TR2019 NOTICE OF RACE

Incorporating AMENDMENTS 1 & 2 (in red)

The Transatlantic Race 2019 is organized by the Royal Yacht Squadron, the New York Yacht Club, the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Storm Trysail Club. It is the signature event of the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series 2019 which includes several of the world’s foremost ocean classics. The Transatlantic Race is open to IRC yachts, Classics, Super Yachts, Multihulls, IMOCA 60, Class 40s or other Open Class yachts.

The Transatlantic Race 2019 is a race from Newport, Rhode Island, USA to Cowes, UK. A gate will be included at Lizard Point to preserve the Record course established in 2011 and maintained by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.

1 MANAGEMENT

1.1 The New York Yacht Club Regatta Association, Inc. is the Organizing Authority (OA) for the Transatlantic Race 2019. The Organizing Committee (the “Committee”) for the Race comprises the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS), New York Yacht Club (NYYC), Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and Storm Trysail Club (STC). The OA and Committee will work in concert in planning and conducting the Transatlantic Race 2019.

1.2 The OA will have the authority to interpret the conditions governing the event and assign yachts to divisions, classes and starting dates. The OA also reserves the right to accept or reject the entry of any yacht.

2 RULES

2.1 The Transatlantic Race 2019 will be governed by the following:

2.1.1 The rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) as modified below:

a) The Rules of RRS Part 2 shall not apply between the times of local sunset and sunrise, and shall be replaced with the right-of-way Rules of IRPAS (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea).
b) The jury may impose suitable penalties other than disqualification, including time penalties, for breaches of a rule. This changes RRS 64.1;
c) Outside Help (Communications):
i) RRS 41(c) is replaced by:

A boat shall not receive help from any outside source, except (c) help in the form of information available to all boats, which may include navigational, weather, tide or current information from any source which is available to all boats whether or not by payment of a fee or subscription, but shall not include any information gathered or the subject of interpretation by, or any advice received from, any source not on board the boat and which is specific to the boat and her situation. By way of example and interpretation, downloading charts, weather and/or GRIB files from subscription services, or having such information passed to the boat in its pure form, is permitted, but receiving messages or information which is the result of interpretation as it applies to the boat is not permitted.

ii) A boat may, without infringing RRS 41, request and receive repetition of information broadcast by the Race Committee, or be told whether or not a broadcast has been made.

2.1.2 The prescriptions of US SAILING, except as may be changed by the Sailing Instructions;

2.1.3 The 2019 IRC Rules Parts A, B and C shall apply, except as changed below or in the Sailing Instructions;

2.1.4 The 2018-2019 World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations (OSR), Category 1, including the RORC prescriptions;

2.1.5 This notice of race; and

2.1.6 The sailing instructions.

2.2 When there is a conflict, succeeding rules in the above list shall take precedence. This changes RRS 63.7.

2.3 Rules documents will be posted on the Transatlantic Race 2019 website at www.transatlanticrace.org.

3 ADVERTISING

3.1 A boat and her crew shall comply with ISAF Regulation 20, Advertising Code.

3.2 All yachts shall display bow stickers and a backstay flag, if provided at registration, while racing. Classic yachts are not required to display bow stickers. A breach of this paragraph 3 is protestable only by the Race Committee.

4 ELIGIBILITY & SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Yacht Eligibility

4.1.1 Yachts shall be sailing vessels with inboard auxiliary power.

4.1.2 Yachts shall carry a masthead AIS transponder. See NOR 7.3.

4.1.3 All yachts in the IRC Division shall have a valid 2019 IRC certificate. IRC Racing division yachts shall have an endorsed IRC certificate.

4.1.4 The minimum length LH (LOA) is 40 feet. There is no maximum length.

4.1.5 The Hull Construction Standards of ISAF Offshore Special Regulations 3.03 shall apply to all yachts.

4.2 Stability and Safety Indices

In accordance with OSR 3.04.3, the OA will use minimum stability/buoyancy indices. For yachts racing under IRC, either STIX or SSS indices shall be used depending on the series date of the yacht. Monohull yachts not racing under IRC shall satisfy the OA that they meet the requirements of other stability indices for the race. In exceptional circumstances, the OA may accept other indicators as to the suitability of a yacht for the race.

