MEDINA MARINERS RACE/RALLY  PROCEDURE

1.0 POLICY

1.1 This document sets out the Medina Mariners Associations policy in respect of the organisation, running and the monitoring of all sailing activities. It is laid out in the form of an over riding policy statement followed by Procedures that will themselves be adopted as policy

1.2 Principal Policy Statement

It is the Medinas Mariners Association intention to promote organised sailing activities as part of its obligations under Section 2 of its constitution to promote the safe use of the River Medina and its environs.

This Policy shall be reviewed annually

The Race/Rally activities shall be organised by a Race Rally Committee

The Race /Rally Committee shall be represented at the full Committee by the Race Officer's), Secretary and Rally Officer

The promotion of sailing activities shall be carried out in strict accordance with the Procedures as laid down by the full Committee from time to time.

The said Procedures shall, as a minimum, be reviewed and approved by the full Committee annually

1.3 This Policy document has been approved by the MMA Committee.

The intent of the these procedures is to establish a framework that will ensure that Committee Members, members and volunteers etc will carry out the organisation of Medina Mariners Association’s sailing activities in a manner that minimises the risks not only to the individual in the respect of danger to vessels and to life and limb, but also to the Association and/or its members in respect of liabilities resulting from prosecution from third parties.

At no stage does the acceptance of a procedure to minimise risk signify in anyway whatsoever the MMA’s acceptance of third party liabilities arising from the participation of Owners and/Competitors in an event organised by the MMA.

This procedure shall apply to all events (races, rallies, meets and associated waterborne activities) that encourage the congregation of boats in an area.

All waterborne events shall be carried out in accordance with the Sailing Event Procedures

To ensure the effective management of the MMA’s sailing activities;

A Race/Rally Committee shall be appointed by the Committee and shall consist of Rally Officer, Chief Race Officers (Cruiser, Dinghy), Sailing Secretary and an Assistant.

The Race/Rally Committee will carry out the Sailing Event Procedures submitting as necessary issues for approval to the Committee.

The Race/Rally Committee shall appoint an Officer of the Day (OOD) to manage the day’s racing events. If an OOD cannot be appointed for a particular race and the Chief Race Officer (CRO) is unavailable the Race/Rally will be abandoned

The Chief Race Officer shall ensure that the OOD has been fully briefed on the Sailing Instructions requirements, the start procedure, number of expected entrants and the obligation to remain contactable with vessels during the race period.

The OOD shall be responsible for ensuring the start is carried out in accordance with the Sailing Instructions, that the starting competitors are identified and that all competitors are accounted for on completion of the race. event that

The OOD shall be contactable during the race period either on VHF Channel 37 and MMA Mobile Telephone.

Competitors/owners will be required to inform the OOD as soon as practicably possible that they have completed the Race or have retired. If their finish time is outside the Race Duration Time stated in the Race Instructions the Competitor will be required to inform the MCA of their whereabouts.

In the event that the OOD is unable to account for all the competitors by the time the Race Duration Time has elapsed the OOD shall inform the CRO and/or MMA Committee Chairperson that a vessel is unaccounted for and that the MCA are about to be informed. The OOD shall then inform the MCA that a vessel is unaccounted for. The MMA will take no further action

The Race/Rally Committee will appoint a Day Rally Officer who will advertise the location and duration of a Rally. There will be no minimum eligibility qualifications for participating vessels and vessels will not be accounted for on arrival by the MMA. Participants will be encouraged to make their own safety monitoring arrangements with the MCA.

The Sailing Secretary shall ensure that the Sailing Event Procedures are properly documented; notices to comply with local by laws have been prepared and served, instructions and entry forms have been posted to all concerned; provide copies of signed starters entry forms for the OOD; receive the declaration forms and publish the Race results. Organise the prize allocations.

