Welcome to the 2023 2023 Maine State Optimist Championship Information page.

Maine State Optimist Notice Board

Wed,Thu : Aug 2,3

NEWS/NOTICES

Thu Jun 01, 2023 : 14:55

Sailing Instructions - Maine State Optimists 2023

MAINE STATE OPTIMIST CHAMPIONSHIP

August 2-3, 2023

SOUTHPORT JUNIOR YACHT CLUB SAILING FOUNDATION

SOUTHPORT, ME

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

1 RULES

The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in the The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2021-2024, Including US Sailing Prescriptions (“RRS”), except as altered by the Sailing Instructions.
The Class Rules for purposes of the definition of “rules” are the International Optimist Association Class Rules.
Immediate penalties for breaking RRS 42 (Propulsion) and Appendix P will

2 ENTRIES

Boats that have completed registration are eligible to

3 SAFETY

A Coast Guard-approved PFD (or foreign government approved PFD) must be worn and fully secured at all times while afloat, except for brief periods while adding or removing Whistles must be attached with lanyard to the PFD. This changes RRS 40.1.
A boat retiring from a race shall notify the Race Committee as soon as practical. A boat leaving the course before the end of racing shall notify the Race Committee. A competitor’s coach may provide this notification via VHF radio. A retiring boat that returns to shore must notify the Regatta Personnel immediately after arrival.

4 COMPETITOR ARRIVAL AT SAILING AREA

Each coach is responsible for ensuring that the competitors from his/her club have arrived at the Race If a competitor is absent from the Race Area at any time, his or her coach is responsible for informing the Race Committee Signal Boat of the status of the competitor.

5 NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

Notices to competitors will be posted on the Official Notice Board(s) located on the regatta website on Regattaman. On the day of the regatta, notices will be posted on the Official Notice Board at Southport Yacht Club (SYC).

6 CHANGES IN SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Any change to the SIs will be posted before 9:00AM on the day of the Regatta.

7 SIGNALS MADE ASHORE

Signals made ashore will be displayed on the flagstaff at the head of the SYC main float gangway.
Flag AP with two horn signals means “The race or Harbor Start is postponed. The initial Warning Signal will be made not less than thirty (30) minutes after Flag AP is lowered.” When Flag AP is lowered one horn signal will be made. This use of Flag AP only applies to signals made

8 SPECIAL SIGNALS

Code Flag A (White and Blue vertical stripes) displayed with no sound while boats are finishing means "no more racing today” CLASS FLAGS
- For the Championship Fleet the Signal Boat shall display a white flag with the letters OD on For the Green Fleet the Signal Boat shall display a green flag.

10 RACING AREA

The racing area for the Championship Fleet will be announced at the Skippers’ Meeting but is expected to be in the Sheepscot River between government navigation marks “N 6” and “Gong 4 CL”.
The racing area for the Green Fleet will be announced at the Skippers’ Meeting but is expected to be just outside Cozy Harbor, between Cedarbush and David’s Islands and to the south of the Hendricks Head

11 THE COURSE

The diagram(s), the order of rounding, and the side on which each mark is to be rounded or passed will be provided at the Skippers’
For the Championship Fleet the identifying letter of the course will be displayed from the Race Committee Signal Boat.
For the Green Fleet the course for each race will be verbally given to each competitor from the Green Fleet Race Committee Signal

12 MARKS

Marks of the course for the Championship Fleet will be identified along with the course descriptions provided at the Skippers’ Meeting. Marks of the course will be colored inflatable marks or government marks. If government marks are to be utilized as racing marks the Race Committee signal boat will announce which government marks are being The starting and finishing marks will be colored inflatable marks except that the port end of the starting line may be an anchored boat with an orange flag displayed.
Marks of the course for the Green Fleet will be smiling pink hippity-hop balls.

13 THE START

Races will be started in accordance with RRS 26 for the Optimist Championship Fleet. At the discretion of the Race Committee, the Race Committee may give verbal time sequencing in addition to the RRS 26 signal sounds, but shall not be required The Optimist Green Fleet will utilize a dinghy 3-minute starting sequence in accordance with Appendix U.
The starting line will be between: (1) the staff from which an orange flag is displayed on the Race Committee Signal Boat at the starboard end of the line (looking upwind) and the staff from which an orange flag is displayed on an anchored boat at the port-end; or, (2) the staff from which an orange flag is displayed on the Race Committee Signal Boat at the starboard end

of the line (looking upwind) and the course side of the port-end starting mark.