4.2.1 Yachts with a series date of 1995 and later will be categorized under STIX only.

4.2.2 Yachts with a series date before 1995 may be categorized under either STIX or SSS.

4.2.3 The minimum permitted value is: STIX - 32; SSS - 35.

4.3 Crew Eligibility and Responsibility

4.3.1 The term “Skipper” as used in this Notice of Race means the person, whether or not the owner of the yacht, who is designated on the entry form as “Skipper” and who is the Person in Charge of the yacht during the race. The Skipper is responsible for the yacht, its handling and safety, the conduct of the crew before, during and after the race, and compliance with the notice of race and the sailing instructions.

4.3.2 Skippers must be current members of their Member National Authority (MNA).  

4.3.3 The Transatlantic Race 2019 is not a race for novices. Every crew member should have experience sailing a yacht offshore and be prepared to encounter heavy weather. Competitors, including the Skipper, Navigator and Watch Captains may be required to provide evidence of offshore experience in order for a yacht’s entry to be accepted by the OA.

4.3.4 OSR Section 6 - Training: At least 50% but not fewer than two members of a crew, including the Skipper, shall have hold a current certificate for a World Sailing Approved Offshore Personal Survival Course.

4.3.5 At least 50% of the crew (but not less than two) including the Person in Charge, must have completed a minimum of 250 miles of offshore racing together, within 12 months of the start of the race on the boat that is entered. Crews not meeting the requirements in NOR 4.3.5 may apply in writing to the OA for further review and to request a waiver.

4.3.6 OSR 6.05 – Medical Training: At least two members of the crew shall hold a current Senior First Aid Certificate issued by an organization approved by a World Sailing MNA.

4.4 Yacht Inspections

4.4.1 The OA may conduct inspections of all yachts prior to the race.

4.4.2 The Skipper shall be required to sign an inspection document before and after the race verifying their yacht’s compliance with the rules and safety regulations.

4.4.3 The OA reserves the right to inspect yachts after they finish the race.

4.5 Personal Equipment 4.5.1 In accordance with World Sailing OSR 5.01.1, each crew member shall have a lifejacket meeting the requirements of this rule. Before the race, a crew member should adjust a lifejacket to fit and retain that lifejacket for the duration of the race. Correct adjustment is fundamental to the lifejacket functioning correctly. In addition, RORC prescription to OSR 5.02.5 strongly recommends that before the race, each crew member should adjust a harness to fit them and retain that harness for the duration of the race.

4.5.2 Special attention should be given to the RORC prescriptions to OSR 5.01 Lifejackets. In particular:

5.01.5 A harness and lifejacket shall be worn when on deck (at a minimum under the following conditions):
a) between the hours of sunset and sunrise;
b) when alone on deck;
c) when reefed;
d) when the true wind speed is 25 knots or above;
e) when the visibility is less than one nautical mile.

4.5.3 In addition, the following requirement is added to OSR 5.01.5:
f) when the skipper, owner, or watch captain orders such safety equipment to be worn.

4.5.4 Special attention should be given to the RORC prescriptions to OSR 5.02 Safety Harness and Safety Lines (Tethers). In particular:

5.02.5 b) ISAF OSR 5.02.5(b) is amended to read: A harness shall be fitted with a crotch strap or thigh straps.

4.5.5 At a minimum, personal AIS electronic beacons are required for each crew member. It is strongly recommended that each lifejacket has a PLB unit that is properly registered.

5 ENTRIES AND FEES

5.1 The OA reserves the right to limit the total number of entries accepted to fifty (50) yachts. Entry must be made on the forms provided and returned to the OA no later than Monday, February 28, 2019. The OA may permit an entry after this date with a late fee that is 25% of the entry fee.

5.2 A valid IRC certificate shall be submitted to the OA no later than two weeks prior to the yacht’s scheduled start as stated in NOR 15.

5.3 As a condition of entry, each owner, Skipper and individual participating crew member shall sign a liability waiver/media release and this fully executed Crew Waiver Form shall be submitted to the OA prior to racing

5.4 The entry fee is US$100 per foot LOA rounded down to the nearest whole number up to a maximum entry fee of US$15,000.

5.5 Early Entry - Yachts entering by Wednesday, September 1, 2018, will receive a reduction of US$1,000 off the entry fee.

