Charles River Open Team Race
| Sat 28-Jun-2025 | 09:00-19:00 |
| Sun 29-Jun-2025 | 09:00-15:00 |
| Registration Start: | 01-May-2025 at 00:00 |
| Registration End: | 27-June-2025 at midnight |
Sailing Instructions
Charles River Open Team Race 2025
1. RULES
1.1 The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) RRS Appendix D, the US Sailing Prescriptions, and the class rules of the intercollegiate dinghy class as described in the ICSA Procedural Rules for Intercollegiate Competition.
1.2 If there is a conflict between the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions, the Sailing Instructions shall take precedence.
1.3 USCG-approved Type III PFDs shall be worn at all times while on the water except while actively adding or removing clothing.
Competitors shall supply their own PFDs. PFDs shall be worn outside of all clothing except for team identification bibs.
1.4 Boats are prohibited from protesting under Sailing Instruction (SI) 1.3. This changes RRS 60.1.
1.5 It is not the intention of the organizers to umpire any races.
1.6 The time for the hearing of requests for redress shall be posted on the Official Notice Board (see SI 2 below). This constitutes notification as required by the US Sailing Prescription to RRS 63.1(b).
1.7 After the initial seeding races (Flight 1) have been completed, overall regatta placement and the final tie-break for teams will be determined as described in SI Addendum. This changes RRS D4.
1.8 A team’s seedings or groupings shall not be a subject for redress. This changes RRS 61.1(a).
2. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
Notices to competitors will be posted on the Official Notice Board located to the west of the lobby of the MIT Sailing Pavilion.
3. CHANGES TO THE SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
3.1 Changes to the Sailing Instructions may be made orally.
3.2 Changes to the Sailing Instructions made ashore will be posted before they will take effect.
3.3 Changes to the Sailing Instructions made on the water will be announced by the Race Committee.
3.4 A change in the time for the first warning on Sunday will be announced and posted no later than one hour after the finish of the final race on Saturday.
4. BOATS PROVIDED BY THE ORGANIZING AUTHORITY
4.1 FJ-type boats and 420-type boats will be provided by MIT. Standing rigging may be adjusted. Claims regarding the performance of the boats will not be grounds for granting redress. This changes RRS 61.1(a).
4.2 Redress will not be granted for knots becoming untied or the loss of pins or rings. The exceptions to this are a halyard knot at the top of a sail if neither the competitor nor the competitor’s team rigged the boat, or a pin, knot, or fitting supplied taped by the OA. This changes RRS 61.1(a).
4.3 The following limitations shall apply:
4.3(a) Boats shall be sailed with the rigging and fittings as supplied, although tension may be adjusted on halyards and sidestays. Replacement of broken or damaged gear may only be made with gear sanctioned by the OA.
Only electrical or rigging tape may be used to help prevent gear from snagging. Duct tape shall not be used for this purpose.
4.3(b) Every effort shall be made to avoid damage to hulls, rigging, and sails. All boats shall be required to provide a $50 damage deposit paid through the MIT Sailing website prior to the start of the regatta. This deposit does not limit the liability of a competitor. In addition to paying for damage to the provided boats, the damage deposit(s) may be used to pay for the repair of damage to boats or equipment caused by other competitors.
4.3(c) In the event that the damage deposit is partially or wholly used, the team will be required to replenish the deposit in order to continue racing.
5. SCHEDULE
5.1 Check in and weigh ins begin Saturday at 08:15.
5.2 A competitors’ briefing will be held on Saturday at 09:00.
5.3 First warning each day will be at 09:30.
5.4 There is no time limit on either day. The intention of the RC, conditions permitting, on Sunday to not start any races after 16:00.
6. REGATTA FORMAT
6.1 The goal of this event is to provide as many races as possible between evenly matched teams.
6.2 The regatta format and number of races will be determined by the Race Committee, based on the number of teams and the expected weather conditions. The regatta format may be changed on the water; see SI 3.
6.3 The regatta will be scored according to the attached Addendum.
6.4 The planned format is to have flights of races where each team is assigned to sail FJs or 420s for one race. The pairings for the first Flight will be determined randomly.
