Canandaigua Around the Lake Race
Sailing Instructions
1. RULES: All races will be governed by the rules as defined in the 2025-2028 Racing Rules of Sailing.
2. ENTRIES / REGISTRATION: Saturday, October 4, 2025 registration will open by 7:30 am and is open to all sailboats. All yachts must have numbers on their sails to race and have a properly signed waiver. Blank waiver forms will be available at registration. If a yacht is sailing with numbers other than those assigned to it, it must receive approval from the Race Committee before the race.
3. NOTICES TO COMPETITORS:
a. Notices will be posted on the official Race Committee Bulletin Board located at the waterfront restroom facility, and on the CYC website.
b. Any changes to Sailing Instructions will be posted before 0800 hours on the day they take effect.
4. SCHEDULE:
Registration: 7:30 – 8:15 am or on Club Website
Skippers meeting: 8:15am
Monohull start: 9:00am
Multihull start: 9:30am
5. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE: Signals made ashore shall be displayed from the flagstaff on the docked RC Signal Boat. When flag AP is displayed ashore, 1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 25 minutes’ in the race signal AP.
6. ORAL INSTRUCTIONS: Oral instructions may be given on the water. Flag L will be displayed with one sound. Oral instructions may be given ashore at Skipper's Meeting. This changes rule 90.2.c.
7. INDIVIDUAL RECALL: The Race Committee may attempt to notify any yacht that is OCS (on the course side of the starting line) at the start but is under no obligation to do so.
8. START LINE and FINISH LINE: The start and finish line are the line between the flagstaff with the Orange staff on the RC Signal Boat and the course side of the start / finishing mark. Finish line will be between RC Signal boat and finishing mark. The RC boat may be docked at the club and the finish mark will be offshore near the mooring field. If finishing after 5pm the Committee Boat may be unattended. Sailors finishing after 5 pm are to record their time in hours, minutes, seconds, and report that time to the PRO. Also record sail numbers of boats finishing ahead and behind you if known.
9. TIME LIMITS: There is no time limit for this race.
This changes rules 35, A4 and A5.
10. SAFETY:
a. Yachts that have started are required to notify a Race Committee boat via VHF channel 9 or cell phone if they retire from the race.
b. A non-racing vessel whose occupants are actively engaged in fishing is deemed an obstruction. Racing boats shall maintain a minimum separation of 50 feet in all directions from a fishing vessel.
c. Junior Competitors in all CYC sponsored races are required to wear approved PFDs at all times while on the lake whether or not code flag “Y” is displayed.
d. Boats are reminded of RRS 48 as it pertains to sailing in New York State Waterways. Including navigation lights as such:
For sailboat 22.96 feet or over.
For sailboats less than 22.96 feet.
• Therefore, any boat observed sailing or finishing after sunset without required lights will be disqualified.
e. Tow line: All boats shall carry a tow line at least 18' in length.
f. Boats without a motor shall carry a paddle.
g. All boats must carry a marine radio tuned to channel 9 and/or a fully charged cell phone. The number for cell phones must be included on the registration form.
h. There is no guarantee of a club tow at any time. Support boats after 5pm not assured, see Part I Rule 4.
i. Junior competitors may be ordered to retire and accept tow if RC determines that they are not safe.
j. Bristol Harbor is approximately halfway down the lake, if one does not pass it by 1100 then boats should consider if they are prepared to be sailing at night and take proper precautions.
11. Course: The course will be to sail south to a mark in the vicinity of White Rock near the south end of the lake and is to be left to port when rounding. The course may be changed based on conditions on race day. Any change will be announced at the Skippers Meeting.
12. SCORING: There will be an overall winner based upon handicap. There will also be winners of each fleet posted. There is also a middle of the fleet award whose deed of gift "to recognize perseverance when two or more boats finish." It is awarded to the boat placed on or above the number of finishers divided by two. e.g., if two boats finish it is awarded to second place, three boats->second, four boats->third, five boats->third, six boats->fourth, etc.