5.6 Cancellations and Refunds - A yacht cancelling prior to April 15, 2019, will receive a refund of the entry fee minus a US$1,000 administrative charge. A yacht cancelling between April 15, 2019 and May 15, 2019 will receive a refund of 50% of the entry fee. A yacht cancelling between May 16, 2019 and two weeks prior to that yacht’s scheduled start will receive a refund of 25% of the entry fee. There will be no refund for a yacht cancelling within two weeks of her scheduled start.

5.7 The complete social schedule will be posted on the Transatlantic Race website at www.transatlanticrace.org.

6 DIVISION DESCRIPTIONS & SPECIAL ENTRIES

6.1 The following division descriptions will be used as guidelines by the OA to assign yachts to appropriate divisions to ensure even competition. The racing fleet may be divided into seven divisions: IRC Racing, IRC Racer Cruiser, Classics, Cruisers, Super Yachts, Multihull and Open Class. Additional Divisions may be added at the discretion of the OA. The OA may further organize the Divisions into Classes within a Division. Division and Class assignments by the OA are final and are not subject to protest.

6.2 IRC Racing Division for high performance yachts. The only design and construction restrictions in effect for yachts in this division are World Sailing Special Regulations, Category 1. In accordance with IRC rule 22.3.1, any type of variable ballast is permitted.

6.3 IRC Racer Cruiser Division for yachts that show moderate to heavy displacement, moderate draft and moderate sail area to displacement.

6.4 Classic Division yachts shall be defined as a monohull designed and built for recreational purposes in wood or steel or aluminium to a pre-1970 design by traditional build methods. There is no limit on the material used in construction of a Classic yacht’s sails. Classic yachts will be assigned to an IRC Racer Cruiser Class and will be eligible for both Classic Division trophies and IRC Racer Cruiser Division and Class trophies.

6.5 Cruiser Division yachts will be defined as yachts primarily used for cruising whose skipper elects to be placed in the Cruiser Division. Other specifications are described in NOR Addendum A. Yachts that select the Cruiser Division will be assigned to an IRC Racer Cruiser Class and will be eligible for both Cruiser Division trophies and IRC Racer Cruiser Division and Class trophies; however, the specifications of NOR Addendum A shall apply to Cruiser Division yachts.

6.6 Super Yacht Division will be comprised of yachts with a LOA greater than 100 feet who do not choose to enter in one of the other divisions. Super Yachts with a LOA less than 100 feet may be approved by the OA. The Super Yacht class may be scored by a handicap rating other than IRC as determined by the OA.

6.7 Multihull Division will be comprised of Offshore multihulls with Multihull Offshore Cruising and Racing Association (MOCRA) rating certificates, The Multihull class will be scored using MOCRA ratings.

6.8 Open Division - Class yachts and Open yachts may be placed in their own respective classes and may be governed by their class rules or handicap rating other than IRC. In accordance with the Class40 2017 Class Rules, RRS 51, Movable Ballast, is deleted.

6.9 Youth Entry - A yacht with at least 50% of her crew age 25 or younger on the date of that yacht’s start shall be considered a youth entry. A trophy may be awarded to the highest placing youth entry.

6.10 Team Entry - Teams consisting of two yachts, both scored under IRC, may represent a Yacht Club or OA-approved organization and enter to compete for the Team Trophy. There is no limit on the number of teams that may enter from a yacht club or OA-approved organization.

6.11 Yacht Club affiliation - For the purposes of team and individual trophies, each yacht shall declare affiliation with only one yacht club or OA-approved organization.

6.12 Division and class assignments will be posted no later than May 1, 2019. The OA may provide provisional assignments prior to that date.

6.13 A Two-Handed Class within IRC will be available. Boats will be eligible for both Two-Handed and IRC rating band trophies. Automatic or wind-vane steering is permitted. This changes RRS 52. Entries must satisfy the committee that they have suitable and adequate experience and that their boat is appropriately prepared for two- handed sailing.

7 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL DIVISIONS

7.1 All Skippers are advised that they are solely responsible for the structural integrity of their yachts and their ability to undertake a safe transatlantic crossing.

7.2 All yachts shall comply with World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations, Category 1 including the RORC prescriptions. Yachts are subject to inspection by the OA.

7.3 AIS - OSR 3.29.1(n) requires that an Automatic Identification System (AIS) Transponder be provided. The AIS Transponder shall remain on (i.e. transmitting and receiving) while a yacht is racing. The AIS antenna shall be masthead mounted.