 

For the purposes of this Procedure the following Event definitions shall apply

o Race: a formal coming together of vessels to race in competition along a set course in accordance with a set of racing instructions and rules.

o Rally: an organised meeting of vessels at a given location at which an activities and/or arrangements are organised by the MMA

o Meet: a meet is an advertised meeting location for vessels over a given period on an informal arrangement with no planned activities

 

5.1 Races Courses and Race dates shall be:

drafted in the first instance by the Race/Rally Committee and then submitted for approval to the Committee

subject to agreement with SCRA

all race courses shall be the subject of a Passage Plan Risk Assessment that shall identify, where practicable, known risks and the mitigating measures that have been taken to minimise the risk to participating vessels.

5.2 Rally destinations and Dates shall be:

identified by the Race/Rally Committee and submitted for approval to the Committee

reviewed to identify significant risks and that risks inherent at the rally location are not increased by the activities and congregation of rally boats at that point. Rally locations with high inherent risks are to be avoided.

Rallies will not be the subject of PMRA analysis unless the confirmed numbers of attendees and the location would have an impact on harbour activities.

5.3 Meets may be advertised on the MMA notice board giving a location and duration but will involve no organisation or monitoring by the MMA.

To meet current Bylaws and Legislation races will require classifying in the following manner and shall be indicated on all Race Notices

To comply with Port Authority By-laws all races shall be reviewed and classified as an Event having a High, Medium or Low impact on Port Authority activities. Such classifications shall be denoted as PMRA (Port Marine Risk Assessment) Major/Medium/Minor Event.

All races shall be further classified in respect of SOLAS Categorisation of the Waters in which the activity takes place; namely

o Races that involve SOLAS Category ‘D’ areas ie events that conducted within an area bounded to the east, by a line to joining West Wittering Church and Trinity Church, Bembridge and to the West, by a line joining Hurst Point and the Needles, will be classified as MMA Group 1 Races. Such classification shall be further sub divided into "Cruiser" and "Dinghy". Cruiser races shall be defined as being suitable for Single Handed and Fully crewed.

o All other races are categorised by SOLAS as having gone "to sea" and shall be defined as MMA Group 2. Such Category shall be further sub divided into "Offshore" and "Inshore". With the exception of the Offshore Group races, races will be defined as being suitable for Single Handed or Short Handed and Fully crewed. There will be no races for dinghies outside Category D areas and there will be no single handed races for Offshore groups

 

 

7.1 The MMA will accept no liabilities for requiring minimum eligibility standards for Owners/Competitors. The responsibility for entering a race will rest solely with the Owner/Competitor and on their judgement as to, the suitability and seaworthiness of the vessel, the preparedness and sufficiency of its crew, the appropriateness of the safety equipment carried .

7.2 All vessels entering MMA Races will be required to conform to minimum safety requirements as defined by the International Sailing Federation Offshore special regulations, be constructed to Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) standards or an equivalent and comply where indicated with ISO STIX values. Where vessels are of an age that predates the RCD and ISO STIX the Owner/Competitor shall satisfy themselves that their vessel is of a comparable and appropriate design to that standard set by the MMA for the race group considered. The MMA will not carry out checks but will require owners/competitors to "self assess" and to sign an entry form stating that they have satisfied themselves as to their vessels compliance with an appropriate standard. The MMA’s appropriate standards will be defined in the MMA Rules for the particular race and shall be based upon the following

7.2 For MMA Group 1 Cruisers

RCD design Category C and in particular for Vessels under 12 m an AVS of 105° and vessels over 12 m an AVS of 95 ° Vessels in this group shall further have a minimum ISO STIX value of 14 and should meet the requirements of the International Sailing Federations Special regulations relating to Category 4 Monohulls/Multihulls. (RCD Category C is for vessels operating in coastal waters with winds up to F6 and 2 metre wave height. The AVS and STIX values are taken from recommendations in RYA YR9. ISAF Category 4 is for races short in duration in protected waters normally held in daylight hours. This MMA Group will apply to round the buoys races)

7.2 For MMA Group 1 Dinghies

RCD Category D (RCD Category D is for small lakes, rivers etc 0.5 metre wave height and F4’s)

7.3 For MMA Group 2 Offshore

RCD design Category B and in particular for Vessels under 12 m an AVS of 130° and vessels over 12 m an AVS of 120 ° and a STIX value of 23. In addition should meet the requirements of the International Sailing Federations Special regulations relating to Category 2 Monohulls/Multihulls. (RCD Category B is for vessels designed to go offshore in conditions up to F8 with wave heights up to 4 metres. The AVS and STIX values are taken as before. ISAF Category 2 is for races of extended duration or not far removed from the shore or in large unprotected bays where a high degree of self sufficiency is required of the yachts.)