Teams will be assigned to boats in later Flights by taking into account win-loss records, which teams any given team has sailed against, and other factors using the Swiss League scoring system.
6.5 Time permitting, there may be Final Round(s) or a Final Four.
6.6. Scores from partially completed Flights may count to determine placement in the finals or final order of finish in the regatta. This changes RRS D4.3(b).
6.7 There shall be no requests for redress arising from the regatta format, rotation or seeding. This changes RRS 61.1.
6.8 Scores from every completed Flight shall be carried forward until a Final Four is determined.
7. RACING AREA
The racing area will be the lower basin of the Charles River.
8. COURSE
8.1 The course will be a digital N, or as announced by the Race Committee Signal Boat.
8.2 The Race Committee may change a leg of the course that begins at a rounding mark by changing the position of the next mark or the finishing line, but no mark shall be moved when any boat is on the leg which it terminates.
Subsequent legs may be changed to maintain the course configuration. At any reasonable time, the finish line may be adjusted to keep it square.
8.3 There will be no visual or audible signals for a course change; this changes RRS 33.
8.4 Courses shall not be shortened; this changes RRS 32 and Race Signals ‘S’.
8.5 Digital N Course: See figure on the Official Notice Board.
9. MARKS
The rounding, starting, and finishing marks will be orange, white, yellow, red, green, or pink spheres.
10. START AND FINISH
10.1 The start and finish lines will be between the staff from which a flag is displayed on a Race Committee boat and the course side of the nearby mark.
10.2 The start shall be a 2-minute rolling start with the first warning approximately 1 minute before the 2-minute signal and warnings for subsequent races being the 30-second signal of the previous start, unless there is a postponement or abandonment. This changes RRS 26.
10.3 The race number, the sail colors, the type of boat, or the team names of the teams in the starting queue may be hailed from the Race Committee Signal Boat.
10.4 A boat starting or returning to start more than one minute after her starting signal will be scored “DNS” without a hearing.
This changes RRS 63.1 and D3.1.
11 ABANDONMENT and SHORTENING of COURSE
11.1 Races may be abandoned at any time. This changes RRS 32.1. Abandonment will be signaled by oral instruction and multiple whistle or horn blasts. Abandoned races may be re-sailed. If the race is re-sailed a new warning signal for the abandoned race will be made as soon as practical.
11.2 Courses shall not be shortened. This changes RRS 32.1.
12. INDIVIDUAL RECALLS
12.1 The X Flag may be used. If it is displayed, it will remain displayed until all OCS boats are completely on the pre-course side of the starting line or its extensions, or for one minute, whichever occurs first.
12.2 An attempt will be made to hail all OCS boats. This shall not be subject of a request for redress. This changes RRS 61.1.
13. TIME LIMIT
There will be no time limit for any race.
14. PROTESTS
14.1 The Finish Boat and the parties to the protest must be notified of intent to protest at the end of the race.
14.2 Protest forms will be available from the Scorer’s Office or the Front Desk.
14.3 Protests shall be heard within 10 minutes after all parties have returned to the dock after the Flight in which the protest occurred. This modifies RRS 63.1(a)(1) and RRS 63.2.
14.4 The “three-minute justice” system will be used. This changes RRS 63.2 regarding time for preparation for the hearing, and RRS 63.4(b) regarding witnesses.
14.5 Failure of the parties to be present shall not be reason to reopen the hearing.
14.6 “Three-minute justice” which incorporates very expedited hearings will be explained at the competitors’ briefing on Saturday.
14.7 All valid protests arising from hull contact shall result in disqualifications, unless one or more of the boats has taken a penalty or received exoneration. This modifies RRS 64.
14.8 The Scorers shall be informed of protest results as soon as the decision is rendered.
15. Breakdowns
15.1 Breakdowns shall be decided according to the guidelines in the ICSA Procedural Rules Appendix D and the procedures outlined in RRS Appendix D5. Breakdowns are not requests for Redress.
15.2 Substitute Staff of MIT Sailing for Race Committee in RRS Appendix D5. This changes RRS Appendix D5.
16. Redress
16.1 Requests for Redress arising from a race shall be reported to the Finish Boat. All other Requests for Redress shall be reported to the Scorer’s Office on the form provided. This changes the provisions of the ICSA Procedural Rules.