In the one minute before the start, the race committee may notify competitors if they are on the course side of the starting line.
A boat shall not start later than five (5) minutes after her starting A boat starting later than five (5) minutes after her starting signal shall be scored Did Not Start (DNS) without a hearing. This changes RRS 63.1, A4.1 and A5.

14 RECALLS

The Race Committee intends to attempt to hail OCS boats after the starting The failure to make or receive such communication shall not be grounds for redress. and no other notification to any boat shall be required. This changes RRS 41 and 62.1 (a).

15 THE FINISH

The finishing line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag or shape on the Race Committee boat and the finishing mark as identified in the course description provided at the Skippers’ Meeting. a yellow inflatable mark.

16 TIME LIMIT

The time limit will be 90 minutes for all Boats failing to finish within 20 minutes after the first boat finishes or within the time limit, whichever is later, will be scored Did Not Finish (DNF) without a hearing. This changes RRS 35. 63.1, A4.1, and A5.

17 PROTESTS

An addition to RRS 61 is: A competitor shall inform the Race Committee finish boat of its intention to protest, including sail number of the protested boat, immediately after finishing.
Protests shall be in writing on forms available at the Judges Table a table under the tent near the SYC senior clubhouse and delivered to the Protest Committee within 30 minutes of the Race Committee Signal Boat’s docking. Completed protests forms shall be delivered to the Protest Committee at the junior club house and shall be marked as to the time of submission upon filing.
Protests will be heard as soon as practicable in an order to be determined by the Protest Committee.

Protest notices will be posted within 30 minutes of the protest time limit to inform competitors where and when there is a hearing in which they are parties to a hearing or named as witnesses. This posting shall constitute the notification required by RRS 63.2. and RRS 61.1(b). Unless otherwise noted, protest hearings will be held on the second floor of the SYC senior clubhouse.
Infringements of SIs 3 and 22 are not protestable by another This changes RRS 60.1(a).
The penalty, if any, for an infringement of a rule other than a rule of Part 2 or RRS 31 will be at the discretion of the Protest Committee and may be less than disqualification. This changes RRS 64.2.
Competitors in the Green Fleet are encouraged to do penalty turns if they commit However, formal protest hearings will not occur for the Green Fleet. If time and resources allow “mock” protest hearings may occur for Green Fleet competitors.
All competitors and support persons are expected to comply with RRS 69 – Misconduct. maintain the highest level of conduct throughout the entire event. When the Protest Committee, from its own observation or a report received from any source believes that a competitor may have committed a breach of a rule, good manners or sportsmanship, or may have brought the sport into disrepute, it may call a hearing. After a proper hearing the penalty may range from a reprimand to dismissal from the regatta and additional action may be taken under RRS 69.

18 PENALTIES

Rule 44.3 “In-Race Scoring Penalties” does not apply. After a race, a boat that may have broken a rule of RRS Part 2 or RRS 31 while racing may take a Post-Race Penalty for that The penalty shall be a Scoring Penalty, calculated as stated in RRS 44.3(c). However, RRS 44.1(a) and (b) apply. A boat takes a Post-Race Penalty by informing the race committee in writing and identifying the race number and when and where the incident occurred. RRS 44.3 (a) and (b) are changed so that a competitor does not have to display a yellow flag in order to take a scoring penalty.
Rules 44.1 and 44.2 (One and Two Turn Penalties) do apply.
After a race, a boat that may have broken one or more rules of Part 2 or RRS 31 may take a post-race scoring penalty for that incident in accordance with Appendix Rule V2.
Appendix V1 does not apply.
The Post-Race Penalty shall be
- 20%, if taken before the protest time limit, or
- 30%, if taken after the protest time limit but before the beginning of a protest committee hearing involving the incident.

NOTE: Because we are using the post-race scoring penalty in Appendix V2, let the sailor discuss any concerns with their coach rather than creating a formal arbitration process. As Ken observed, the arbitration process requires a knowledgeable person who is not a part of the Protest Committee. Geoff and Anne recommend eliminating #19 altogether. However, if others feel strongly that arbitration is needed, let’s simply invoke Appendix T in the SI’s and not paraphrase it.

19 PROTEST ARBITRATION

When 20 - PROTEST ARBITRATION applies, a boat may take the applicable Post-Race Penalty in 19 – PENALTIES TAKEN AFTER A RACE without participating in an arbitration meeting.