7.4 For MMA Group 2 Inshore

RCD Design Category C and in particular for Vessels under 12 m an AVS of 105° and vessels over 12 m an AVS of 95 ° . Vessels in this group shall further have a minimum ISO STIX value of 14 and should meet the requirements of the International Sailing Federations Special regulations relating to Category 3 Monohulls/Multihulls. (RCD Category C is for voyages in coastal waters with winds up to F6 and 2 metre wave height. The AVS and STIX are from as before. ISAF Category 3 is for vessels racing in open but protected water held in daylight hours.)

7.5 The Race Committee may refuse entry at any time.

The MMA will set minimum race entry eligibility requirements. The MMA will not carry out checks to ensure compliance but will require the Owner/Competitor to have submitted a signed race entry form that will contain a statement that the Owner/Competitor will comply either with the standards stated or an equal. The Race Committee may refuse entry at any time

8.1 To ensure that we obtain a clear acceptance of the entry conditions by the Owner/competitor and their crew a separate entry form is to be issued at the time of Race Notification that must be returned signed by the Owner/competitor

8.2 The annual membership form will therefore contain a list of the forthcoming seasons races that the MMA intend to run. Members will be requested to indicate their interest in entering such races. Those that indicate an interest will be issued with a

o A "Notice of Race" and Entry Form giving Race Classifications together with the

o MMA Rules for Racing

On receipt of a signed entry form and the appropriate fee the Competitor/Owner will be issued with the:

o Sailing Instructions

o Race Declaration Form

No competitor shall be accepted as having entered a race unless a signed entry form has been submitted and fees have been paid prior to the race date.

 

No competitor shall be accepted as participating in a race unless a signed entry form has been submitted

9.1 The MMA will accept no liability arising from adverse weather conditions. To ensure that risks are minimised forecasted weather conditions shall be assessed by the Race Rally Committee in accordance with the following:

All MMA Group 1 & 2 Cruiser Inshore races shall be assessed in the 24 hour period immediately preceding the race. The assessment of weather conditions shall be based upon the "Met Office Inshore Waters & Shipping Forecast" (Or should we pay for a Met Marine forecast?)

For MMA Group 1 Dinghy races the weather conditions shall be assessed in the hour preceding race start.

For MMA Group 2 Cruiser Offshore races shall be assessed in the 48 hour period immediately preceding the race and reassessed in the 24 hour period before the race. The assessment shall be based upon the Met Office Shipping Forecast and a 3/5? Day Met Marine Forecast. Where possible significant wave height data shall be obtained ( wave height data is available from the internet www.a1surf.com/wavebouys2.html)

The Race Rally Committee will determine whether to race or not. If any assessment indicates wind strengths of, or greater than, Beaufort Scale Force 6 in the sailing area at the start and/or during the expected duration of the race, the race will be abandoned.

Abandonment will be signified by the CRO/OOD using appropriate flags on the day and in advance by telephone to the number indicated on the race entry. In the event of a decision being taken at short notice a VHF Channel 37 broadcast will be at the time of the planned start signal

Weather conditions will not be monitored after the start and the decision to continue racing will rest with the Owner/Competitor.

No race shall be carried out in winds forecasted by the Met Office Inshore Waters Forecast as being Beaufort strength Force 6 or greater at the start or during the anticipated duration. Weather conditions will not be monitored after the start and the decision to continue racing will rest with the Owner/Competitor

The following general safety issues are to be followed

Where races are entered on the basis of a singlehanded event Owners/Competitors will be required to wear life jackets and safety harnesses at all times

All single handed races shall be conducted during daylight hours.

No single handed or dinghy racing will be conducted in a MMA Group 2 Offshore area

 

 

 

 

MMA March 2003