Bay of Islands Sailing Week 2023
20th Anniversary Edition

Opua Cruising Club, Opua, Bay of Islands, New Zealand
24th to 27th January 2023

The Organising Authority is the Bay of Islands Sailing Week Inc, in conjunction with the Bay of Islands Yacht Club Inc, Kerikeri Cruising Club Inc, Opua Cruising Club Inc and the Russell Boating Club Inc.

NOTICE OF RACE

1.    RULES

1.1    The event will be governed by “Rules” as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing.
1.2    The Yachting New Zealand Safety Regulations Part II, Category 4 will apply to keelboats and multihulls.
1.3    The Yachting New Zealand Safety Regulations Part V, Category C will apply to trailer Yachts.
1.4    The Yachting New Zealand Safety Regulations for Sport Multihulls Yachts and dated 2023 will apply to sport multihulls yachts.
1.5    The Young 88 Class Design Rules will apply to boats racing in the Young 88 Division.
1.6    The Yachting New Zealand Safety Regulations Part VI, will apply to Sport Boats.
1.7    Other divisions may be added if there is enough interest in that division. The safety standards required for such divisions will be set when any extra division is announced.
1.8    The Yachting New Zealand “Rules – Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) 2021-2024” will apply to boats racing under PHRF.
1.9    Sails carried on all boats for any one day will remain on board for all races that day.  The sails carried on any day need not be the same as those carried on other days of the event.
1.10    The number of crew on board for any one day shall remain on board for all races that day unless the Race Officer for the relevant course agrees otherwise because of injury and suchlike.  Crew on board any day need not be the same crew on other days of the event.
1.11    It is the obligation of the boat’s skipper to ensure compliance with the Safety Regulations.
1.12    Appendix T, arbitration, will apply.
1.13    Sailing will take place within the Pēwhairangi Marine Mammal Sanctuary area. Event organisers have applied to the Department of Conservation for a permit to allow for all participating boats and support vessels to be exempted from the rules of the sanctuary upon arrival to the start line and during racing. Sanctuary rules will apply at all other times.

2.    CHANGES TO RULES

The Racing Rules will be changed in accordance with Rule 86 as follows:
2.1    On the water umpiring may be used for windward leeward racing. If used Addendum UF will be attached to the Sailing Instructions.
2.2    Canting keels and/or water ballast, where fitted, may be used.  This modifies Rule 51, Movable Ballast.
2.2    Rule 52, manual power, will not apply.
2.4    Rule 47 will be amended by adding the following sentence: “For the avoidance of doubt the discarding of elastic or wool bands when setting a sail is not permitted.”
2.5    Additional Racing Rule changes may be advised in the Sailing Instructions.

3.    SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

3.1    The Sailing Instructions will be available on the BOISW Mobile App (download from App Store or Google Play Store) by 1600 on Tuesday 24th January 2023.
3.2    Bow decals and/or sponsor’s flags and division flags will be available at registration.

4.    COMMUNICATION

4.1    Notices to competitors will be posted on the BOISW Mobile App, as well as the official notice board located next to the Marquee next to the Opua Cruising Club.
4.2    All boats shall carry a VHF radio capable of communicating on channels 17, 77, 73 as well as Ch 16.
4.3    While racing, from the first warning signal until the end of the last race of the day, except in an emergency, a boat shall not make voice or data transmissions and shall not receive voice or data communication that is not available to all boats.

5.    ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY

5.1    The event is open to all keelboats, multihulls, trailer yachts and sport boats.
5.2    Entries can be made using the online entry form at bayofislandssailingweek.org.nz.
5.3    Entries received on or after 1st January 2023, must be accompanied by a $75 late entry fee.
5.4    Entries, including online entries, will be accepted until 1800hrs on Tuesday 24th January 2023.
5.5    Entries are to stipulate their desire to sail in either:
5.5.1    Open Racing (Windward/Leeward, with a Bay Race)
5.5.2    Island Racing (Bay Race only, spinnaker or non-spinnaker)
5.6   For the Open Racing Divisions e.g. A, B, C, E, M, Sport Boat and Young 88, each entrant may choose which division they wish to enter.
5.7    For the Island Racing Divisions, entrants will need to fill out the online entry form stating their handicap rating only and whether they wish to sail only under Non Spinnaker or Multihull divisions. Ref Clause: 5.11
5.8    To be eligible to compete under PHRF, boats shall submit a copy of their PHRF certificate no later than 1800hrs on Tuesday 24th January 2023.
5.9    To be eligible to compete in the event each helmsman or skipper shall be a financial member of a yacht club affiliated to that club’s national authority.  The yacht should be registered with Yachting New Zealand, if the club is affiliated to Yachting New Zealand.
5.10    Proof of club membership must be presented at registration.
5.11    The organising authority and Handicapper reserves the right to: classify boats into divisions, add further divisions (where the number of entrants warrant it), cancel, alter or combine divisions (where there are insufficient entrants in a division), and to not award PHRF trophies (where insufficient boats in the division have entered PHRF).
5.12    To be considered an entry in the event, a boat shall complete all registration requirements and pay all fees prior to 1800hrs on 24th January 2023.
5.13    Spinnakers are allowed in all divisions except Island Racing Division E, which is a NO SPINNAKER Division.