An arbitration meeting will be held prior to a protest hearing for each incident resulting in a protest by a boat involving a rule of RRS Part 2 or RRS 31, but only if each party is represented by a person who was on board at the time of the No witnesses will be permitted. However, if the arbitrator decides that RRS 44.1(b) may apply or that arbitration is not appropriate, the meeting will not be held, and if a meeting is in progress, it will be closed.
Based on the evidence given by the representatives, the arbitrator will offer an opinion as to what the protest committee is likely to decide:

the protest is invalid,
no boat will be penalized for breaking a rule, or
one or more boats will be penalized for breaking a rule, identifying the boats and the penalties.
- After the arbitrator has given his or her opinion as to what the protest committee is likely to decide, a boat that may have broken a rule may take a Post-Race Penalty as provided in 19 – PENALTIES TAKEN AFTER A RACE. However, the penalty in 2(a) is available only until the protest time limit or until the beginning of the arbitration meeting, whichever is earlier. Otherwise, the penalty in 19.2 (b) may be taken. During an arbitration meeting, a boat may take a penalty by acknowledging her acceptance of the penalty in writing.

If a boat asks to withdraw her protest, the arbitrator may act on behalf of the protest committee in accordance with RRS 63.1 to accept the withdrawal.

20 SCORING

The Low-Point Scoring System of Appendix A shall apply for the Championship A maximum of 10 races are scheduled, of which 1 race shall be completed to constitute a series. If 5 or more races are sailed, a boat’s worst score shall be discarded. This changes RRS A2.
Consistent with the USODA Conditions for Sanctioned Regattas and Championships, section 18, the Green Fleet will not be
Overall Championship Fleet scores shall be used to determine red, blue, and white fleet awards.

21 SUPPORT BOATS

Except as noted in 21.2, team leaders, coaches and other support personnel shall not be in the racing area from the time of the preparatory signal for the first class to start until all boats have finished or the Race Committee signals a postponement, general recall or abandonment. The penalty for failing Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification or other alternative penalty at the discretion of the Race Committee protesting all boats associated with the support personnel who do The penalty may be disqualification or other alternative penalty.

Optimist Green Fleet: Coaching is encouraged during the starting sequence, around marks, and for staying generally “on course.” Green Fleet support boats must identify themselves to the Race Committee and be careful not to interfere with any racing boats. Safety is paramount.

Coaches must wear fully secured PFDs while on the water. Other support people – Race Committee, mark and safety boat operators, parents, – are strongly encouraged to wear fully secured PFDs while on the water.

All coach boats and other support boats/support personnel must agree to aid any competitor in distress or requesting assistance of any sort.

22 Equipment

Competitors are allowed to use only one hull, dagger board, rudder (with tiller and extension), mast, boom, sprit and sail during the Regatta. Substitution of such equipment due to damage shall occur only with the Race Committee’s approval.

23 RRS 55 – Trash

Competitors are reminded of RRS 55, which states that competitors “shall not intentionally put trash in the water.”

Thu Jun 01, 2023 : 14:52

NOR - Maine State Optimists 2023

2023 MAINE STATE

OPTIMIST CHAMPIONSHIP

August 2-3, 2023

Southport Junior Yacht Club Sailing Foundation

Cozy Harbor Road

Southport, ME 04576

NOTICE OF RACE

Date and Venue
- The 2023 Maine State Optimist Championship will be held on Monday, August 2-3 at the Southport Yacht Club, 38 Cozy Harbor Road, Southport, ME 04576.

Organization and Rules
- The Organizing Authority is the Southport Junior Yacht Club Sailing Foundation (“SJYCSF”). The Regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing (2021-2024),and the "USODA Conditions for Sanctioned Regattas and Championships," which can be found at usoda.org/.
- The Class Rules for purposes of the definition of "rules" are the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) Class Rules.
- Immediate Penalties for Breaking Rule 42 and Appendix P will apply.

Eligibility, Fleet, and Fleet Divisions
- The Regatta is open to all boats of the Optimist Class.
- All competitors/boats:
Are required to be affiliated with a member organization of the Northeast Sailing Association.
Shall not reach their sixteenth (16th) birthday in the current calendar year.
Shall display a proper sail number in accordance with IODA Class Rules.

Championship Fleet Divisions (age groupings) – Competitors in the Championship Fleet will be divided into three groups for scoring according to their ages as of August 2, 2023. Competitor age groups are:

White fleet - 10 years old or younger.
Blue fleet - 11 or 12 years old.
Red fleet - 13 years old or older and shall not reach their 16th birthday in the current calendar year.

