Numeral pennants 1 to 4 will identify Starting Divisions.

A red flag on the start boat at the start line means leave marks to Port", and a green flag means leave marks to Starboard".

Boats shall round the marks in the correct order and on the proper hand and finish in the vicinity of the Race Control Area in accordance with Paragraph "Finish Line".

Boats must pass through the common gate on each lap and for laps other than the finish, round the proper handed common mark gate mark, either port or starboard as indicated by the start boat flag.

When the common mark gate is the first mark of the course to be rounded after the start, a 'C' flag shall be flown from the start boat and the first triangle commences at that rounding, otherwise the first triangle commences at the start line.

Triangles are completed on each subsequent rounding of the correct common gate mark.

3.5.1 Prohibited Passages

Boats shall not pass between a yellow or white mark and the nearest part of the mainland.

3.6 Changes to Sailing Instructions

3.6.1 Changes in Sailing Instructions shall be displayed on the Course Board and will be signalled by flying the Code Flag L (black and yellow squares) at the Race Control Area at least one hour before the scheduled start of the race. 3.6.2 Oral Sailing Instructions will not be given. Information sessions may be held but nothing said at such session will take precedence over the Sailing Instructions, or be admissible as evidence at any protest hearing.

3.7 Race Entry Procedure

Competitors shall enter by:

a) A club member registering their boat(s) with the Club

b) And by paying the required entry fee. Payment of an annual entry fee shall apply to a particular boat/s sailed by a nominated skipper and is not transferable. The entry fee applies to one of the nominated boats per series.

c) And by entering the skippers name and crew's name if applicable, boat class and class type if the boat is a variation within that class and sail number on the Registration Sheet.

3.7.2 Non Club members who are members of a Yachting Victoria affiliated club may be granted reciprocal rights for up to six races per season and be accepted as a starter in a race upon payment of the required entry fee but their placing will not be calculated in Club aggregate results.

3.7.3 Unless approval (in exceptional circumstances) is sought by a skipper in writing and granted in writing before a race or races in a series by the Sailing Committee, hulls, sails and configuration shall remain the same throughout a series. If there are any changes to the boat/crew configuration during a series she shall be recorded in the results for that series as a separate entry for that particular configuration.

3.8 Start Procedure

3.8.1 The start line shall be a line between a buoy with staff displaying a flag and a staff on the the start boat displaying the Club Burgee. The start boat will be positioned at the starboard end of the start line.

3.8.2 All start signals will be made from the start boat. Times shall be taken from the visual signals and a failure or mistiming of a sound signal shall be disregarded.

Five minutes prior to the first start a Warning Signal, being the respective numeral flag(s) of the boats sailing the first start division(s), will be hoisted and may be accompanied by one short sound.

Four minutes prior to the first start the Preparatory Signal, code flag P, (white square surrounded by blue), will be hoisted indicating four minutes to the first start and may be accompanied by one short sound.

One minute prior to the first start, the One Minute Signal code flag P, will be lowered and may be accompanied by one long sound.

The Start Signal for the first start will be the lowering of the respective start division flag(s) and may be accompanied by one short sound. At the same time the respective numeral flag(s) for the next start division to start will be hoisted, indicating five minutes to the start for that start division.

The process is repeated until all start divisions have started.

3.8.3 A boat shall not start later than 10 minutes after her start signal.

3.8.4 (a) Any boat not in the current start division, including any boat that has started and rounded the first mark of the course but not including a boat that is preparing to start in accord with 3.8.3, shall keep clear of the start line while a Start is in progress.

(b) Any boat not involved in the current start shall not impede in any way a boat that is in the current starting division and shall have no rights over any such boat.

Penalty - A boat may take a two turn penalty when she may have broken either of the two rules above ((a) and/or (b)). Penalties are to be taken in accord with 21.2 and 44.2 of the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing. If a boat may have broken either rule prior to her start she shall take the penalty after starting and before reaching the first mark of the course.

3.9 Recalls

3.9 Individual Recall
If at the start signal, any part of a boat's hull, crew or equipment is on the course side of the start line, either:

a) Code flag X (white with blue cross) will be flown on the start boat and may be accompanied by a single sound signal, or

b) Code flag X will be flown on the start boat and may be accompanied by a single sound signal and the infringing boat's sail number may be hailed from the start boat, indicating that the infringing boat has been identified

The onus is then on the infringing boat to return and start correctly. An infringing boat failing to return and start correctly will be disqualified.

Code Flag X will remain displayed for four minutes, or until all infringing boats have returned to the pre-start side of the of the start line, whichever is the sooner.

