Sailing Instructions
SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION
Introduction by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston
SECTION 2 SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
This section forms the main body of all the instructions relevant to the conduct of the Clipper Race. These instructions will be issued prior to the race start and amended as required throughout the race.
SECTION 3 COURSE INSTRUCTIONS
This section will contain the instructions for each of the individual races that make up the Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race. These will be issued on a timely basis throughout the race prior to the start of each individual race.
ANNEXES 19-61
Annex A - Clipper Race Le Mans Start Procedure
Annex B - Pre-Race Declaration Form
Annex C - Post-Race Declaration Form
Annex D - Protest Form
Annex E - Passage Plan Form
Annex F - Rig Checklist
Annex G - Safety Checklist
Introduction by
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston
To all Race Skippers, Additional Qualified Persons (AQPs) and Race Crew,
This will be the twelfth edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. A considerable amount of experience has been accrued by the Clipper Race Management team over the 22 years of running this event. Many lessons have been learned and incorporated into our standard way of doing things but one aspect remains crystal clear - the conduct and quality of the racing makes this event a success. I look to all Race Skippers and those involved in the organisation to ensure that the racing is carried out in a sharp, seamanlike and professional manner.
Clipper Ventures Plc is in the fortunate position of managing the conduct of all aspects of the Clipper Race and therefore ensuring that safety and seamanship predominate throughout. These principles are not to be compromised and shall be at the forefront of all Race Skippers, AQP and Race Crew minds always.
Where necessary the established racing rules have been changed, or modified by these instructions to ensure the unique requirements of Clipper 2019-20 Race are fulfilled. All Race Skippers and AQPs are to read these Sailing Instructions and are to sign to that effect on the following pages.
Fair winds and good racing to all those taking part.
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston
SECTION 2 - SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
1. DEFINITIONS
In these instructions, the following words and expressions shall have the following meanings:
a. the Company is Clipper Ventures Plc.
b. the Clipper Race is the Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race in its entirety.
c. the race is one of the individual races that together make up the Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race.
d. the yacht is a ‘Clipper 70’ yacht owned by the Company.
e. Sailing Instructions (SIs) are the Clipper Race Sailing Instructions (this document)
f. Course Instructions (CIs) are instructions that define each individual race. Course Instructions are issued at section 3 of SIs.
g. The Race Committee is a committee nominated in the Notice of Race (NOR) for the purpose of administering the Clipper Race and dealing with protests.
h. The Race Office is a team nominated by the Race Committee for the purpose of Clipper Race administration and operations. All email correspondence shall be sent to [email protected]
i. RRS are the Racing Rules of Sailing (see paragraph 2).
j. IRPCS are The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
k. Lead Skipper is the Skipper as nominated in the Course Instructions for that race.
Words expressed in any gender shall where the context so requires or permits include any other gender.
2. GOVERNING RULES
The race will be governed by:
a. The World Sailing (formerly ISAF) Racing Rules of Sailing 2017-2020 (RRS) and any subsequent amendments,
b. The International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea (IRPCS),
c. Clipper 2019-20 Notice of Race,
d. These Sailing Instructions (SIs).
Note: When there is conflict, the rules above shall apply in this order of precedence.
3. RIGHT OF WAY RULES
The right of way rules between racing yachts will apply as follows:
a. RRS from four minutes before the race start time, until sunset on the first night of racing, or as amended by Annex A Clipper Race Le Mans Start Procedure,
b. RRS from sunrise until sunset on all other race days,
c. IRPCS from sunset to sunrise.
For the purpose of this definition, times of sunrise/sunset will be taken as the actual times determined by the geographical position of vessels.
4. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
a.The Race Committee will announce any postponement of the start of the race on the designated VHF channel (as defined in the Course Instructions) with the expected duration of the delay.
b.The Race Committee may issue amendments to the Sailing Instructions after the start signal and during the race. In these cases, they will use the best possible means to communicate any changes to all yachts and wherever possible, obtain confirmation that the changes have been received and understood by all Skippers.