7.4 Tracking - Each yacht shall have installed a satellite tracking device as specified and supplied by the OA. The device shall remain on while a yacht is racing.

7.5 VHF Radio and Satellite Telephone - Each yacht shall have aboard a VHF radio including digital selective calling and a satellite telephone. The satellite telephone shall remain on at all times while racing and the phone number(s) shall be provided to the OA prior to the start.

7.6 All yachts may use powered winches to trim sails. RRS 52 shall not apply. See IRC rules 15.2 and 22.3. Powered winches must be declared to the Rating Authority when applying for a rating.

7.7 Crew minimum - The minimum number of crew aboard each yacht shall be four (4), except the crew minimum for the Double Handed Division, the Class 40s and the IMOCA 60s shall be two (2).

7.8 Crew maximum - For IRC yachts, IRC rule 22.4.2 is deleted and replaced by “The maximum number of crew that may sail aboard a boat shall be as detailed below. There is no weight limit.”

IRC Certificate Crew Number Allowed Crew Number Up to 9 Certificate crew number plus 1 10 to 13 Certificate crew number plus 2 14 and over Certificate crew number plus 3

7.9 Extra spinnaker - The US SAILING Prescription to IRC Rule 21.6.1 applies. In accordance with IRC Rules 11 and 21.6.1, a yacht entered in IRC may carry one more spinnaker than shown on her current IRC certificate of area not greater than rated SPA without an increase in rating.

7.10 Spare Mainsail - A spare mainsail may be on board but shall not be used unless the racing mainsail is damaged beyond repair. The use of the spare mainsail must be declared on the Race Declaration.

8 THE START

8.1 The race will start in the vicinity of Castle Hill in Newport, RI.

8.2 The start date is Tuesday, June 25, 2019.

8.3 The first warning signal will be at 1100.

9 THE COURSE

9.1 The Transatlantic Race course will be as follows:

9.2 A gate will be established at the Lizard to preserve the Newport, RI - Lizard Point Record. This will be created in accordance with the terms of the record maintained by the World Sailing Speed Record Council. The record from Newport to the Lizard is approximately 2976 nm and was set by Rambler in 2011 at 6d 22h 08m 02s..

9.3 Nantucket Shoal Limit Mark(s) - If used, one or more virtual limit marks may be definted to keep yachts away from the shoals south of Nantucket Island. The coordinates defining any limit marks restricted area will be provided at the Captians Meeting on Sunday, June 23, 2019.

9.4 Point Charlie - Point Charlie will be established to avoid the Right Whale breeding ground northeast of Cape Cod and will be announced at the Captains' Meeting.

9.5 Point Alpha - Point Alpha will be established to avoid possible iceberg areas and will be announced at the Captains' Meeting. Yachts are not permitted to sail North of Point Alpha’s latitude prior to passing Point Alpha’s longitude.

9.6 The Transatlantic Race course length is approximately 3000nm to Cowes.

10 SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

The Sailing Instructions will be sent to all entrants and will be available on the Transatlantic Race website at www.transatlanticrace.org no later than June 1, 2019.

11 PENALTY SYSTEM

11.1 The Scoring Penalty, RRS 44.3, will apply for a breach of a rule of Part 2, or IRPCAS when they apply, while racing. The penalty will be one hour added on to the yacht’s corrected time.

11.2 A yacht may take a One-Turn Penalty when she may have broken RRS 31.

11.3 At the option of the jury, a yacht in breach of RRS 29 and/or RRS 30 that does not return to start properly will be penalized by having her corrected time increased by two hours. This changes RRS 29.1 and 30.1.

11.4 Decisions of the jury will be final in accordance with RRS 70.5.

11.5 The jury may impose suitable penalties, which may include time penalties, for breaches of a rule. This changes RRS 64.1.

12 BERTHING AND REGISTRATION

12.1 All yachts shall be berthed in the Newport area for at least three days prior to the start unless an exception has been granted by the OA.

12.2 Race Headquarters will be located at the Sailing Center, New York Yacht Club Harbour Court, 5 Halidon Avenue, Newport, RI. See NOR 17 for details.

12.3 Post-race headquarters will be located at the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, UK. Details on post-race requirements and activities will be provided in the Sailing Instructions.

