Middle Nene Sailing Club

    2026 SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

 
The following instructions supersede all previous instructions issued by the Club.

1. RULES
All races will be sailed under Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) and Class rules subject to any modification herein, and where applicable, the International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea.

2.1. ENTRIES
All boats must be entered on the form provided. All boats must be in possession of a valid certificate of measurement which must be produced on demand of the Sailing Committee. The Sailing Committee reserves the right to measure any boat. All boats and boards must be covered by Third Party Insurance to a minimum value of £2,000,000.

2.2. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS
Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located in front of the clubhouse.

2.3. CHANGES IN SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
In the event of any alterations to these instructions being necessary flag L will be displayed on the flagstaff in front of the Clubhouse. The new instructions will be affixed to, or written on, the official notice board, at least 30 minutes before the race is due to start.

3. BUOYS
(a) Buoy Number 1 will be positioned in the vicinity of the Club House. Numbers 2 to 9 inclusive will be positioned in a clockwise manner reading from Number 1.

(b) Buoys 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 are yellow and spherical. - Static marks

(c) Buoys lettered X and Y are movable marks and will be positioned by the Race Officer according to the needs of the course.Buoy X is whitish pink and spherical, Y is black and spherical.

(d) Other marks e.g. withies, around the edge of the lake denote the existence of shallows. Red and green marks denote navigable channels between shallows.

(e) All numbered marks and X and Y are rounding marks.

4. STARTING AND FINISHING LINES

(i) CLUB LINE – RACE BOX
The Club Starting/Finishing Line will be formed by the transit of a red staff with a red triangular top mark and a yellow staff with a yellow cross top mark. These staffs are situated in front of the Race Box. The limits of the Club Line are defined by inner and outer limit marks which are orange spherical buoys. When the Club Line is to be used for starting a bell will be rung approximately 15 minutes before the start.

(ii) ALTERNATIVE LINE
This will be formed between a red and white staff either on shore or on the Committee Boat and an outer limit mark coloured red and white. An inner limit mark (red and white) may also be used and boats must not pass between this and the Committee Boat or shore. When the Alternative Line is to be used for starting, a bell will be rung approximately 25 minutes before the start and the Flag "W" will be flown on the front of the Club House.

5. COURSE
In Thursday, Saturday and Sunday Series Races, boats with a PY more than 1230 are considered slow handicap boats.

(i) STARTING AND FINISHING AT THE CLUB LINE
The order in which the buoys of the course are to be rounded will be indicated by numbered boards at the front of the Race Box. The colour of the boards will indicate the hand to which the buoys are to be rounded, i.e. Red to Port, Green to Starboard.

A board displaying “L” indicates that boats must cross the defined starting line at that point in the course on every lap. The above boards to be read from left to right. The race will finished when the shorten course procedure (section 10) is instigated.

(ii) STARTING AND FINISHING AT THE ALTERNATIVE LINE
As (i) except that the course boards will be either on the Committee boat or as (i).

6. STARTING RACES
Races shall be started in accordance with RRS rule 26, except that signals will be 3,2,1,0 minutes before starting signal and that all sound signals shall be of a similar length. The sound signal may be a klaxon, horn, whistle or gun. The times and order of starts shall be as in the Notice of Race [Open Meetings], or Club Website [Club Events].

7. RECALLS
These will be in accordance with RRS rule 29. For Club racing the start flag may be used and flown at half-mast in place of flag X for Individual recalls and 1st Substitute for General Recalls. Sound signals will remain unchanged.

8. STARTING PENALTIES
Starting Penalties as prescribed in RRS rule 30 will apply.
For club racing if the line is crossed just prior to the start then any boat should use RRS Rule 30.1 Round-the-Ends Rule: If a boat is over the line (OCS) during the minute before the starting signal, she must sail to the pre-start side of the line, around either end, before starting.

9. TIME LIMIT
For all-comer and class events only boats finishing within 30 minutes of the leading boat will qualify for finishing points. The time limit for leading boats finishing will be 60 minutes from the time of starting. Four sound signals will denote the expiry of the time limit. Pursuit races, Edgar Cooper Tankards & the 6, 8 and 12 Hour races are not subject to this rule.

10. SHORTENING COURSE, ABANDONMENT, AND CHANGE OF COURSE AFTER STARTING
Procedure will be in accordance with RRS 32 and 33, except that when individual classes are being shortened flag "S" may be flown adjacent to, rather than over, the class flag(s) applicable.

11. CLASS FLAGS
The following flags will be used to identify individual classes:-
Fast Handicap – flag ‘K’
Slow Handicap – flag ‘J’
Junior – flag ‘T’
For club class racing Flag 1,2 & 3 will be assigned by Race Officer as required.

12. PENALTIES FOR RULE INFRINGEMENTS
A one turn, including a tack and a gybe, penalty system for RRS rules 44.1 and 44.2 will apply.

13. RETIREMENTS, PROTESTS AND RULE INFRINGEMENTS
Signing off is not required, but retirements should be notified to the race staff as soon as practicable or noted on the race sheet. Protests must be made on forms provided within 30 minutes of finishing. The Protest Committee may allow an extension of these times in special circumstances. Protests will be heard as soon as possible after the race.

14. SCORING

OPEN EVENTS – The Low Point system will apply, unless stated otherwise in the Notice of Race. In a series event, the number of races to count will be one more than half the number of races sailed, rounded down, unless stated otherwise in the Notice of Race.

CLUB EVENTS – As defined in “Racing Information” on the MNSC website.

15. SAFETY
(a) All persons afloat on the Clubs waters shall wear a properly fitting and fastened buoyancy aid complying as a minimum with European Standard CEN reference EN 393 (Buoyancy aids – 50N).

(b) A Black Shape indicates that wet or dry suits should be worn in addition to the personal buoyancy described above.

Signals relating to safety will be flown from the flagstaff in front of the Clubhouse.

The Sailing Committee – February, 2026