5. START LINES AND STARTS
a. Start lines for each race will be published in the Course Instructions in Section 3 of these instructions.
b. Starts will be conducted by either:
i) Host yacht clubs on behalf of Clipper Ventures;
ii) Race Committee members or other staff delegated;
iii) One Skipper of a designated yacht.
c. Unless ordered to the contrary in the Course Instructions, the starting sequence in RRS26 (starting races) shall be amended by the following:
i) 10 minutes to Start Class
ii) 4 minutes to start Flag ‘P’
iii) 1 minute to start Flag ‘P’ lowered
iv) Start All Flags lowered
v) Sound signals will be made to draw attention to the flag hoists;
vi) The start sequence will normally be made on the designated VHF channel.
d. Unless otherwise amended by Section 3 Course Instructions, RRS 30.1 (I Flag Rule) will be in force for all starts but Flag I will not be flown.
e. Unless otherwise amended by Section 3 Course Instructions, yachts on the course side of the starting line (OCS) at the start will be penalised by a time penalty of one hour plus a further minute for every second over the line at the start signal.
f. Whenever possible yachts over the line will be advised by the starting authority on the designated VHF channel.
g. Unless otherwise amended by Section 3 Course Instructions, yachts may avoid a penalty by returning around either end of the start line and then re-crossing.
h. The Race Committee may authorise outside personnel to sail onboard any of the yachts from prior to the start sequence for up to one hour after the race start for purposes of Race Administration and Public Relations.
i. There is no obligation on the Race Committee or their nominated deputies to provide constant access to a start port.
6. MARK-ROOM and the ZONE
a.The area around a mark is defined as the ‘zone’. For the purposes of the Clipper 2019-20 Race and unless otherwise stated, the zone will be defined as ‘the area around a mark within a distance of five hull lengths of the boat nearer to it.’ This is a modification to the definition of the ‘zone’ as given in the RRS 2017-20. A boat is in the zone when any part of her hull is in the ‘zone’.
7. REPORTING POSITIONS
a. Unless otherwise amended in Section 3 Course Instructions, fleet positions at 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 UTC will be sent automatically to all yachts via email. Should the automated email fail, the Race Office shall endeavour to send this information within 30 mins of the designated schedule time. Failure to achieve this is not grounds for redress.
b. At 0545 UTC and 1745 UTC, each Skipper must email the Race Office with the following information;
- Yacht position as displayed on the GPS
- Distance travelled in last 12 hours,
- Distance to next waypoint / finish
- Current speed over ground (SOG) course over ground (COG)
These reports shall be the fall-back information should the on board tracking units fail to automatically poll.
- A weather report – wind speed, sea state, cloud cover, etc.
- Crew report – status of injured crew, crew who have missed watches etc. in past 24 hours.
- Major equipment breakages in past 24 hours.
c. Additionally, for the 0545 UTC report the Skipper must provide:
- Skipper’s blog – In accordance with Clipper 2019-20 Supplementary Standard Operating Procedures Section 5.
d. If email is unavailable, the Race Office must be informed by any other means.
8. RADIO SCHEDULES
a. Historically, before satellite communications were readily available, VHF and SSB was used to communicate the position reports between the Race yachts.
b. Whilst this is no longer necessary for the purposes of position reporting, it is recognised that the radio schedule is a useful tool for crew and Skipper morale and for crew training in VHF use.
c. Therefore, whilst the Race fleet is in VHF range, the Lead Skipper may appoint a suitable regular daily time at which the crew can conduct a radio schedule.
9. STEALTH MODE
a. Each yacht shall have the opportunity for up to two 24-hour periods in each nominated race to activate ‘Stealth mode’. Details will be provided in Section 3 Course Instructions.
b. Yachts shall not be permitted to use ‘Stealth mode’ in the first 24 hours of each nominated race.
c. Yachts shall not be permitted to use ‘Stealth mode’ within 250nm of the finish line.
d. Each yacht may choose not to use their Stealth period(s), however, any that are not used shall be lost and may not be carried forward to the following races.
e. Where more than one Stealth mode period is permitted in the nominated race, each yacht shall be permitted to take them back to back, which means that their position shall not be available to the fleet (or the public) for a 48-hour period.
f. Should a yacht wish to activate their Stealth mode, the Skipper shall notify the Race Office by email, giving no less than six hours’ notice, and nominating the schedule from which the 24-hour Stealth period shall begin. From that nominated schedule, for a period of 24 hours, no polling data for that yacht shall appear on the public website or be posted to the rest of the Fleet.
