1. RULES: ALL GCYC CLUB RACES WILL BE GOVERNED BY US SAILING's THE RACING RULES OF SAILING 2005-2008, except as otherwise provided in these instructions.

2. NOTICE TO COMPETITORS: Official notices will be discussed at each race day's skippers meeting on the dock at approximately 10:30 a.m. on race day. Skippers will be given written copies of these notices by hand since we do not have a posted notice board. Changes to the schedule of races must be made by 8:00 p.m. on the day before it will take effect.

3. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS: The Race Committee of the day may revise the standing instructions for that day only. Revisions must be in writing and provided to all skippers at least one hour before the first warning signal.

4. YACHT CHECK-IN: Yachts intending to race on a given day are required to sail within hail of the race committee and declare their intention to race. This is to reduce confusion regarding yachts which are not racing on Scots Flat Lake. The Race Committee is not required to fly the "L" flag for 'come within hail' for this declaration, it is assumed. If possible, a yacht retiring should inform the Race Committee.

5. SCHEDULE OF RACES AND STARTING TIME: Races will begin at approximately noon on Saturdays and/or Sundays, depending on wind and other variables.

Spring Series

Race	Date	Day
1	April 6	Sunday
2	April 20	Sunday
3	May 3	Saturday
4	May 18	Sunday
5	May 31	Saturday
6	June 14	Saturday

Summer Series

Race	Date	Day
7	June 28	Saturday
8	July 13	Sunday
9	July 27	Sunday
10	August 9	Saturday
11	August 24	Sunday
12	September 6	Saturday

Each racer is required to serve on Race Committee during one of the race dates each year in order to be eligible for Season and/or Series championships. REDRESS equal to the racer's average finish in other races counted in the season serving will be awarded for Race Committee duties. (RC duties do not count as throwouts nor is a "zero" credit awarded during the Spring or Summer season as in previous years, but REDRESS is given for the Overall Season standings)

6. RESTRICTED AREAS: In accordance with US SAILING Rule 22.1, after finishing, yachts shall keep clear of the finish line and yachts racing. Obstruction of finishing yachts shall be cause for protest. Swim areas as designated by Scots Flat Lake must be avoided. Red or white buoys marking rocks and shoals are to be regarded as obstructions.

7. NUMBER OF RACES PER DAY: The number of scheduled races per day shall be 3 races. The Race Committee may abandon or cancel races due to weather or other hazardous situations. Cancellation of a race shall be at the sole discretion of that day's Race Committee. The decision to cancel the first race will be announced at the skipper's meeting at the dock (typically 10:30 a.m.).

8. RACING AREA: Illustration A shows the location of racing areas. The buoy-marked swim areas are considered obstructions and are to be avoided.

9. THE COURSES: The diagrams in Illustration B show the courses (A, B, C & D), the order in which marks are to be passed, and the side on which each mark is to be left, and the approximate length of each course. No later than the warning signal (5 minutes before the start), the Race Committee will display the course.

10. MARKS: Marks are yellow/orange in color and number 1 through 8 incrementing clockwise, starting at the dam (only Marks 1, 5, & 7 will be placed for Club Racing).

11. TIME LIMIT: For each race, there will be a time limit of 1 1/2 hours after the start. One yacht sailing the course in accordance with US SAILING Rule 35 and finishing within the prescribed limit shall make the race valid for all other yachts in that race with a maximum of 2 hours per race, allowing 30 minutes for all remaining boats to finish the course. When no yacht finishes within the prescribed time limit, the race shall be abandoned.

12a. THE START: Races will be started by using Rule 26 with the Warning signal (using Course flag A, B, or C) given 5 minutes before the starting signal. The Start line is defined as an imaginary line between the orange pole on the Race Committee boat and the orange pole on the pin end buoy to the port of the Race Committee boat. See US SAILING Rules 28.1, 29.1 and 30.1. Rule 30.1 shall be in effect each race as the "I" Flag will be used for the Preparatory signal (4 minutes before the start), hence the "one minute rule" with the "round an end rule" is in effect. The 'cone shaped area' between the ends of the start line and the first mark is off-limits during the one minute prior to the start. Boats in that 'cone' during that time (including 'over early boats') must go around an end of the line and re-start properly. While going around an end, a boat has no rights over any boat properly starting/racing. After the start, a yacht may only cross the start/finish line to finish the race. The LINE IS RESTRICTED during a race.