6.    FEES

6.1    The fees required are:
Boats competing in Open Racing Divisions (Windward/Leeward + Bay Race) :

A and B Divisions:

All other Open Racing divisions:

6.2    Boats competing in Island Racing Divisions (Bay Race only):

7.    ADVERTISING

Boats may be required to display advertising chosen and supplied by the organising authority.  If this rule is broken World Sailing Regulation 20 applies.

8.    SCHEDULE

8.1    Registration will be from 1600hrs to 1800hrs on Tuesday 24th January 2023, in the Marquee next to the Opua Cruising Club.
8.2    There will be NO race briefing.
8.3    Racing will be held on Wednesday 25th January, Thursday 26th January, and Friday 27th January 2023.
8.4    Depending on weather, boats competing in the Open Racing Divisions (Windward/Leeward and Bay Race) will be:

8.4.1

8.4.2    For Open Racing Divisions on Thursday 26th, depending on weather the race committee may choose a schedule of 3 Windward/Leeward races for a more prompt finish, to allow those with ferry bookings to attend the Beach Party.

8.4.3    A heavy weather race.

8.5    Boats competing in the Island Racing divisions, will have one (1) Bay Race each day.
8.6    The scheduled time of the first warning signal each day for ALL COURSES will be 1025hrs.
8.7    On Friday 27th January 2023, no warning signal will be made after 1500hrs.

9.    SAILING AREA

The races will be sailed in the Bay of Islands area. Chart NZ 5125.

10.    COURSES

Courses to be sailed will be Windward/Leeward and/or Bay Races. Refer to NoR Clauses 8.4 and 8.5.

11.    PENALTY SYSTEM

11.1    For all divisions, Rule 44.1 is changed so that the Two Turns Penalty is replaced by the One Turn Penalty.
11.2    Also see NoR 2.1 regarding Addendum UF.  If the windward leeward racing is to be umpired with on-water judges as per Addendum UF, umpires may issue a Two Turns Penalty.

12.    SCORING

12.1    No alteration in a boat’s PHRF TCC will be permitted after 1800hrs on Tuesday 24th January 2023 except as a result of a rating or handicap protest, or to correct rating or handicap race errors.
12.2    General Handicap may be adjusted for each race.
12.3    Rating Certificate protests must be lodged by the end of protest time, on Wednesday 25th January 2023.
12.4    For boats sailing in the Open Racing Divisions (Windward/Leeward + Bay Race), one (1) race will be required to constitute a series.
12.4.1    When fewer than seven (7) races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores.
12.4.2    When seven (7) or more races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score.
12.5    For boats sailing in the Island Racing Divisions (Bay Races only), one(1) race will be required to constitute a series.
12.5.1    A boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores.

 13.    RISK STATEMENT

RRS 3 states: ‘The responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in a race or to continue to race is hers alone.’  By participating in this event each competitor agrees and acknowledges that sailing is a potentially dangerous activity with inherent risks.  These risks include strong winds and rough seas, sudden changes in weather, failure of equipment, boat handling errors, poor seamanship by other boats, loss of balance on an unstable platform and fatigue resulting in increased risk of injury.  Inherent in the sport of sailing is the risk of permanent, catastrophic injury or death by drowning, trauma, hypothermia or other causes.

14.     INSURANCE

Each participating boat shall be insured with a valid third-party insurance with a minimum cover of $5,000,000 per incident or the equivalent.  Certificate of insurance is to be submitted with entry or produced at registration, no later than 1800hrs on Tuesday 24th January 2023.

15.    PRIZES

15.1    Trophies will be awarded for divisions and line honours reflective of the number of entries in the relevant divisions.
15.2    Prizegiving is on Friday 27th January 2023 and will be as soon as possible after completion of racing but no earlier than 1800hrs.

16.    MEDIA, CAMERAS AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

Competitors and/or their guardians grant the Organising Authority, The Bay of Island Sailing Week (Inc) and any party to which they may be delegated this right in perpetuity to make, use, or show (including via the internet), any images, audio, motion pictures, live, taped or filmed television, or any other form of media, relating to the event.

17.    CANCELLATION OF REGATTA

17.1    The organising authority reserves the right to cancel the regatta completely by written notification to each yacht, via email to the contact provided on the Entry Form.
a)    In the event that the regatta is postponed or abandoned for reasons beyond the organisers control or a Pandemic, a refund in whole or part will be limited to payments made for entry fee only, at the discretion of the Organising Authority.
b)    This Agreement in respect of this regatta will be terminated forthwith; and
c)    Each entrant hereby expressly agree that no claim of any nature whatsoever against the organising authority will be permitted or entertained and each entrant hereby expressly undertakes to indemnify the organisers in respect of any claim brought by anyone associated with them and/or their yacht any costs incurred by the organisers in relation to such claim.

18.    FURTHER INFORMATION

Contact : Ian Clouston, email: ianclouston@xtra.co.nz or mobile 0274 947 531