For example, a Skipper sends an email to the race office before 0600UTC, nominating the stealth mode to begin at the 1200UTC schedule. The fleet and the public will receive the 1200UTC position for that boat, but no other position information until the 1200UTC schedule on the following day (i.e. 23 hours and 59 minutes).
- Request
made to activate stealth at 1200UTC schedule
0559 UTC
>6 hours
- Position Broadcast: 1200 UTC
- No position broadcast: 1800 UTC
- No position broadcast: 0000 UTC
- No position broadcast: 0600 UTC
- Position Broadcast: 1200 UTC
g. Once the Skipper has notified the Race Office of his decision to activate Stealth mode, the yacht shall be deemed to have used that opportunity, i.e. the Skipper cannot cancel his request to use the Stealth mode, even if he contacts the Race Office prior to the requested start of the Stealth mode period.
h. Whilst the yacht is in Stealth mode, the Skipper shall not prevent the automatic tracking units from providing data to the Race Office, and shall continue to send the reporting emails to the Race Office at the appropriate time.
i. The Race Director reserves the right to cease Stealth mode for any vessel before the 24-hour period has expired for reasons of safety. This is not grounds for redress.
j. When a yacht in Stealth mode passes a reporting position or a Scoring Gate, hertime of rounding or passing may be made public.
k. Accidental releasing of a yacht’s position will not be grounds for redress. This is an amendment to RRS 62.1 (a).
10. SCORING GATES
a. On certain longer races, there will be Scoring Gates which will be detailed within Section 3 Course Instructions.
b. The first three yachts through the Scoring Gate will receive three points, two points and one point respectively in the order they cross the gate. The remaining yachts will receive no points for passing through the Scoring Gates.
c. Points scored at Scoring Gates count towards the overall race position and do not affect race places.
d. Each yacht shall email the Race Office as soon as practicable, but no later than three hours after crossing through the Scoring Gate with the position and time in UTC as displayed on the GPS. If email is unavailable, the Race Office shall be informed by any other means. Failure to do this within the time limit will result in a DSQ for that scoring gate.
e. A photograph or screenshot must be taken clearly showing the position and time in UTC as displayed on the GPS. This image should not be emailed but must be retained and will be requested and used for verification purposes by the Race Office, if necessary.
f. It is not compulsory for yachts to pass through Scoring Gates.
g. There may be other gates and waypoints detailed in Section 3 Course Instructions, which will not be Scoring Gates and will not have points associated with them.
11. OCEAN SPRINTS
a. On certain longer races, there will be Ocean Sprints. The details of the Ocean Sprints will be contained within Section 3: Course Instructions.
b. The Ocean Sprint shall be between two designated lines of latitude or longitude. The three teams with the shortest elapsed time between the two designated points will receive three points, two points, one point respectively. The remaining yachts will receive no points for the ocean sprint.
c. Each yacht must email the Race Office as soon as practicable, but no later than three hours after starting the Ocean Sprint, with the position and time in UTC as displayed on the GPS. If email is unavailable, the Race Office shall be informed by any other means. Failure to do this within the time limit will result in a DSQ for that Ocean Sprint.
d. A photograph or screenshot must be taken clearly showing the position and time in UTC as displayed on the GPS, as the yacht passes the start of the Ocean Sprint. This image should not be emailed but must be retained and will be requested and used for verification purposes by the Race Office, if necessary.
e. Each yacht must email the Race Office as soon as practicable, but no later than three hours after finishing the Ocean Sprint with the position and time in UTC as displayed on the GPS. If email is unavailable, the Race Office shall be informed by any other means. Failure to do this within the time limit will result in a DSQ for that scoring gate.
f. A photograph or screenshot must be taken clearly showing the position and time in UTC as displayed on the GPS as the yacht passes the finish of the Ocean Sprint. This image should not be emailed but must be retained and will be requested and used for verification purposes by the Race Office, if necessary.
g. A start and finish declaration must be submitted by each yacht regardless of whether it is the shortest elapsed time or not as this information is needed for a results table that will be published on the Clipper Race website.