12b. ALTERNATIVE START: In the event that a Race Committee is unavailable on race day and yachts still wish to race, the following starting sequence will be used. Marks, starting pin and RC boat will be in place as usual. One volunteer will take command of the starting sequence by hailing all other boats to gather around to announce the course for each race, set watches for the 5 minute countdown, and inform all participating yachts to take their own times. The first boat to finish may also gather times of subsequent finishers if possible. Then a verbal countdown to the beginning of the 5 minute sequence will be given so all watches/counters can be synchronized. The 4 minute, 1 minute and STARTING horns are optional (but desired, if possible).

13. THE FINISH: The Finish line is defined as an imaginary line between the orange pole on the Race Committee boat and the orange pole on the pin end buoy to the port of the Race Committee Barge. If the course is shortened, a race committee boat near the new finishing mark will display flag "S" and boats shall cross the new finishing line represented by the Race Committee boat with flag "S" and the mark located to the port of the Race Committee boat.

14. PROTESTS: Notification of the yacht protested is mandatory as soon as possible (15 seconds considered reasonable). Red protest flags and Race Committee notification is also mandatory (exception: small dinghies need not display red flag). A written protest must be filed on forms provided by the race committee and submitted to the Race Committee immediately after the race in question (drop it off at the barge). For immediacy in hearing protests, all involved yachts should raft up near the barge immediately after the final race of the day. A Protest Committee will be assigned from other racers in attendance. A suggested time limit of 10 minutes for each party to present their case and a 10 minute limit for the Protest Committee to render a finding will keep the total hearing time to 30 minutes after the final race is completed.

15. APPEALS: Appeals should follow standard appeals procedures.

16. SCORING: The High Point Scoring System in accordance with US SAILING's Alternative Scoring Systems for Long Series will apply (USSailing's Appendix AA for Long Series Scoring.pdf). The Spring and Summer series will each consist of 18 races (6 race dates, 3 races each day). The top 2/3 of each season's races (top 12 races) will be counted for each season, and 3/4 of the overall season (top 27 races) will be totaled for the overall season.

The total number of boats participating in a particular race will define 'N.' Each boat finishing that race and not thereafter retiring or being disqualified will be scored as follows:

All other boats that compete in a race, including any that finish and thereafter retire or are disqualified, will score 0 points. Boats that do not compete in that race (DNC) will not be scored.

The series score for each boat will be the total number of her counted races (exclude up to 1/3 of the boats' worst scores). An excluded race counts as a race to qualify a boat for a series score, but not as one of her scored races. The qualified boat with the highest series score is the winner, and others are ranked accordingly.

As each racer is required to serve on Race Committee once during the year, REDRESS equal to the average of the other races counted in the season serving on RC will be awarded. The yearly Overall Championship will be determined by totaling the top 24 race scores (plus RC committee duty 'average' for each boat), using both seasons' scores (Spring and Summer) for a total based on 27 scores.

17. TIES: Race ties will be broken using rule A7. Series ties will be broken using rule A8.1. Rules A1, A3, A5, A6, A10 and A11 also apply.

18. SPECIAL ALLOWANCES: Yachts rendering assistance in the spirit of US SAILING Rule 1.1. A yacht that renders assistance (i.e. tows another yacht to shore) before a start may return to the starting line and start after the official start time. The race committee will record the actual start time and that time will be used to calculate the elapsed time. A yacht that renders assistance during a race shall be given points equal to the average of her points in all the races completed on that race day. The yacht need not finish the race during which she rendered assistance. It is the discretion of the Race Committee to decide whether to allow the assisting yacht this privilege.

19. TROPHIES: Trophies will be awarded at the end of each season (Spring and Summer, with the Overall Championship awarded at the annual Christmas Party) for yachts competing in both seasonal series and in the Overall Championship.

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY: Competitors participate in the race series 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 races.

(Updated April 4, 2008 - jml)