16.2 Requests for Redress shall be heard by a committee appointed by the Race Committee.
16.3 The time limit for Requests for Redress shall be 15 minutes after the finish of the party’s last race in the Flight in which the incident occurred or 15 minutes after the incident, whichever is later.
16.4 Notification of hearings of Requests for Redress will be posted on the Official Notice Board as soon as is reasonably possible. This constitutes notification to the parties.
17. Minimum Crew Weight
17.1 It is the responsibility of each team to ensure that it is not sailing under-weight. To that end the Official Scale shall be available to competitors throughout the event.
17.2 Competitors shall weigh in wearing only a light shirt, shorts, and light dry socks. They shall not wear shoes, helmets, or hats.
Competitors are allowed to weigh in barefoot.
17.3 Combined weight of the entire six-person team shall not be less than 870 pounds. Teams shall carry corrector weight to bring the combined weight up to the minimum. Corrector weight shall be one pound of corrector for each pound of weight less than their team’s minimum.
17.4 Providing corrector weights shall be the sole responsibility of the competitors. Only water in sealed jugs shall be acceptable.
Competitors shall carry the corrector weights in every race, from boat to boat, and shall secure them in the cockpit of each boat with tie-off lines they supply themselves. Tie-off lines may be on sale from MIT at the price of $5 per foot.
17.5 Teams shall be subject to weigh-ins and re-weighs at any time during the regatta. The weigh-ins shall be at the discretion of the OA and RC. Teams requested to weigh in shall report immediately and directly to the weigh-in area, in the clothing used to sail their last race. The weigh-in procedure and clothing for weigh-ins shall be the same as outlined in SI 16.2. Teams not reporting immediately to the weigh-in area, or teams attempting to circumvent the weigh-in procedure by ingesting food or drink, changing or adding clothing, or by any other means of attempting to change their weight, shall forfeit any wins from the last Round of races in which they competed.
17.6 Underweight teams shall be given losses in all races in their previous Flight of races. In the event that there are two teams who have been given losses under this SI in the same race there shall be no win given for that race for any reason.
17.7 Team weights shall not be subject to a competitor protest. This changes RRS 60.1.
18. Decorum
18.1 All competitors shall respect and acknowledge the other MIT sailing patrons, regatta volunteers, and fellow users of the river.
18.2 All competitors agree to follow the instructions and directions of the MIT Sailing Pavilion staff, the MITNA volunteers, and other event organizers.
18.3 Smoking and alcohol are prohibited.
18.4 The MIT Sailing Pavilion is open to recreational sailing throughout this event. Competitors shall be aware of and respect recreational sailors.
19. Safety
In accordance with RRS 4, the responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in a race or to continue racing is hers alone.
The responsibility for the safety of the boat and each competitor lies solely with each individual and not with the MIT Sailing Pavilion or any of its staff or volunteers.
Scoring ADDENDUM
It is the intention to seed the regatta utilizing a Swiss League scoring system and score the teams by win-loss record.
Swiss League Flights
1. One or more sets of races (Flights) will be run with each team assigned to either FJs or 420s to race against another team.
2. A flight shall consist of one race or bye scheduled for each team.
3. The rotation will be changed for each Flight.
Finals Stage
1. Teams will be ranked in order of Win-Loss record with Wilson/Hinman tie-breakers applied.
3. If time permits, the four highest-ranked teams will sail either a full round-robin or Semi-Final and Final Elimination Rounds (first to two wins at each level).
4. The top four teams racing in this Stage shall be ranked 1-4 for the regatta based on their results in this Stage.
5. For the top four teams, win-loss record from previous Flights will not be carried over except for use as a final tie-break.
6. In the event of a tie remaining between two or more teams in this Stage after any tie-breakers from RRS D4.4 have been applied, the overall ranking of each team at the end of the Swiss League Flights shall be used as a tie-break.
7. Any remaining ties shall not be broken.
Organizers
Questions about this event should be directed to the organizer(s): STEWART CRAIG, Zach Shapiro, Eric Gibber