12.THE JOKER
a. During the overall Clipper Round the World Race each team will have the opportunity once only to play their Joker.
b. The Joker means that all points gained from the yachts finishing position at the end of the nominated race will be doubled. e.g. if a team finishes first then they will be awarded 22 points and if a team finishes eleventh then they will be awarded two points.
c. Any points gained from Scoring Gates or Ocean Sprints will be unaffected.
d. If a team intends to play their Joker, the Skipper must inform the Race Office in writing at the pre-race Skippers briefing on the day before departure of the nominated race. In the event that there is no planned Skippers briefing then the Skipper must inform the Race Office in writing no later than 24 hours before departure of the nominated race
e. Once the intention to play the Joker has been received in writing by the Race Office this cannot be rescinded
f. Each team may only play their Joker once during the Clipper Round the World Race
g.Teams are not obliged to play their Joker at all
13. FINISH LINES AND FINISHING
a. Finish lines for each race will be published in Section 3: Course Instructions.
b. Skippers are responsible for recording their position and finish time in UTC as displayed on the GPS and noting details of the yachts ahead and astern of them.
c. Where a finish line is not manned by a member of the Race Office or delegated official, yachts must inform the Race Office of their finish time as soon as practicable but no later than 30 minutes after finishing. The Race Office shall be informed by phone or email
d. A photograph or screenshot must be taken, clearly showing the position and time in UTC as displayed on the GPS, as the yacht passes the finish line. This image should not be emailed but must be retained and will be requested and used for verification purposes by the Race Office, if necessary.
e. The Race Committee may authorise outside personnel to be transferred to yachts up to one hour before the expected time of the finish of a race until after the race has finished for purposes of Race Administration and Public Relations.
f. The Race Committee reserves the right to finish a race at any time in any manner they choose, for reasons such as safety or race schedule.
g. There is no obligation on the Race Committee or their nominated deputies to provide immediate entry to a port after finishing. Yachts may be required to wait due to port restrictions and may only enter as directed by the Race Office.
14. DECLARATIONS
a. A pre-race declaration on the form supplied at Annex B of these Sailing Instructions must be signed by the Skipper and handed personally to the Race Manager (or person delegated by the Race Manager) at the appointed time of the dockside Race Start Skipper briefing.
b. A post-race declaration on the form supplied at Annex C of these Sailing Instructions must be signed by the Skipper and AQP, and handed personally to the Race Manager (or person delegated by the Race Manager) as soon as practicable after finishing and always within one hour of the yacht docking after the finish of that race.
c. Failure of yachts to hand in their declarations as above will carry the following penalties.
i) Failure to hand in the fully completed and compliant pre-race declaration at the appointed time of the dockside Race Start Skipper briefing will result in a two-point penalty.
ii) Failure to hand in the fully completed and compliant pre-race declaration before departing the dock for Race Start, will result in a DSQ for that race.
iii) Failure to hand in the fully completed and compliant post-race declaration within one hour, but not more than twelve hours after the yacht has docked, will result in a two-point penalty
iv) Failure to hand in the fully completed and compliant post-race declaration form within twelve hours after the yacht has docked, will result in a further two-point penalty
15. RIG, SAFETY AND SAIL CHECKS
a. A Rig checklist supplied at Annex F of these Sailing Instructions must be completed by the Skipper or AQP in every stopover. Rig checks must be fully supervised by the Skipper, AQP or nominated Clipper Race staff member, from the deck at all times. The checklist is to be signed by the Skipper and submitted to the Race Manager (or person delegated by the Race Manager) no later than 36 hours after arrival. Failure to submit the checklist within this timescale will result in a two-point penalty. A further two points will be incurred for every twelve-hour delay thereafter.
