1. Rules The races will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing, 2005-2008 published by US Sailing.

2. Notices to Competitors Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located in the yacht club.

3. Changes to the Sailing Instructions Any change to the sailing instructions for Saturday races will be posted before 0930 on the day it will take effect, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted one week in advance of the new race date. Posted instructions may be superseded by written or verbal instructions given by the race committee to each skipper prior to the warning signal.

4. Signals Made Ashore Signals made ashore will be displayed on the PYC flagpole. When the AP flag is displayed ashore 1 minute is replaced with not less than 30 minutes in the race signal AP. When Y flag is displayed ashore, rule 40.1 applies at all times while afloat. This changes the Part 4 preamble.

5. Schedule of Races Dates, starting times, and number of throw outs will be indicated in the appropriate race schedule. At the finish of a race, the Race Committee will indicate its intent to conduct a subsequent race with the display of code flag 'R'.

6. Class Flags Class flags will be as follows:
   a. Ensign Fleet. The official Ensign burgee
   b. Open Fleet: The “1” numeral pennant if not sailing with the Ensign Fleet.
   c. Offshore Fleet: The “2” numeral pennant

7. Courses
   a. Offshore Fleet. No later than the warning signal the race committee signal boat will display the buoy numbers to be rounded or will display the approximate compass bearing to the first mark and the number of legs of the course.
   b. Ensign and Small Boat Open Fleets. . The Principal Race Officer will designate number of the course to be sailed before or with the attention signal. The course shall be chosen from the list of acceptable courses provided by the Regatta Committee. Saturday races for the championship and fall series shall be started from the east end of Pentwater Lake. Other races shall be started just off the PYC dock.

8. Marks Pentwater Lake races will use the permanent Club race marks numbered A, B, C, D and T. Mark T will be the first no wake buoy south of the south end of the PYC docks.

9. The Start Races will be started by using rule 26 Boats, whose warning signal has not been given, shall avoid the starting area. A boat starting later than 5 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start. This changes rule A4.

10. Individual Recalls Individual recalls will be signaled in accordance with RRS. For Lake Michigan races, the race committee shall try to hail any boat recalled on VHF channel 68. Failure to make a broadcast or to time it accurately will not be grounds for a request for redress. This changes rule 62.1 A

11. Change of course after the start A change of course after the start will be signaled before the leading boat has begun the leg, although the new mark may not yet be in position. Any mark to be passed after passing the new mark may be relocated to maintain the course configuration. When in a subsequent change a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced by an original mark. This alters RRS 33.

12. The Finish The finish line for Lake Michigan races will be between the orange flag on a RC boat and the nearest mark of the course. The finish line for Pentwater Lake races will be between the orange flag on the PYC deck and the designated mark on the west side of the lake.

13. Time Limit A Pentwater Lake race shall have a time limit of two hours from the class starting signal. Lake Michigan races will have a three-hour time limit. Boats failing to finish within 20 minutes after the time limit shall be scored by the Race Committee according to their place when the time limit expires. This changes rules 35 and A4.

14. Protests A boat intending to protest is requested to report her intention and the boat[s] being protested to the race committee at the finish. This changes RRS 61.1[a]. Protests shall be written on US Sailing protest forms available from the race committee or the PYC manager or designate and must be delivered to the race committee within one hour of the docking of the race committee boat. Protest forms are available for download at www.pentwateryachtclub.com or ussailing.org .

15. Protest Arbitration [this changes RRS 60.1[b], 63.1, 63.6, and 66.] An arbitration meeting will be held prior to the protest hearing for all protests involving part two of the Racing Rules of Sailing. After a protest form is delivered, one designated representative [Conforming to RRS 63.3[a]] of each party will appear before an arbitrator. No witnesses are permitted. After hearing the testimony of each representative, the arbitrator shall reach one of the following conclusions:
   a. There was no breach of the rule. If representatives agree, the protest is withdrawn and cannot be reopened. If any representative disagrees, the matter goes to the protest committee for a hearing.
   b. There was a breach of a rule by one of the boats involved. The representative [s]of the offending boats have the option of accepting a 40% alternative penalty [calculated as in RRS 44.3[c] or submitting the matter to protest committee. If the penalty is accepted, the matter can not be reopened or made the subject of a redress request.
   c. The matter should go to the protest committee for a hearing. When the protest is referred to the protest committee, the arbitrator shall not be a member of the protest committee.

16. Makeup races Races cancelled will be not be rescheduled with the possible exception of the last race of a series.

17. Safety Regulations A boat that retires from a race shall notify the race committee as soon as possible.

18. Radio Communication A boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats. This restriction also applies to mobile telephone

19. Disclaimer of Liability Competitors compete in the racing entirely at their own risk. [See rule Four. 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 race.

20. Insurance Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance with a minimum cover of $300.000.00 per event or equivalent.

21. Owner as helmsman. One of the boat's owners must act as helmsman on at least the first and last legs of each race. The first leg is defined as beginning 1 minute before the start signal, and ending after the first mark has been rounded. The last leg is defined as starting before the boat has begun to round the last mark, and ending after the boat has finished.

22. Serious damage definition. Regarding Rules 44.1, 60.3 and 63.5:
   a. Serious damage is the breakage of any part of the boat, including the hull, brightwork, standing rigging, or sails.
   b.Scuffing of the rubrail, or scratches which do not penetrate to the underlying fiberglass, are not considered serious damage.

End of Sailing Instructions