1. Standard Rules of the Road and Racing Rules Apply (see simplified diagram at end of this page). Also see the US Sailing 2021-2013 Sailor’s Guide to the Racing Rules.
2. VHF: All boats must have VHF capability for safety reasons and for on the water announcements (postponement, course of the day etc.). The fleet channel is 72.
3. Cancellation: If a race is to be canceled, the Commodore will attempt to notify all skippers by email before 11:30 AM on the day of the race. 4. Starting time: Scratch boat will start at 1:30 (Naval Observatory Time) unless there is a postponement. Subsequent boats will follow according to their handicaps which will be distributed by email at the Skippers' meeting and by email.
5. Finishing times: Skippers will record their finishing times for purposes of updating handicaps and will email those times to the scorer and the fleet captain after the race.
6. Postpone on the water: If in the mind of the Fleet Captain, the wind is too light for a fair race the Fleet Captain may announce a postponement over Channel 72.
7. Abandonment: If no boat can complete one circuit of the course in 40 minutes the race shall be abandoned and will not count as part of the series scoring.
8. Time limit: A boat who finishes 30 minutes or more after the first-to-finish boat will be scored in the normal fashion, e.g., if it is last, it will be awarded 1 point, if second to last, 2 points, etc. However, for purposes of the handicap calculation, the boat’s elapsed time for such race will not be used as one of its up to 8 valid completed races. See 12, below.
9. Minimum Boats: A minimum of 3 starting boats with valid handicaps are required for a race to count as official for purposes of the series championship and handicap calculation.
10. Scoring within a Series: The scoring system for scoring race by race within a series is as follows: the winning boat will get points earned equal to the number of boats started, the second-place boat will get one less point, etc. Boats not going out, DNC, or DNF will get no points for that race. The only exception to this rule is if any starter boat must retire prior to finishing due to a medical emergency, in which case the points given to the finishing boats will be reduced by one point. If there are five or more officially completed races in a series, each boat will drop the points from his worst scoring completed race (if the boat chose not to race for one or more officially completed races, the Drop is zero). The points from the rest of the races will be summed. The winner of that series will be the highest net scoring points, number two will be the next highest net scoring points, etc.
11. Scoring for the Fleet Championship: For deciding the fleet season champion, the “ranking by placement in each series (low point system)” will be used. For each of the five series, the series winner will be awarded 1 point, second place will be awarded 2 points, etc. Boats not competing at all in the series will be awarded a score of the number of boats competing plus two. Series points will be summed over the five series and the low point score will be the season champ.
12. Handicap Calculations: The fleet uses a handicap system analogous to a “golf” handicap wherein the both the boat and the skipper’s skill level combine to create the handicap. For all but the new trial boats, the handicap calculation for each boat is done at the end of each two-week series and is effective for the duration of the next series. The calculation takes each boat’s last up to 8 valid completed races (except those races wherein the boat finished 30 minutes or more after the first-to-finish boat) to come up with an average time to complete the course. These average times are rank ordered, slowest-to-fastest, to come up with starting times for the next series. The handicap attaches to the boat, not the skipper but a new handicap is calculated if the boat changes hands. New boats need to complete two trial races before being assigned a handicap which is effective for the remainder of the series.
13. Exoneration for infraction of sailing rules: Normal US Sailing rules are in effect, i.e., a Two-Turns Penalty for boat-on-boat infractions, a One-Turn Penalty for hitting the Mark and a Penalty consisting of returning to the start line to exonerate a boat over the start line early.
A Two-Turns Penalty requires the boat to get well clear of other boats as soon after the incident as possible and then promptly making two turns in the same direction, each turn including one tack and one jibe. A One-Turn Penalty involves a similar maneuver but only for one turn. Boats returning to re-start must keep clear of other boats and have no rights until they have returned to below the starting line.
14. Assumption of Risk: Sailing is an activity that has an inherent risk of damage and injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, or death. All participants in PCSC sailing activities are participating entirely at their own risk. PCSC Flag Officers will not be responsible for injury to any participant, including death, nor for damages to any participant’s property, sustained as a result of participation in PCSC activities. All participants agree to release PCSC Flag Officers from any and all liability associated with such person’s participation in these activities to the fullest extent permitted by law.