b. A Safety checklist supplied at Annex G of these Sailing Instructions must be completed by the Skipper (or persons nominated by the Skipper) in every stopover. They are to be signed by the Skipper and submitted to the Race Manager (or person delegated by the Race Manager) no later than 36 hours after arrival. Failure to submit the checklist within this timescale will incur a two-point penalty. A further two points will be incurred for every twelve-hour delay thereafter.
c. Full responsibility for ensuring complete and detailed rig and safety checks, lies firmly with the Skipper
d. A sail check is to be performed by the Skipper (or persons nominated by the Skipper) before arrival in each stopover. Any damage to sails is to be reported to the Race Office prior to arrival
16. PASSAGE PLANNING
a. A complete and detailed passage plan on the form supplied at Annex E of these Sailing Instructions must be signed by the Skipper and AQP. This must be handed personally to the Race Manager (or person delegated by the Race Manager) by 1800 local time on the pre-departure day
b. Failure to hand in a passage plan will carry the following penalties;
i. Failure to hand in the fully completed and compliant passage plan by 1800 local time on the pre-departure day will result in a two-point penalty
ii. Failure to hand in the fully completed and compliant passage plan before departing the dock for Race Start, will result in a DSQ for that race.
17. RETIREMENTS
a.Yachts wishing to retire from a race shall seek permission from the Race Committee
b.Full details are to be provided on the post-race declaration ( Annex C)
18. SCORING SYSTEM
a. The scoring system in RRS Appendix A will be modified by the rules below.
b. RSS Appendix A2, A4, A9, shall not apply.
c. The scoring system of the Clipper Race will be such, that the winning yacht of each race will receive eleven points, the second will receive ten points and so forth, with the eleventh yacht receiving one point
d. All race points shall count with no discards allowed
e. The overall positions will be determined by the cumulative score after penalty points have been applied. This will include Scoring Gate points, Ocean Sprint points and any points accumulated by playing their Joker.
f. If for any reason fewer than eleven yachts start or complete a race, the above scoring system will remain in place with the first yacht still being awarded eleven points for a win and subsequent yachts one less point per each place behind
g. Yachts that retire during a particular race will be awarded one point
h. Yachts that are disqualified for a particular race will be awarded zero points
i. A yacht may be offered a finishing position and if accepted, will be awarded race points based on that finishing position at the discretion of the Race Committee
j. The overall race winner will be the yacht with the highest cumulative score
19. INFRINGEMENT OF THE RACE RULES
a. The Race Committee’s method of penalising a yacht for an infringement of the race rules, or for finding a yacht guilty after a protest, is to apply a time or points penalty to the result of that race.
b. When a penalised yacht has equal points to a non-penalised yacht, the latter will be given the higher placing in any individual race and the overall Clipper Race.
c. The Race Committee may introduce on water umpires at some Race Starts. The use of any such umpiring system will be included in the Course Instructions for that race. Yachts are to conform to any on the spot penalties issued by such umpires.
20. PROTESTS
a. In the unlikely event that a yacht finds it necessary to protest another yacht, the procedure in RRS 61 is to be followed.
b. RRS 61.1. In addition to the requirements listed, the protesting yacht is to inform all the interested parties and the Race Office by email of the intended protest within six hours of the incident.
c. Amendment to 61.1. This rule is amended such that a red flag is not required.
d. Any protest is to be accompanied by a fee of £100. If it is considered by the Race Committee that the protest was frivolous, this fee will not be returned and will be donated to the Race Charity.
e. Protests must be submitted in writing using the form at Annex D to the Race Manager (or person delegated by the Race Manager) within one hour of arrival at the dock after the finish of that race.
21. OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE
a. RRS 41 applies.
b. In situations where the safety of the yacht and her crew may be threatened by extreme weather, Skippers should attempt to receive weather reports, navigational information and other assistance from any appropriate source. Any such information is to be passed to the Race Office immediately, who will then share with all other yachts. All such assistance is to be declared on the post-race declaration and in the normal course, no penalty would be applied.