Green Fleet – This is a special fleet for beginners. Green fleeters can be any age up to 15. The purpose of the Green Fleet is to encourage novice sailors.
There will be a limit of 65 competitors for the regatta. This limitation may be expanded at the discretion of the Regatta Chair.
The organizing authorities may, at their discretion, require satisfactory proof of age and affiliation with a member organization of the Northeast Sailing Association.

Registration

Competitors must have completed all parts of the registration form and submitted it with all fees to: https://www.regattaman.com/jr_reg1.php?sku=r-1040-2022-0-0-0

The entry fee is $80.00 per competitor. REGISTRATIONS CLOSE ON FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2023 at 6:00 pm. On-site registration will not be permitted. Entry fees are NON-REFUNDABLE.
The entry fee includes an event t-shirt and after race refreshments. A Barbeque Dinner at the Southport Yacht Club will be held for competitors and families $20 per person. Competitors should bring their own water bottles and lunches to take with them while sailing. Water bottle filling stations will be available.
Each competitor shall confirm that he/she is registered on the Regatta website (section 4.1). If a competitor is not listed as registered on the Regatta website then the competitor is not registered and policy in paragraph 4.2 applies.

Travel Logistics.
- Optimist boat storage –We are sorry, but we cannot provide Opti storage on the SYC docks. All clubs other than SYC will store/rig/derig their boats at the beginning and end of the day on the grass areas surrounding the SYC Clubhouse. All clubs should therefore plan on bringing a sufficient number of dollies to launch their boats. The launching of Optimists will not be allowed until the Harbor Start horn has sounded.
- On-site parking at SYC is limited. Each club will be issued one parking pass. Additional cars can be parked at the Southport Central School which is a 5 to 10 minute walk from the SYC. Car-pooling is encouraged. There is no street parking on Cozy Harbor Road, the road on which the SYC is located.
- Trailer storage – Trailers cannot be stored at the SYC. Trailers can be stored for free at Southport Central School.
- Support, Coach, Parent, Spectator boats
  - Coach, parent or other support boats may be launched at the SYC on Tuesday afternoon and evening, August 1. On Wednesday and Thursday mornings there will be No coach, parent or other support boat launching at the SYC until all Opti’s are launched.
  - The SYC has limited dock space. The SYC will find Sunday overnight dock tie up space for a maximum of two coach boats per club in Cozy Harbor. Such overnight dock tie up space is expected to be on private docks in Cozy Harbor. Due to a lack of moorings and limited dock space, other coach/support/parent/spectator boats cannot be stored in Cozy Harbor overnight. Moorings and dock space outside of Cozy Harbor can be found at:
    - Ebenecook Harbor, Southport – Hodgdon Yacht Services, (207) 633-2970
    - Boothbay Harbor – Various marinas
    - Five Islands (other side of Sheepscot River) – Sheepscot Bay Boat Co., (207) 371-2442
    - Georgetown Island (other side of Sheepscot River) – Robinhood Marine Center (207) 371-2343
  - Limited space on SYC/SJYCSF spectator boats for viewing the Championship Fleet is available. If interested, contact Will Keller at wekeller@gmail.com, first-come first-served. It is expected that Green fleet races will be viewable from the Hendricks Head public beach on Southport.
  - All coaches must complete check-in by 9:00 AM Wednesday, August 2, 2023.
  - All coach, parent, spectator or other support boats will be expected to participate in the provisions of safety for the event. All such boats must stay outside the course area at all times. The exception is that coach boats are allowed in the back half of the Green Fleet.

Schedule

Tuesday, August 1 2:00 – 6:00 PM Check-in, Opti Unloading, Coach

and Parent Spectator Boat

Launching at the SYC.

High Tide - 11:19am Boat launching recommended before

Low Tide - 5:11 pm 3:00 pm

We encourage all who are able to deliver Opti’s and launch coach boats on Sunday!

Wednesday, August 2 7:00 – 8:30 AM Opti Unloading, but NO Coach Boat

or Parent Spectator boat

launching at the SYC

8:00 – 9:00 AM Registration Check-in

9:15 AM Coaches Meeting

9:30 AM Skippers’ meeting

9:45 AM Harbor Start for Championship Fleet

11:00 AM Approximate time of first warning gun for the day

11:15 AM After all Opti’s have been launched, late coach and parent spectator boat launching at SYC is allowed. No trailer storage at SYC. Bring trailers to Southport Central School.

Lunch on the water

3:30 PM No warning signal after this time

4:45 PM Barbeque at SYC

Thursday, August 3 9:15 AM Coaches Meeting