NOTICE OF RACE - ALGOA BAY WEEK 2010, HOSTED BY ALGOA BAY YACHT CLUB

Including
CLASS I (ABYC Rating) & Cruising Class (No Spinnaker)

Notice is hereby given that the above sailing event is scheduled to take place as detailed in this Notice of Race. Entries are invited in terms of this Notice.

DATES
Saturday 24th of April to Tuesday 27th of April 2010 both dates inclusive.

VENUE
ALGOA BAY YACHT CLUB, directions to which may be obtained from the Regatta Secretary.

ORGANISING AUTHORITY

The Algoa Bay Yacht Club under the auspices of South African Sailing Eastern Cape.

CLASSES

1. Class I ABYC RATING
2. Cruising Class ( No Spinnaker)

RULES

The Regatta will be governed by:
1. The 'Rules' as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) of the International Sailing Association Federation (ISAF) 2009- 2012 subject to any permissible changes made in terms of this Notice.
2. The Equipment Rules of Sailing (ERS) 2005 - 2009
3. The Class Rules for competing Classes
4. This Notice of Race.
5. The SA Sailing Safety Checklist for Pleasure Vessels dated 6 April 2004 inclusive of the SAS Recommended Essential Additions - Category D.
6. The IR2000 Rules, Parts 1, 2 and 3 for IRC Class competitors - (if IRC being contested)
7. The Sailing Instructions and any amendments thereto

ADVERTISING

Category C will apply to all classes in terms of the ISAF advertising code RRS Section II Regulation 20. Advertising of a company or a product which, at the sole discretion of the Organising Committee, is in direct or indirect competition with a sponsoring company or any sponsor's product marketed by them, shall not be permitted.

ELIGIBILITY

The regatta is open to all boats meeting the requirements for Class I & Cruising Class (where applicable)

MEASUREMENT or REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES

Each competing yacht shall hold a valid Class Measurement or Registration Certificate. In the event of a competing yacht having a foreign Registration, a valid Measurement or Registration Certificate shall be presented at Registration. Competitors in the IRC classes must produce an original, current IRC Measurement Certificate at time of registration. Failing to do so will result in them being scored on ABYC rating only.

ENTRIES

Entries must be completed on the attached official entry form and submitted together with the required entry fee to the Regatta Secretary at the address below. Telephonic or incomplete entries will not be accepted. Eligible entries will be accepted until the close of Registration at the venue. Refer to the clause "Registration" below. Entries submitted at the venue may be accepted if accompanied by all relevant documentation demanded by this Notice of Race along with proof of eligibility.

Entry fees per yacht will be as detailed below, received no later than 19H00 on 23rd April 2010 at the venue.

All Classes R400.00 per boat having a total complement of 4 or less (inclusive of the skipper).

Regatta Secretary's Address:

Postal: PO Box 1034, Port Elizabeth, 6000
Street: Dom Pedro Jetty, Port Elizabeth Harbour, 6001
Tel : 041-5854058
Fax : 041-5860095
Email: management@abyc.org.za
Web Site: www.abyc.org.za
Office hours: 14h00 to 16h00

PAYMENT OF ENTRY FEES

Payment may be made by cash, cheque or bank deposit to the credit of the account detailed below.
In the case of deposits made to the said bank account, the bank stamped deposit slip or the printed electronic transaction slip and the completed entry form shall be either mailed or transmitted by fax simultaneously to the Regatta Secretary. The deposit document shall state the event and entrants name.

Bank Account details
Account name: Development Sailing
Bank and Branch: Nedbank Walmer
Branch code: 121517
Account No.: 1263074731

All Entry Fees and Class subscriptions shall be paid prior to the close of Entries and Registration. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the affected yacht being recorded as 'Did Not Compete' until such time as the required payment/s are made. This changes Rule A11 (DNC).

ENTRY FORMS

Additional entry forms are available on request from the Regatta Secretary.

SCRUTINY OF EQUIPMENT

Official SA Sailing measurers may scrutinise any competing yacht for compliance with the Class Rules.

REGISTRATION

Entries shall be confirmed by registration with the Regatta Secretary at the venue commencing from 12:00 till 19:00 on Friday the 23rd April 2010.

The following documents may be requested at Registration:

1. Current yacht club membership card;
2. Class membership receipt or other proof of membership, if applicable;
3. Measurement or registration certificate;
4. SAS Membership Card
5. It is recommended that proof of Skipper's qualification be available should it be required.
6. Current Safety Certificate.

Competitors and their crew, whose names do not appear on the relevant official Class Membership list or SAS membership list for the current year as having paid the annual Class / SAS subscription fee for the period, shall pay the prescribed Class / SAS Temporary Membership fee before registration. Where proof of payment of Class / SAS Fees is not available, a competitor shall pay the required Class / SAS Temporary fee to the Regatta Secretary and the amount will be refunded if proof of prior payment is submitted to the Regatta Secretary within 30 days of the commencement of the event.