13 LIABILITY & MEDIA WAIVERS

13.1 Specific attention is directed to the following Fundamental Rules, which state:
RRS 1.1 - Helping Those in Danger
A boat or competitor shall give all possible help to any person or vessel in danger.
RRS 4 - Decision to Race
The responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in a race or to continue racing is hers alone.
OSR 1.02 - Responsibility of Person in Charge

1.02.1 The safety of a yacht and her crew is the sole and inescapable responsibility of the Person in Charge who must do his best to ensure that the yacht is fully found, thoroughly seaworthy and manned by an experienced crew who have undergone appropriate training and are physically fit to face bad weather. He must be satisfied as to the soundness of hull, spars, rigging, sails and all gear. He must ensure that all safety equipment is properly maintained and stowed and that the crew know where it is kept and how it is to be used.   1.02.2 Neither the establishment of these Special Regulations, their use by race organizers, nor the inspection of a yacht under these Special Regulations in any way limits or reduces the complete and unlimited responsibility of the person in charge.

13.2 Waiver/Release Form - As a condition of entry, the owner or charterer of an entered yacht and each participating crew member shall submit an online waiver/release form no later than two days prior to that yacht’s start.

13.3 The link to the Waiver/Release Form will be posted at www.transatlanticrace.org no later than June 1, 2019.

14 SCORING

14.1 Scoring will be in accordance with RRS APPENDIX A.

14.2 Time allowances for IRC yachts will be calculated using the yacht’s TCC on a Time On Time (TOT) basis.

14.3 The results for the Team Trophy will be calculated by combining the overall finishing places in the IRC fleet for each boat on the team. The team with the lowest combined corrected time will be declared the winning team with ties being broken as described in RRS A8.1.

15 SCHEDULE

15.1

16 PRIZES

16.1 Class and overall prizes will be awarded at the Awards Ceremony at the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes, UK.

16.2 Prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place yachts in each class.

16.3 Trophies for overall prizes for the Transatlantic Race and the Newport - Lizard Record will be determined by the Awards Committee of the Organizing Authority and published in NOR Addendum B.

16.4 The Transatlantic Race 2019 is a mandatory qualifying race for the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series.

17 FOR MORE INFORMATION

New York Yacht Club
Sailing Office, Harbour Court
5 Halidon Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island 02840-3815
Tel: 401-845-9633 Fax: 401-846-3303
Email: [email protected]

© Copyright New York Yacht Club 2019. All Rights Reserved.

New York Yacht Club; NYYC; Harbour Court, club burgee; certain other logos and marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of the New York Yacht Club in the United States and other countries. All Rights Reserved. Use is prohibited without written permission of the Secretary of the New York Yacht Club.

ADDENDUM A - CRUISER DIVISION SPECIFICATIONS

A1. The following limitations apply to the Cruiser Division:
a. Whisker poles
i. Whisker poles longer than “J” are not permitted for winging out jibs.
ii. Headsails shall not be winged out on the same side as the mainsail.
iii. The whisker pole shall not be used to shift the tack of the spinnaker, nor for sheeting the spinnaker.
iv. A winged-out jib shall not be flown at the same time as the cruising asymmetrical spinnaker.

b. Spinnaker
i. A yacht may carry only one declared asymmetrical cruising spinnaker for use while racing. The tack of this spinnaker shall be attached at the centerline of the yacht. The tack may be at the stem, end of a bowsprit, or the end of a sprit permanently installed at the bow of the yacht for the purpose of tacking down an asymmetrical cruising spinnaker.
ii. The spinnaker must be made of nylon or polyester.
iii. An additional asymmetrical spinnaker meeting the above specifications that is of equal or smaller dimensions may be onboard the boat, but only used in the case of catastrophic failure to the declared spinnaker. In such instance, a full report of the circumstances shall be included in the post-race report to the OA.

c. Headsails
i. Only one headsail may be set on a given forestay at a time.
ii. Luffs of headsails must be fully attached to a forestay.

A2. The following are permitted in the Cruiser Division:
a. Power-driven winches and furlers;
b. Mechanical and electro-mechanical steering devices.
This changes rule RRS 52.

A3. Yachts that select the Cruiser Division will be eligible for both Cruiser Division and IRC class trophies; however, the specifications of this Addendum shall apply.