Clifden Boat Club 4 th to 7 th July 2007
• ORGANISING AUTHORITY
• The organising authorities for the West Coast Championships 2007 are the West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association and Clifden Boat Club.
• All entries and enquiries should be addressed to Paul Ryan, Unit 5&6 Clifden Business Park, Galway Road, Clifden, Co. Galway .
Tel: (086) 293 18 19 E-mail: wiora@clifdenboatclub.com
Website: www.clifdenboatclub.com www.wiora.org
• The West Coast Championships 2007 will be run from Wednesday 04 th July to Saturday 07 th July 2007 inclusive.
1.4 Participants shall become honorary members of Clifden Boat Club for the duration of the event.
• RULES AND HANDICAP SYSTEMS
2.1 The Championship will be governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), the prescriptions of the Irish Sailing Association (ISA), the IR2000 (IRC) rating rule, the ECHO ISA Performance Handicap System, the ISAF / ORC Safety Regulations Category 4, Class Association Rules where applicable, this Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions and any amendments thereto. Sports boats & One-Designs shall comply with the ISAF Special Regulations Governing Offshore Racing for Category 5 races.
2.2 Competitors shall comply with the ISAF Advertising code Category C. The West Coast Championships Organizing Committee reserves the right to refuse entry to the Championship if in its opinion there is a conflict between a competitor's sponsor and the event sponsors.
2.3 ECHO handicaps may be revised during the Championships by the handicapping authority for the event. The act of handicap adjustment or failure to adjust will not be grounds for protest.
2.4 Revised ECHO handicaps will be published prior to their implementation.
2.5 Crew Limitation in, Class 1 and Class 2 shall be as per IRC Certificate plus 1.
2.6 Crew Limitation in Class 3 shall be as per IRC Certificate .
3. ELIGIBILITY AND CLASS BANDS
3.1 Class racing is open to all Cruisers, Racer/Cruisers, Cruiser/Racers and Sports / Day boats. Eligible boats are those in the Classes, which comply with the relevant handicapping systems.
3.2 Likely Class Bands will be as follows:
Class 1 .979 and above Numeral pennant No.1
Class 2 ..905 to 979 Numeral pennant No 2
Class 3 ..below to 904 Numeral pennant No.3
White Sail Fleet Numeral pennant No. 4
3.3 The West Coast Championships Organizing Committee may, in their absolute discretion, assign a yacht to any Class.
4. ENTRY
4.1 Entries are accepted at the sole discretion of the West Coast Championships Organizing Committee.
4.2 Entrants shall:
• Comply with ISA or other national authority eligibility requirements.
• Submit a copy of their current Echo and / or IRC Certificate on or before 04th July 2007 . No alteration in a yacht's TCC will be permitted after this date, except as a result of a rating protest, or to correct rating office errors.
• Complete and return a valid Entry Form accompanied by the appropriate Entry Fee.
4.3 The Entry Fee shall be: 30' LOA and Over €120
29' LOA and Under €100
4.4 Clifden Boat Club and the West Coast Championships Organizing Committee reserve the absolute right to refuse any entry, boat, or its crew, or to ask any entrant to complete further undertakings or declarations.
4.4 THE CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES IS 11.00hrs Wednesday 04 th July 2007 .
5. LATE ENTRIES AND REFUNDS
5.1 Entries received after 17.00hrs on Monday 4 th June 2007 will be accepted by the West Coast Championships Organizing Committee and will be subject to an additional payment of 75.00 Euro and the appropriate entry fee.
5.2 Refunds or partial refunds may be made at the sole discretion of the West Coast Championships Organizing Committee.
6. REGISTRATION
6.1 All entrants shall register with the Race Office at Clifden Boat Club upon arrival, in any case not later than 11.00 hrs on Wednesday 04 th July 2007 .
6.2 The Racing Office at Clifden Boat Club shall be open for registration from 1800hrs to 2130hrs on the 03 rd July 2007 and from 0830hrs on the 04 th July 2007 .
• CLASSES
7.1 Yachts will be divided into the following Classes: Class 1 / Class 2 / Class 3 and White Sails.
7.2 Sports / Day Boats may have a separate class or sail within a class at discretion of the West Coast Championships Organizing Committee.
• SOCIAL
8.1 Entertainment will be provided after racing each day.
• PROGRAMME OF RACES AND RACING AREA
• Races will be sailed on Clifden Bay and surrounding waters.
9.2 It is intended to have racing for all Classes on each day.
9.3 It is intended to organise a total of six races for all Classes with a variety of Windward / Leeward, Round the Cans and a Coastal race.
9.4 The Race Committee reserves the right to amend the schedule of races depending on prevailing conditions.
9.5 Published start times will be between 10.00hrs and 13.00hrs.
9.6 On the days with two races the second race will start as soon as practical after completion of the previous race.
• SCORING SYSTEM AND DISCARDS
• The Low Points scoring system of Appendix A will apply, with modifications.
• Three races are required to be completed to constitute a championship.
10.3 There will be one discard if SIX RACES are completed.
10.4 Results will be given under ECHO and IRC systems where appropriate.
• PRIZES
11.1 Prizes will be awarded in each Class and will consist of daily prizes and overall prizes and trophies.
• SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
12.1 Sailing Instructions will be available to each entrant in late June 2007 and will be posted on the website www.wiora.org and www.clifdenboatclub.com when available.
13. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
13.1 Competitors participate in the championships entirely at their own risk. The West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association, Clifden Boat Club, their members, their officers, servants, sponsors, representatives and agents accept no responsibility in respect of loss of life, personal injury or loss of or damage to property sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during or after the championships.
13.2 It is the sole and exclusive responsibility of each owner or owner's representative to decide whether or not to start or continue to race. Owners shall acknowledge their responsibility on the Official Entry Form and draw attention of their crew and associates to this disclaimer.
13.3 Boat owners and crew shall ensure that they are adequately insured against loss, damage or injury to persons, boats or equipment at all times and however occurring.
• SPONSORSHIP
14.1 The West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association and Clifden Boat Club are very pleased to welcome our sponsors at this year's event.