Aero Open 2021
Notice of Race
RS Aero UK River Championships 2021
(Including the UK Northern Circuit and UK Midlands Mini Series)
Saturday 14th August, 2021
Hosted and Organised by The Nottingham Sailing Club
This event will be sailed under the Racing Rules of Sailing with exceptions as listed in The Nottingham Sailing Club Open Meeting Sailing Instructions, available from the clubhouse on the day. These will be in the form of written instructions with any alterations given verbally at the pre-race meeting/briefing, to be held at 10:30am.
The event is for RS Aero9, Aero7 and Aero5 dinghies.
The address for the event is The Nottingham Sailing Club, Adbolton Lane, West Bridgford, Nottingham. NG2 5AS. (tel. 01159821127)
Registration / entries. Please complete the online registration on the RS Aero Association website to allow planning for the event. Entries may be accepted on the day subject to a limit of 30 boats. Entry fee of £15 can be paid in cash before 10:30 on the morning of the event.
Catering and Bar. A lunch will be available for an extra cost, to be paid in cash on the day. Teas, coffees and snacks will be available during the day. The bar will be open at lunch time and after the final race.
Race Format and Times: 4 scheduled races of approx. 40 minutes duration for the leading boat, with one discard only if all 4 races are sailed. First Race: scheduled to start at 11am. No warning signal will be given on the day after 3:30pm.
Sailing Area and Landing Stages: The event is to be sailed on the River Trent. There are good landing stage / slipway facilities at the club.
Location: The Nottingham Sailing Club, Adbolton Lane, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 5AS.
See https://www.nottinghamsailing.club/Location/ for further info about finding the club.
Please look at the map on the Location tab on the Club’s website. (If you follow a satnav, you WILL be sent the wrong way a few hundred yards from the Club). Once you have turned off the main dual carriageway onto Regatta Way, (0.8 miles away), continue on the road toward Holme Pierpont National Watersports Centre (this turns into Adbolton Lane (East)). As soon as you pass their Campsite entrance on your right, the entrance to The Nottingham Sailing Club is 100 yards further on your left, just BEFORE the road splits for the Watersports Centre car park entrances. We are NOT part of the Watersports Centre, so make sure you park on our site and not continue on to their Pay and Display Car Parks.
Parking: There is plenty of free parking space on-site. Just drive into the Club, past the Nottingham Sailing Club sign, and follow the track round the boat-park. This will bring you close to the river and you can park where there is space. (Please leave space for the Public Right of Way along the River Bank).
Clubhouse. We have a good clubhouse and changing facilities.
Covid Statement: By entering the event you agree to follow any Covid rules of The Nottingham Sailing Club which are in force on the day of the event. Non-observance of the rules could result in disqualification. These rules STILL include current social distancing rules and mask wearing, limits on numbers in changing room areas, limits on numbers in main club room. Masks need to be worn inside the clubhouse building, apart from when seated (following social distancing rules) in the club room. Showers should be back in operation by the Open Meeting.
Camping / Accommodation: There is a large “proper” camping and caravan site opposite the entrance which is open to the general public. See https://www.nwscnotts.com/hpcp/campsite/. This campsite is likely to be very busy this year due to general holiday restrictions – please book beforehand.
Conditions of Entry: The race organisers shall not be responsible for any loss, damage, death or personal injury howsoever caused to the owner / competitor, or his crew as a result of their taking part in the race or races. Moreover, every owner / competitor warrants the suitability of his dinghy for the race or races.
Insurance: Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance with a minimum cover of £3,000,000.
Prizes: will be awarded on the day of racing, after racing has been completed. The prize giving will be held either in the clubhouse, or in the immediate vicinity of the clubhouse.
Starts: The width of the river limits the number of boats starting at one time. If there are more than a minimum of 15 competitors, the race committee may decide to start the race remotely at a wider point on the river (to our normal start line) or divide the competitors into flights. The starting method will be decided on the day, taking into account number of competitors, general wind/weather/river conditions, start fairness and safety.
Data protection. Please see our club policy online: https://www.nottinghamsailing.club/gdpr/
Further information? Is available on the club website at: https://www.nottinghamsailing.club
Rules and Rule Changes:
Please see our Open Meeting Sailing Instructions. A summary of some of the exceptions are as follows:
Sail Numbers: Under exceptional circumstances the Sailing Committee may permit a dinghy to use sails carrying a number other than that required by RRS 77.
Personal Buoyancy: A personal flotation device must be worn at all times while on the river. This changes RRS 40.
Course Marks: Course marks are orange spherical buoys. A mark may be moved during the leg being sailed, but only in a manner that will not prejudice the results. This amends RRS 33.
Starting Procedure: This changes RRS 26. Races shall be started using signals at 3 minute intervals. Times shall be taken from the audible sound signals. If there is more than one flight, flights will start at 3 minute intervals. Full procedures are in our Sailing Instructions available on the day.
Individual Recalls: Flag X shall be used as defined in RRS 29.1. The Race Officer may hail the Sail Number(s) of the offending dinghy(s).
General Recall: RRS 29.2 is changed as follows. Where there are other classes or flights still to Start, the offending class or flight will start three minutes after the previously scheduled last Start. Otherwise, the next signal will be the class or flight’s Preparatory Signal.
Starting Penalties: RRS 30.3 may be applied only after a General Recall. RRS 30.1 and 30.2 will not apply.
Shorten Course: Code flag S flown and two sound signals indicate the course will be completed when the leading dinghy in each race next crosses the finish line from either direction. Every other dinghy will complete the course sailed by the leading dinghy in her race. This modifies RRS 32.2(b).
In a split fleet race, where the leading dinghies of each flight may be approaching the finish line in different directions, a shortened course indication is only applicable to the leading flight. To indicate this the S flag will be accompanied by the specific flight flag of the leading flight. As all flights must complete the same course, at an appropriate point in the race the shortened course sound signals will be repeated with the relevant flight flag being raised for each subsequent flight.
Lapped Boats: After the leading dinghy in any fleet or flight has finished, every other dinghy in that fleet or flight shall finish the next time they cross the finishing line in the same direction as the leading dinghy in that fleet or flight. Boats which have been lapped will be allocated points in sequence behind those which have completed the full course sailed by the leading dinghy.
Touching a Mark/ Re-rounding: Re-rounding. A dinghy touching a mark shall re-round the said mark and when exonerating herself shall keep clear of all other dinghies until she has rounded it completely and has cleared it and is on a proper course to the next mark. A dinghy touching a mark, while continuing to sail the course and until it is obvious that she is returning to round it completely shall be accorded rights under the Rules of Part 2. This changes RRS 44.1 with respect to RRS 31.
Scoring Systems: Scoring shall be as provided in Appendix A of the RRS using the Low Points System, except that DNS, OCS, DNF and RAF shall score Number of Boats in the Event (B) plus 1, DSQ and DNE shall score B plus 2 and DNC shall score B plus 3. Three or four Races shall be scheduled. Each Boats score shall be the total of its race scores, excluding its worst only if all scheduled races are sailed. This changes RRS A5.
This information is also available as a pdf document from here