• All boats are asked to record the time (this is the time of day including seconds) when they round the turning mark at the south end of the lake (RRS 2). Racers should record their time when rounding the mark according to cell phone time if they do not have synchronized time used by the Race committee. A mark set boat will also record times should they be on station and if so the mark set boat time will be used. Racers should also attempt to record the boat immediately ahead and behind them. Racers should hail committee or mark set boat to report time of mark round.
• Any boat that retires from the race after 1600 will be scored in the race. Their corrected time will be computed using their elapsed time at the turning mark and their handicap. Any boat that retires from the race before 1600 will be scored DNF. Any boat that finishes the race, regardless of their time, will have their corrected time computed using their elapsed time for the whole race and their handicap and will be scored ahead of any boat that retires. Boats that retire are asked to hail RC or mark set to report their retirement and location.
• Report mark rounding’s, retirements and finish to RC on channel 9 or cell phone race personnel per race handouts.
13. PROTESTS:
For protests, the following conditions shall be met:
a. At the earliest opportunity, the protesting yacht shall hail the Race Committee with notification of her intent to file a protest and identification of the yacht or yachts she intends to protest.
b. The Protest deadline is 10am on Monday for electronic delivery to Vice Commodore.
c. A 20% Scoring Penalty (Rule 44.3(c)) shall be applied in the case of protests between yachts of different fleets.
14. PROTEST ARBITRATION: (This changes RRS 60.1(b), 63.1, 63.3 and 66.)
a. An arbitration meeting will be held prior to the protest hearing for all parties involving violations of Part 2 of the Racing Rules of Sailing, with no allegation of damage.
b. After a protest form is delivered, one designated representative (conforming to RRS 63.3(a)) of each party will appear before an arbitrator.
c. The arbitrator may call witnesses to offer testimony.
d. After hearing the testimony of each representative, the arbitrator shall reach one of the following conclusions:
i. There was no breach of a rule. If the representatives agree, the protest is withdrawn and cannot be reopened. If any representative disagrees, the matter goes to a protest committee for a hearing.
ii. There was a breach of a rule by one or more of the boats involved. The representative(s) of the offending boat(s) have the option of accepting a 40% (20% in the case of protests between yachts of different fleets) alternative penalty (calculated as in RRS 44.3(c)) or submitting the matter to the protest committee for a hearing.
iii. The matter should go to the protest committee for a hearing.
e. The acceptance of an arbitrator’s opinion will not be grounds for redress and cannot be appealed.
f. The arbitrator will not be a member of the protest committee that hears the protest but will be permitted to observe the testimony given to the protest committee and offer testimony. This changes RRS 63.3(a).
15. REQUIRED EQUIPMENT: Equipment in compliance with all Federal, State and local safety equipment regulations and Class rules is the responsibility of the participant.
16. CHECK-IN: Prior to the start each participating yacht shall sail by the stern of the RC Signal Boat on starboard tack and hail her sail number.
17. RADIO COMMUNICATIONS: Except in an emergency or to report retirements, turning mark time and protests, a boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats. This restriction also applies to mobile telephones. Mobile phone calls of a personal nature, unrelated to the race, are exempt from this restriction. The Race Committee may communicate with competitors via marine VHF radio on Channel 9. Race Committee may broadcast its intentions, countdown to starts, OCS, etc. as a courtesy. Failure of the Race Committee to make a broadcast or failure of a boat to hear a broadcast shall not be grounds for redress.
18. CLASS FLAGS: Class Flags will be:
Multihull Monohulls
CYC Handicap Racing Fleet Definitions:
Fleet 1: Cruiser-Racers with USSA Portsmouth Numbers > 90 (Catalina 22, Catalina 25, Spirit 23, Wianno SR., etc.) Fleet 2: Racer-Cruisers with USSA Portsmouth Numbers < 90 (J/22, J/24, Capri 25, etc.)
Fleet 3: Keelboats (Ensign, Star, Cape Dory, Bullseye, etc.) Fleet 4: Centerboard Boats (Sunfish, FD, Vanguard 15, etc.)
Fleet 5: Multi-hulls (Sharks, Hobie Cat, etc.)