22. WEATHER AND ROUTING INFORMATION
a.Up to seven days prior to the start of any of the races which make up the Clipper Race, a Skipper can obtain weather information from any source, providing that;
i)the information obtained is available free of charge to the general public, or
ii)any weather routing advice or meteorological / oceanography training or research obtained from a professional source is wholly funded by the Skipper and not by any other source, including the sponsors or crew.
b.Within seven days of the start of the race and for the duration of the race, no professional weather routing advice or meteorological / oceanographic training or research may be obtained by the Skipper, AQP or crew, outside of that given by Clipper Ventures.
c.Should personal, individual or tailored assistance be received, either on purpose or accidentally in any form, that is not freely available to all Skippers, the nature and content of such assistance is to be advised to the Race Office immediately. Full details are to be submitted with the post-race declaration ( Annex B).
d.Should genuine unsolicited advice be received by any means to any crew member, AQP or Skipper on board, such as from a misguided family member, enthusiast or passing vessel, the yacht is still liable to be penalised. In practice when these instances are genuine mistakes and are reported immediately to the Race Office, there will not normally be a penalty. The information received shall be distributed by the Race Office to all yachts. The details are to be recorded on the post-race declaration form ( Annex B).
e.Only information that is freely available and without cost to all competitors are to be used.
f.No information is to be received directly or indirectly from the Internet or via email while the yachts are at sea unless such information has been forwarded by the Race Office (or person delegated by the Race Office).
g.Whilst racing, mobile devices may not be used in any form to gain a tactical advantage. SIM cards must be removed and handed to the Skipper prior to Race Start. Weather or tactical information received via any mobile device will be classed as outside assistance.
h.The Race Committee shall decide on any penalty to be applied.
23. USE OF AIS (AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM)
a. The Class B AIS is only an aid to navigation and safety. Skippers, AQPs and crew are advised that not all ships/craft are either fitted with AIS or receive/display the class B data.
b. The AIS receiver shall be always switched on when the yacht is at sea.
c. The AIS transmitter shall be always switched on when the yacht is at sea, except;
i) at the Skipper’s discretion for example due to the risk of piracy.
ii) when in stealth mode. If a yacht, however, is in stealth mode when rounding or passing a mark of the course the AIS transmitter shall be switched on within 10nm of the mark.
24. USE OF MAIN ENGINE
a.Main engines are to be switched off prior to the four-minute preparatory signal, or as instructed in the Course Instructions (note: this precludes running engines in neutral – switched off means machinery is completely stopped).
b.To avoid confusion, if the main engine is required to be run for generating power, or other, non-propulsion purposes, this is not to be done within 30 minutes after the start of each race.
c.If the main engine is run for generating, it should be run in neutral with the lever in the reverse position to prevent any accidental advantage being gained.
d.There may be times when good seamanship might demand prudent use of the main engine, for example collision avoidance. If practical, in such an event the yacht should attempt to return to the position where the engine was started before continuing to race.
e.If a yacht is forced to use its engine as a means of propulsion for any reason whilst racing, the facts are to be reported immediately to the Race Office and a record is to be entered in the log and on the post-race declaration, giving full details including:
i.The yacht position and time of engine use
ii.The wind direction and force
iii.The time and position the engine was turned on and off
iv.The reasons for the use of the engine.
f.The Race Committee shall decide on any penalty that shall be applied.
25. REDRESS
a. The following points amplify RRS 62.
b. Time spent on any diversions will normally count as time spent racing unless special circumstances warrant an award of redress by the Race Committee.
c. In all cases the Race Committee will decide if redress is to be awarded. Any such decision will depend on the submission of a full report and request of redress by the Skipper. The Race Committee’s decision will depend, in part, upon the accurate and timely presentation of this report.
d. The Race Committee may generally consider awarding redress in the event of a yacht going to assist another Clipper Race yacht or any other vessel requiring assistance.
e. Awards for redress will not be given for lost or damaged equipment, rigging or sails, equipment failure, or medical evacuations.
f. Awards for redress will normally be made by the Race Committee at the completion of each race. On longer races, when sufficient details are held by the Race Committee, an award of redress may be made and published during that race.
