Notice
of Race and Sailing Instructions
Organizing
Authority: Eastern Shore Sailing
Association
Notice
of Race
The Choptank Cup is a long-standing event that tests the
endurance of Skippers and Crews.
The race is a non-spinnaker race from Cambridge Creek to
the Sharps Island Lighthouse and back to Cambridge Creek. The traditional and full course length is approximately
33.2 Nautical Miles.
PHRF non-spinnaker CR ratings will be used to score all
boats using ORR-EZ.
The starting horn sequence will begin at approximately 9:24 AM on Saturday, October 12th, 2024.
The race will begin at 9:30 AM (unless changed by the
Race committee.)
(Bad weather date, Sunday, Oct 13)
PARTICIPATION
Any ESSA member who has paid their annual racing fee and
is sailing a boat that has received a rating from ESSA or a valid ORR-EZ
Certificate may enter the race. All Skippers must register to race on or before
Thursday, October 10, 2024. A minimum of two boats must cross the starting line
with at least one boat completing the prescribed course as declared by the race
committee.
GOVERNING RULES
The racing rules and regulations of US Sailing shall
govern except as modified by the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association, the
ESSA Yearbook, and these Race Instructions. As always, the most important rule
is to avoid collisions. Sail at your own risk.
SKIPPERS’ MEETING
No on-shore Skippers meeting will be held. Any final
notices before the race will be made on Channel 72. Channel 72 will be monitored after the
race begins. If light wind or excessive wind or adverse weather is present, the
RC will announce all changes to the fleet on Channel 72. Such announcements may
occur during the race. The pace of the race may also influence course changes.
Sailing
Instructions:
CHECK-IN
All boats must check-in with the Race Committee or
designated boat using VHF Channel 72 at least 5 minutes before the
starting sequence. Boats not
acknowledged by the Race Committee Boat within the time frame will not be
scored.
START LINE
The starting line will be between ESSA “A” aka “G3"
and “G1” buoys or as determined by the Race Committee.
TIME KEEPING
When a Race Committee boat or land crew is available,
they will handle starting the race as per normal operating procedures for ESSA
Wednesday nights. If a Race Committee boat or land crew is not available a
designated competitor (typically the fleet captain) can carry Ollie along and
broadcast the start sequence via VHF Channel 72. All participants must
individually record their GPS finish time and report it by email (essasailing38@gmail.com), or text 443-521-9920
to the Choptank Fleet Capatain George Breig by 8 PM the day of the race. The
time of day should be reported: hour, minute, and seconds.
Example: 3:22: 35 PM or 15:22:35 Use GPS time or cell
phone time with seconds please.
FINISH LINE & SHORTENED COURSE
The finish line will be the same as the starting line
unless there is need for a shortened course or if the finish is scored by a
land crew. In the case of a shortened course, the finish line is where a boat
passes abeam of the new finish mark within six boat lengths on the
heading between the last two marks, and on the channel side.
If conditions change drastically after the race begins,
the course may be shortened to a designated race mark. The course can be
shortened by finishing at a course mark or by turning around at a designated
mark and finishing at “G1- G3”. A race will be shortened and announced via VHF
72 prior to the start if possible. Always finish on the channel side of the
mark.
STARTING SIGNALS
The race will start promptly at 9:30 am GPS time or as
announced by the RC.
TIME SOUNDS
Courtesy Warning 6 min 09:24, 5 Short blasts
Starting Sequence
5 min 09:25, 1 Long horn blast
4 min 09:26, 1 Horn blast
1 min 09:29, 1 Horn blast
Start 09:30, 1
Long horn blast
DELAYED STARTS, RACE ABANDONMENT, TIME LIMIT
Any postponement will be announced on Channel 72 prior to
the starting sequence. Two boats must start to qualify the race. Boats are expected not to retire from the
race shortly after the start just to achieve the two-boat minimum for a race.
TIME LIMIT
The first boat must finish the course by 5:00 pm or the
race is abandoned. All boats finishing after 6:00 pm will be scored DNF.
CLASSES / EQUIPMENT
This will be a Non-Spinnaker class only.
COMMUNICATION
All competitors are required to monitor Channel 72 during
the race.
There will be no radio communications unless an emergency
exists, the race is being abandoned or shortened, a boat is abandoning the
race, or reporting bad weather. The Race Committee Boat shall monitor Channel
72 during the race for emergencies or broadcast
other imperative messages. If a Committee Boat is unavailable a lead boat will assume
the RC duty. On occasion the leading boat will be asked to report progress to
determine if the course needs to be shortened.
PROTESTS
Any yacht protesting another yacht must follow US Sailing
Rules with the following provisions and exceptions:
1) Any yacht may exonerate herself for the infraction of
a Rule in Part 2 of “The Racing Rules of Sailing” by getting clear of other
boats as soon as possible & promptly completing one turn including one tack
and one gybe in the same direction.
2) Notify the Race Committee or designate promptly within
one hour of the Race Committee boat or designate docking. Protestors should
provide a written protest on a standard protest form to the Committee Boat as
soon as possible. Protesting vessels must call the Race Committee on VHF
Channel 72 to report the protest.
EQUIPMENT
It is strongly encouraged that skippers consult US
Sailing to review safety requirements for near shore racing. Monohull-SER-2024.0-Nearshore.pdf (ussailing.org)
THE COURSE
Note: If the course must be shortened, it will be at one
of the marks of the course, unless changed by the Race Committee prior to
start, and discussed at the skippers meeting. Note: G23 is in a new position.
The former G7 remains in position and has been renamed G9.
|
Outbound |
Inbound |
|
G3
Port - G1 Starboard (Start) |
G9 Port |
|
G23 Port |
R10 Starboard |
|
G19 Starboard |
R16 Starboard |
|
R16 Port |
G19 Port |
|
R10 Port |
G23 Starboard |
|
G9 Starboard |
G1 Port- G3 Starboard - Finish |
|
Sharps
Light Port |
|
|
|
Course Distance 33.2 Nautical Miles |
SCORING
All scoring will be on corrected time utilizing the ORR-EZ
method with a low point scoring system (first place = 1 point etc.) DNF will be
scored number of boats started plus 1. Yachts will be scored according to the ORR-EZ
handicap rating system.
ALTERNATE COURSE OPTIONS - The Race Committee may
choose to shorten the course in response to conditions at the start of the race
or any time during the race. A change to
the course will be announced on VHF Channel 72.
25
NM G3>>>R10
port>>>G3
14.6
NM G3>>>Choptank Light
starboard>>>G3
13
NM G3>>>R14
port>>>G3
7
NM G3>>>G19
starboard>>>G3
Previous
Cup Winners
·
2023 -- Gabrielle
– Branden Spear
·
2022 – Blur - Trevor
Carouge
·
2021 – Blur -
Trevor Carouge
·
2020 – Tamarind –
Mark McIver
·
2019 - Whistle
Jacket – Dave Carouge
·
2018 - Whistle
Jacket – Trevor Carouge
·
2017 – Tamarind –
Mark McIver
·
2016 – Lazy Ethel
– Dotty Holoubek
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