For this Cruiser season, the fixed mark system will be used, using the CLYC cruiser Outer Limit Mark and the Woodhouse Mark (both yellow buoys).

Please bear in mind that the Channel Marks are navigation buoys (see the Chart, below), and so contact is to be avoided. Any boat coming into contact with any of these must notify Warrenpoint Harbour Radio as soon as possible on VHF Channel 12 in order that maintenance or repositioning can be carried out quickly. This also allows a safety warning to be broadcast to lough users in the meantime. The owner/skipper of the boat involved will be solely responsible for any costs incurred.

The first Warning Signal will be at 1355 BST SHARP. The Start/Finish line will be between the centre window of the CLYC battery and the Outer Limit Mark. The Course will be announced and Warning Signals will be given by a CLYC Race Officer of the Day boat as sound signals at 5 minutes, 4 minutes, one minute and Start. Each boat will record her own finishing time and convey this promptly after each race to the Race Officer of the Day or Brian McCann on VHF Channel 6.

Shortened courses. We aim to have races lasting approximately 2 hours, so we may have to finish at a different mark to facilitate people getting ashore for a period of social time, and announcement of the results. If the course is to be shortened by the Race Officer of the Day, whichever mark the leading boat is approaching at 1 hour 45 minutes from the start, will be the Finish Mark. It will be up to the leading boat to contact the Race Officer of the Day boat and to receive confirmation (i) that the course is to be shortened and (ii) of the position of the Finish Line.

The Finish Line will then be between that mark and the mast of the finishing boat when the mark is abeam, passing it in the same direction as specified in the course instructions.

The decision on whether or not to shorten the course will be made considering the wind strength and tides on the day.

If you have any ideas on developing this system, please contact me at brianmccann@btinternet.com
The aim is to have fun!
Brian McCann, CLYC Cruiser Racing

The Sailing Instructions are as follows:

1. All-comers are welcome to join in the races. Please have a VHF radio, listening to Channel 6, before, during and after the race.
2. The time of the first Warning Signal will be at 1355 SHARP on Saturdays except for those weekends when other events may be running, in which case the normal Saturday race will be postponed.
3. The course to be sailed will be conveyed to all skippers (where possible) before the race, on VHF Channel 6.
4. Finishing times will be recorded by individual boats and must be received by the CLYC Cruiser Secretary as soon as possible after the race.
5. Series Points will be awarded to all participating cruisers.
6. CLYC trophies will be awarded to the best CLYC boats (skipper fully paid-up for all races).
7. In Special Cup Races, prizes will be awarded on the same day at CLYC, if possible, to all winning boats at the discretion of the Cruiser Secretary.
8. The Progressive Handicap of each boat will be adjusted using the CLYC-ECHO system, after each race, starting the first race with the 2012 Starting ECHO values shown below.
9. The new handicap value will comprise a combination of 75% of the existing handicap and 25% of the CLYC-ECHO value.
10. The scoring system will be the Low Points Scoring System (RRS Appendix A).
11. Rules RRS A4.2 and RRS A9 are changed so that a boat that does not come to the starting area (DNC) shall be scored TEN points more than the number of competitors starting in a race.
12. The quota for any boat in a series will be half of the races sailed, rounded up, plus 1.

Chart

The 2012 Starting ECHO numbers are as follows (entries other than these will start with Base ECHO):