26. SAIL SETTINGS
In the light of experience and in order to minimise damage, the following instructions amplify the regulations set out in RRS 50:
a) Only one spinnaker may be hoisted at any one time. The only exception is when the second spinnaker is hoisted immediately prior to a spinnaker peel (endorsement of RRS50.1).
b) Only one headsail can be hoisted on the forestay at any one time (amendment to RRS50.1).
c) Headsails must be fully hanked to the forestay at all times using all the available hanks. The bottom two hanks may be taken off the forestay prior to headsail changes.
d) The staysail must be hanked to the inner forestay at all times when it is hoisted.
e) No headsail, except the staysail, may be set at the same time as the spinnaker except when handing or setting the spinnaker.
f) No sails other than the mainsail or the trysail may be set aft of the mast.
g) If carried, promotional spinnakers may not be used whilst racing.
h) The windseeker must not be flown at the same time as a headsail unless it is during a sail change evolution. A staysail may be flown.
i) For the purpose of these rules, the windseeker is not classed as a headsail
27. SAIL INVENTORY
Yachts will carry the following sails at all times. Failure to carry a complete sail wardrobe will make the yacht liable to a penalty (this includes sails that are damaged beyond repair, until they are replaced in a subsequent stopover):
1.Mainsail
2.Windseeker
3.Number 1 Yankee
4.Number 2 Yankee
5.Number 3 Yankee
6.Staysail
7.Code 1 Asymmetric 1.5oz
8.Code 2 Asymmetric 2.2oz
9.Code 3 Asymmetric 3.4oz
10.Trysail
11.Storm Jib
28. DAMAGE TO SAILS
Yachts will have one wardrobe of sails issued for their use for the entire race. Historically the teams that have taken best care of their sails have performed very well overall. Only in exceptional circumstances will consideration be given to replacing sails (see section 30). Skippers are to take careful note of the following:
a. The Clipper Race is a marathon, not a sprint. This fact is probably more relevant with regard to the attitude Skippers and crew have towards their sails than in any other area.
b. The general wear on the sails is directly proportional to the use and employment of the sail. When Skippers and crew exceed the prudent limits early in the race they are weakening their sails, the effect of which may not be apparent until later in the race.
c. Any sail that has been damaged is never as efficient as one that has not been damaged. By damaging sails, Skippers and crew therefore are not only disadvantaged while the sail is not available but also handicap themselves for the rest of the race.
d. In many of the ports it may not be possible to get external support to help crews repair sails.
29. REPAIRS TO SAILS
a. The Skippers, AQPs and crews will be responsible for sail repairs and maintenance during the race and in port.
b. When a sail is damaged beyond the practical resources of the crew members to repair, consideration will be given to repairing the sail using a local professional sailmaker.
c. In all cases where repairs are required to be made by a professional sailmaker, the Race Committee will keep a running total of sail repair costs.
d. Two penalty points will be applied to the relevant yacht when the running total exceeds £500. A further two penalty points applied for every subsequent £500 for the duration of the Clipper Race. This applies to all sails and sail bags and is cumulative.
e. Penalty points will be deducted from the yacht’s overall points tally and will not affect the published finishing position for any particular race.
f. In making any decisions regarding penalties, the Race Committee will consider all factors, including the variance of repair costs in the different ports
g. The Race Director will decide on whether badly damaged sails will be repaired or replaced. If it is decided that a sail is to be replaced the penalty points identified in 30c) will be applied immediately.