3.9.2 General Recall

If after the start signal, the First Substitute flag, (yellow triangle within a blue triangle), is flown (two sound signals may be made), all boats sailing that course are recalled for a new start and shall revert to last in the starting sequence.

If the boats sailing a particular course are recalled and are the last in the start sequence, a new Preparatory signal will be made one minute after the First Substitute flag is lowered and a single accompanying sound signal may be made.

If, after a General Recall, a Black flag is flown with, or before, the new Preparatory Signal and any part of a boat's hull, crew or equipment is on the course side of the start line during the final minute before the new start, that boat shall be disqualified. Lowering of the BLACK flag indicates the start of the final minute. A single sound signal may be made with the raising or lowering of signals.

3.10 Shortened Course

3.10.1 The Race Committee may shorten courses in accordance wih ISAF rule 32.

3.10.2 The last lap to count is that which is completed closest in time to the Shortened Course Signal.

3.10.3 All boats must complete at least one lap to finish.

3.10.4 Subject to 3.10.2 and 3.10.3, a boat shall be deemed to have finished even if she has sailed through the common mark gate before the Shortened Course Signal.

3.11 Finish Line

Except as indicated for a shortened course, the finish shall be an imaginary line drawn between the port and starboard common gate marks.

3.12 Postponement, Abandonment and Cancellation

3.12.1 The Race Controller may postpone races not started, due to unsuitable weather conditions, or for any other reason and will signal the postponement by hoisting the Answering Pendant on the start boat. The Warning Signal will be made one minute after the Answering Pendant is lowered, or the race may be re-sailed at a later date.

3.12.2 The Race Controller may, due to unsuitable weather conditions, or for any other reason, abandon before completion, races that have started and will signal the abandonment by hailing all competing boats from the start, or rescue boat(s). An abandoned race may be re-sailed shortly thereafter, or at a later date.

3.12.13 Members will be advised of details of subsequent re-sails, however the Sailing Committee may, in meeting, elect to Cancel any races that have been postponed, or abandoned, unless those races have already been re-sailed.

3.13 Signing Off

3.13.1 All boats that have completed the designated course or have retired from the race are to sign-off as soon as practicable after coming ashore.

3.13.2 Any boat retiring from the race, or any boat not completing the designated course correctly, is to mark "DNF" alongside their signature. Any boat signing on but not starting is to sign-off and mark "DNC" alongside their signature.

3.13.3 Boats failing to sign-off before thirty minutes after the last boat finishes shall be given a DNF (without protest).

3.14 Alternative Penalties

The 360 degree and 720 degree turn penalty shall apply for an infringement in accordance with the ISAF Rules of Racing 44.2. If for any reason, penalty turns are not taken, a scoring penalty can be taken in their place in accordance with rule 44.3 with the exception that the flying of a yellow flag is not required.

3.15 Protests

3.15.1 A boat intending to protest shall always inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity and, when in the racing area, shall hail "protest" and if she has a hull length over 6 metres, fly code flag B (red) in accordance with the ISAF, rules as amended by the AYF and shall so inform the Race Controller within thirty minutes of the last boat finishing.

3.15.2 A protest is required to:

a) Be in writing using the official protest form,

b) Include such particulars as required by ISAF rules and be lodged with the Race Controller within one hour of the Race Controller being informed.

3.15.3 Protest hearings will be conducted in accordance with ISAF rules by a committee appointed by two or more members of the Sailing Committee.
(It should be noted that the Race Controller may disqualify a boat, without a hearing, for failing to start correctly, or penalise a boat (DNF) for failing to sail the correct course or finish correctly).

3.16 Points Score

3.16.1 Placings will be calculated using Class Yardstick and Club Handicaps. Points will be scored on those placings in accordance with the "Low Point Scoring System" as modified by the Sailing Committee.

3.16.2 Points will be awarded to a particular skipper/crew sailing a nominated boat in the same configuration throughout the series. The Point Scoring System is detailed in Appendix A of the Sailing Instructions.

3.17 Race Committee

The Race Committee will be the Sailing Committee, which may delegate the authority for the conduct of a race to the particular Race Controller nominated for that purpose.

3.18 Trophies

Trophies will be awarded as determined by the Executive Committee upon consideration of the Sailing Committee's recommendation.

Appendix A - Points Scoring System

Minimum Races
A competitor shall start fifty percent (50%) of the number of races that count plus one race (rounded down) in a series to be eligible for a trophy.
For a result in a series, there shall be a minimum number of races of which all points shall count. The points resulting from any disqualification for infringement of the rules in any race in a series shall be included in the final score for that series as per Yachting Australia rules.
The number of races to be counted in a series are: