutes of the protest time limit to inform competitors where and when there is a hearing in which they are parties to a hearing or named as witnesses.

18.3         Rule 61.1.a from Racing Rules of Sailing, shall be changed to read: A boat intending to protest shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity. When her protest concerns an incident in the racing area that she is involved in or sees, she shall hail "Protest" and conspicuously display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity for each. Conspicuously shall be interpreted as anywhere on the back stay at or above the highest level of the aft stanchion or on the highest point of the aft stanchion or aft lifeline. If the vessel has no aft stanchion, aft lifeline or backstay then the flag may be displayed from the back of the boom. She shall display the flag until she is no longer racing.

18.4         Protest hearings will be held within 72 hours from receipt for all Laser, Beer Can and Weekend series regattas and as soon as possible for stand alone regattas such as the Trans Tahoe and the results will be posted. For protests involving an alleged breach of a rule of Part 2, where there is no damage, the parties involved in the protest may opt for arbitration. One representative of each party shall meet with a mutually agreed upon arbitrator. After taking testimony from each representative, the arbitrator will decide:

a) No boat broke a rule. If the representatives agree, the protest is withdrawn. If any representative disagrees, the jury will schedule a protest hearing.

b) One or both boats broke a rule. The representative(s) of the boat(s) breaking a rule agree to withdraw from the race and will be scored as RAF and the protest will be withdrawn. If any representative disagrees, the jury will schedule a protest hearing.

c) The protest does not qualify for arbitration. The jury will schedule a protest hearing.
If the protest is withdrawn, the arbitration will neither be reopened nor grounds for redress. This changes RRS 62.1(a). The arbitrator may be present in the protest hearing as an observer but will not take part in the decision of the jury.

19.           Scoring

All races will be scored using Tahoe PHRF handicap system and Time on Time Scoring as outlined by US sailing with the formula :

Where the A factor will be 700 and the B factor will be:

                        480 for Heavy air

                        550 for "average" conditions

                        650 for very light air. 

The B factor number will be assigned by the race chairperson as deem appropriate.

Laser Series & Beer Can Series:  The Scoring for each series, Spring, Summer and Fall, will be done using the low point system of Appendix A-9 of the RRS.  There will be at least 12 races scheduled for the Spring Series, 12 for the Summer Series and 4 for the fall series.  A minimum of 5 races will be required for a series in Spring and Summer, 3 for Fall.  There will be one throw out for every five races that are run by the race committee.

Short Handed, Women Skipper Regatta and Restaurant Regattas (Sunnyside, Chambers Landing and Gar Woods regattas):  The Scoring for each regatta will be done using the low point system of Appendix A-9 of the RRS.  There will be three races scheduled for each regatta with one race required to constitute a regatta.  All race scores will be required for the regatta scoring.  There will be an overall Restaurant Regatta Series Trophy as well, details to be provided prior to the start of the first race.

Laser Fleet Championships:  The scoring for the regatta will be done using the low point system of Appendix A-9 of the RRS.  There will be five races scheduled for the regatta with one race required to constitute a regatta.  If five or more races are sailed, there will be one throw-out for each competitor.  If less than five races are sailed, all races will be counted toward the regatta score.

Note:  Last sentence of appendix A-9 shall be modified to state: "A boat that did not come to the starting area shall also be scored points for the finishing place one more than the number of boats in the starting area."  This shall apply to all races above.

20.       Prizes

Prizes will be awarded to each boat placing first, second and third in all classes of all regattas or series.  Series participants will be awarded first, second and third place prizes for the entire series.  The Wednesday night beer can series will have an overall class made up of all participants as well as individual classes.  The laser fleet will have an overall winner for the year using the combined scores of spring and summer series.

21.       Personal Flotation Devices

22. Bowsprit boat rule (applies to bowsprit boats only)

Approaching a windward mark without the spinnaker set, the bowsprit shall not be extended until the bow of the boat has passed the straight, invisible line, extending from the Race Committee Boat through the weather mark. The boat shall fly the spinnaker or be in the act of hoisting the spinnaker at all times when the bowsprit is extended. The bow sprit shall be retracted at the first reasonable opportunity after rounding the leeward mark.

For boats racing one design class, the one design bow sprit rule for that class shall override the above bow sprit rule, if applicable.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

See a diagram of all courses and flags.