All fees shall be paid before the closing of entries. Refer to the paragraph "Payment of Entry Fees" above.

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Sailing instructions will be available from the Regatta Secretary at the regatta venue upon registration.

CREW

Yachts shall sail with the no. of crew submitted at registration. Any changes must be submitted in writing to the Race Committee for approval by 09:00 on the day of race.

EQUIPMENT

Equipment shall not be changed during the event. The Race Committee may permit substitution of damaged equipment subject to receipt of a written application.

SCHEDULE OF RACES

The First Race of the Regatta is scheduled to start not before 10h00 on Saturday 24th April 2010 for all classes.
The time for subsequent races will be posted on the regatta notice board, except where back to back races are signalled.
No races will be started if the wind speed is above a constant 30 knots from the west or a constant 25 knots from the East, as determined by the Race Officer.
No warning signal will be made after 14:00 on the last day of racing.

RACING AREA AND COURSES

The courses to be sailed will be set out in the Sailing Instructions.

HAULING OUT RESTRICTIONS

Yachts shall not be hauled out after the scheduled starting time of the first race except in accordance with the terms the Race Committee that may permit, subject to receipt of a written application.

SAFETY

Attention of all competitors is drawn to the paragraph headed "RULES" above. All competing yachts shall abide by the provisions contained therein. It shall be the responsibility of the Skipper of each competing yacht, along with a designated crew member, to inspect his/her yacht for compliance with all appropriate rules. A Safety Declaration, signed by the Skipper and designated crew member, confirming the yacht's compliance, is to be handed in at the time of Registration. Yachts must comply with the SAS Regulations or Class Rules for an organised event. Random safety checks may be conducted on all classes during the course of the Regatta. VHF radios capable of communication on Channels 12, 16 & 71 shall be monitored at all times whilst competitors are away from moorings throughout the event.

SCORING SYSTEM

The low points scoring system, RRS A4 will apply:

Eight races are scheduled to be sailed, consisting of navigational, windward-leeward and windward-leeward-triangle courses.
If four (4) races are completed all races shall count and constitute a regatta.
When five (5) or more races have been completed, a boat's series score will be the total of her race scores excluding one (1) discarded race score.

PRIZES & AWARDS

Prizes and awards will be presented at the prize giving which will follow as soon as possible after the last race.

Class floating trophies may be awarded as follows in accordance with the stated criteria;

1. Line honours trophy
2. First in Class I
3. First in Cruising Class
4. Other prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the Race Committee in consultation with the Race Sponsors, including prizes for development sailors based on their performance at this event.

LIABILITY

Participation in this event is entirely at the risk of competitors and no responsibility for damage or injury resulting there from will rest with the Organising Authority, Class Associations, Sponsors or any persons concerned with the conduct of the regatta.

At approximately 08h05 on Friday 16 April, NSRI Port Alfred and NSRI Port Elizabeth were alerted to a yacht reporting to have run aground at Boknes Beach, between Port Elizabeth and Port Alfred.

NSRI Port Alfred dispatched a mobile crew to the scene and on arrival, said Juan Pretorius, NSRI Port Alfred station commander, we found the yacht Charisma, a Flamenca 25 footer, hard aground.

The yacht had apparently run aground at approximately 04h00.

Both occupants, ABYC member, 65 year old Brian Duggett and 21 year old Deborah Robinson, from Port Elizabeth, were found uninjured and the NSRI are assisting to remove valuables from the yacht.

Salvage efforts are being assisted by the NSRI. Juan said they are attempting to put the 25 foot yacht onto a trailer for the owner but this plan may change.

It appears they left Port Elizabeth in the early hours of Thursday 15th April sailing North. At approximately 02h00 on Friday morning, 16th April, the wind came up and changed direction, from a South Westerly to an easterly wind, and reportedly, although they were only sailing on a small storm sail, the rough weather and gale force winds caused the skipper to be thrown overboard while he was attempting to start the engine at around 03h30.

According to their report to the NSRI the skipper was wearing his harness (attached to the yacht) but he did not have the strength to pull himself aboard so he managed to hold onto the motor at the back of the yacht and yelled instructions to his female crew to beach the yacht onto the nearest land in an effort to save his life.

Deborah steered the yacht onto Boknes Beach at about 04h00.

The area where they have come aground is protected by an approximately 1 mile long reef but somehow the yacht, and the skipper dragging behind the yacht, made it through the reef unscathed. As ABYC safety officer, Philip Rademan said; "Apparently the 'hand of God' must have been involved as the yacht managed to slip through a tiny gap in the 9 foot reef."

SAMSA (The South African Maritime safety Authority) have been alerted.

A recent visitor to the Chartroom Restaurant posted a very nice review on the MyPE web site.

See: Chartroom Sunday lunch.

You will see in the above forum post that I asked for the panorama image below taken from the ABYC deck.

Click on the thumbnail below to see the large image.

Feel free to comment on MyPE or below.

Visit the photographer's blog, North End Daily Photo.