30. REPLACEMENT OF SAILS
a. In the event of the loss of a sail, or damage that is uneconomic or impractical to repair, the Race Director will consider replacing the sail and applying the yacht a penalty.
b. The full circumstances of the particular incident will be considered on an individual basis by the Race Committee taking into account the following guidelines:
i) The nature of the loss or the extent of the damage.
ii) The length of time of the whole race remaining, noting that the decision may reflect the need to safeguard the fulfilment of the contract of those crew who are taking part in the later legs of the race.
iii) The financial and practical aspects of local resources against the cost and shipping time for replacement sails. This could result in a decision to replace a badly damaged sail rather than repair it. In this case the replacement sail may have to be shipped to the next practical port.
iv) If the damaged/lost sail can be replaced immediately by one of the sails carried in the fleet support containers. Please note that these sails are old and have been previously used.
c. The penalty to replace any sail is:
i) Five Penalty Points – Leg 1 and Leg 2
ii) Six Penalty Points – Leg 3 and Leg 4
iii) Seven Penalty Points – Leg 5 and Leg 6
iv) Eight Penalty Points – Leg 7 and Leg 8
d. Penalty points will be deducted from the yacht’s overall points tally and will not affect the published finishing position for any particular race.
31. LOSS OR DAMAGE OF EQUIPMENT
a. The Race Committee will keep a running total of the costs of lost and damaged equipment and will apply one penalty point to the relevant yacht when the running total reaches £500 and an additional one penalty point for every subsequent £500.
b. The following is a list of typical examples; the list is not exhaustive
i) loss of winch handles
ii) halyard jammer handles
iii) serious damage to equipment, including winch drums and sewing machines, requiring a replacement
iv) loss of any running rigging, snatch blocks or handy billy
v) serious damage to the deck, hull or rig
c. The full circumstances of the particular incident will be considered by the Race Committee on an individual basis taking into account a statement from the Skipper.
d. The replacement of safety related equipment will not incur penalty points.
e. The non-reporting, or the failure to report the loss or damage to equipment or any other part of the yacht will result in those points being added retrospectively with the addition of a further two-point penalty.
32. VICTUALING
a. Each Skipper will be given a budget for victualing at the beginning of each leg
b. The Race Committee will maintain a running total of the actual monies spent by the Skipper and crew of each yacht for victualing
c. For victualing purposes, the race shall be considered in three periods, over/underspend may be carried over within these periods but not into the start of the next period:
i) Any victualing for Legs 1, 2 and 3
ii) Any victualing for Legs 4, 5 and 6
iii) Any victualing for Legs 7 and 8
d. At the end of each period, the Race Committee will compare the cumulative actual expenditures by each yacht with the cumulative budget.
e. Skippers should always consider calorific content, crew dietary requirements, variety of menu and environmental factors when planning their menu for each leg
f. The Race Committee reserves the right to apply penalty points for any overspend.
33. STOWAGE OF STORES
a.The Skippers are reminded that RRS 51 applies, and shall include the following:
i)Ballast, ship’s stores, personal belongings or sails not set, shall not be moved to adjust trim.
ii)Sails cannot be stowed/stacked on deck and must be stowed below when not in use. A headsail can be left hanked onto the forestay when flying a spinnaker and a staysail may be left hanked onto the inner forestay when not in use. For clarity, this means that sails should be stowed in their proper place. Sails shall not be stowed aft of the mast.
iii)Anchors and cable must be kept in their recognised positions (main anchor and cable in the rope locker, kedge anchor and cable in the lazarette).
iv)A minimum of one water tank shall be kept full at all times.
v)All halyards shall be run in their usual places in the mast.
34. DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE
a. Skippers are reminded that it is a criminal offence to illegally dispose of garbage.
b. All yachts will at ALL times conform to MARPOL regulations as stated below;
c. MARPOL Annex V which entered force on 1 January 2013 states when ships are outside special areas, discharge of the following items IS permitted when greater than 12nm from the nearest land;
i) Food waste not comminuted or ground
ii) Cargo residues not contained in wash water
iii) Cargo residues contained in wash water
iv) Cleaning agents and additives contained in cargo hold wash water
v) Cleaning agents and additives contained in deck and external surfaces wash water
d. MARPOL Annex V which entered force on 1 January 2013 states when ships are outside special areas, discharge of all other garbage including plastics, domestic wastes, cooking oil, incinerator ashes, operational wastes and fishing gear is PROHIBITED.
SECTION 3 - COURSE INSTRUCTIONS
Course Instructions will be issued for each race of the Clipper 2019-20 Race and are to be filed on the course instructions page here.