Principal Day 2026
​​​​​​​Sailing Instructions

Name of Regatta: Principal Day

Organising Authority: Macandrew Bay Boating Club

Date: 1 February 2026

1. Rules

1.1 The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing

1.2 The Yachting New Zealand Safety Regulations Part 1 will apply

2. Entries

2.1 Entries will be made on the official entry form, accompanied by the Entry Fee.

2.2 Entry fee is $10.00 for double-handers and trailer yachts, and $5.00 for single-handers.

3. Green fleet

3.1 A Green fleet will be established if entries warrant it, with a short course set close to the clubhouse.

3.2 Course description and starting sequence will be decided by the Race Officer in accordance with conditions, number of entries, and skill level of sailors.

3.3 The remainder of these sailing instructions do not apply to the Green fleet.

4. Schedule of Race and Class Flags

4.1 There will be up to five races.

4.2 Races will be held “back-to-back”, with the 1st Warning Signal for Race 2 in a division sounding no less than four minutes after the last boat finishes sailing the course in Race 1 for that division; with the same applying for races 3 and 4.

4.3 Where the races for multiple divisions are completed at a similar time, the order of start for Race 2 and subsequent races will be as shown in 4.5.

4.4 If your class warning flag is not flying, you must keep clear of the starting area.

4.5 Races will be started in the order as shown below:

5. Racing Areas

5.1 Racing areas for all divisions will be in the waters of Macandrew Bay.

5.2 All races will start from the Committee Boat and finish off the clubhouse.

6. The Start

6.1 All races will be started in accordance with Rule 26

6.2 The warning signal for each succeeding division will be made with the starting signal of the preceding division 

6.3 A boat starting later than 4 minutes after her starting signal  will be scored Did Not Start. This changes Rule A4 and Rule A5.

7. Course

7.1 In principle, the course will be in accordance with the diagram in Attachment A; however, the Race Officer may elect to set a different course if weather, tide, and fleet conditions dictate.

7.2 In the case that the Race Officer elects to set a different course from that shown in Attachment A, the alternative course will be displayed on the whiteboard upstairs in the Macandrew Bay clubrooms.

8. Marks

8.1 The Committee Boat will be Macandrew Bay Boating Club’s Rescue 1.

8.2 The Start line will extend from a staff on the port side of the Committee Boat.

8.3 The “Pin” mark for the Start line (mark S) will be an orange triangular buoy

8.4 The Finish line will extend from the flag pole on the Macandrew Bay Boating Club clubhouse to the nearest green channel marker pole to the clubhouse.

8.5 Mark 1 (top mark for centreboard A and trailer yachts) will be an orange triangular buoy

8.6 Mark A (top mark for centreboard B) will be a green spherical buoy

8.7 The leeward gate (marks R and L) will be orange spherical buoys

8.8 Mark 2 will be an orange triangular buoy

9. Time limits

9.1 If no boat in its division has passed Mark 1 within 10 minutes after starting, that race will be abandoned.

9.2 The race time limit for all races will be 10 minutes after the first boat to finish.

9.3 The target time for each race is between 25 and 40 minutes. Failure to meet the target time will not be grounds for redress. This changes rule 62.1 (a)

9.4 For all courses, boats failing to finish within 10 minutes after the first boat in their division sails the course and finishes will be scored Did Not Finish without a hearing; this changes rules 35, A4 and AS.

10. Changes in sailing instructions

10.1 Any change to the Sailing Instructions will be posted no later than 45 minutes before the start of the race.

11. Signals made ashore

11.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed on the club flagpole.

11.2 When flag AP is displayed either ashore or on the Committee Boat, "1 minute" is replaced with "not less than 15 minutes".

11.3 When a flag signal is displayed over a Division flag (or flags), it applies only to that Division (or Divisions)

12. Change of position of the next mark

12.1 To change the position of the next mark, the Race Committee will move the original mark (or the finishing line) to a new position. 12.2 The change will be signalled before the leading boat has begun the leg, although the mark may not yet be in the new position. Any mark to be rounded after rounding the moved mark may be relocated without further signalling, to maintain the course configuration.

12.3 If the direction to the next mark is altered to port, a red flag or shape will be displayed.

12.4 If the direction to the next mark is altered to starboard, a green flag or shape will be displayed. This changes Rule 33.

13. The Finish

13.1 The finishing line will be between the flag-pole on the Macandrew Bay Boating Club race office and the green channel marker pole indicated in the diagram in Attachment A.

14. Penalties for breaking rules of Part 2

14.1 For Multihulls, Rule 44.2 is changed so that the Two-Turns penalty is replaced by a 360 degree turn.

14.2 For foiling boats, RRS 44.1 and RRS P2.1 are changed so that the Two-Turns penalty is replaced by a 270 degree turn, with a gybe required if on an upwind leg, or a tack required if on a downwind leg.

15. Protests and requests for redress

15.1 Immediately after finishing a boat intending to protest will, in addition to the requirements of Rule 61.l(a), inform the Race Committee boat at the finishing line of her intention to protest and the identity of the boat(s) protested against. The protesting boat must receive acknowledgement from the Race Committee. This changes Rule 44.1.

15.2 Protests forms are available at the Race Office. Protests and Requests for Redress will be delivered there within the Protest Time Limit.

15.3 The Protest Time Limit is 60 minutes after either the last boat in the protesting boat's Division has finished the last race of the day, or abandonment of racing for the day. The same time limit applies to all protests by the Race Committee, and to Requests for Redress. This changes Rule 61.3 and Rule 62.2.

15.4 Notices will be posted within 15 minutes of the Protest Time Limit to inform competitors of hearings in which they are parties or are named as witnesses. Hearings will be held at the place specified in such Notice.

15.5 Protests will be heard approximately in the order of receipt as soon as practicable.

15.6 Breaches of Instructions 5.2, 6.8, 18, 20 and 21 will not be grounds for protest by a boat. This changes Rule 60.l(a). Penalties for such breaches may be less than disqualification if the Protest Committee so decides.

16. Scoring

16.1 One (1) race is required to be completed to constitute a series.

16.2 When more than 1 race has been completed, a boat's series score will be the total of her race scores.

17. Safety rules

17.1 A boat which retires from a race will notify the Race Committee as soon as practicable.

18. Radio communication

18.1 While racing, a boat will not transmit or receive radio communications which might give advantage unless such communications are available to all boats.

19. Support boats

19.1 Except when participating in rescue operations, Team Leaders, coaches, parents and other supporting personnel will stay outside areas where boats are racing from the time of the preparatory signal until all boats have finished or retired or the race committee signals a postponement, general recall or abandonment.

19.2 The areas the boats are racing is defined as the area inside the course and within 50 metres of any mark, layline, starting line, finishing line or any area where any boat that is racing is sailing or may sail.

20. Haul-out restrictions

20.1 All yachts that launch from the ramp at Macandrew Bay are expected to retrieve from the same ramp. If this should vary then the yacht concerned must notify the Race Committee of her intention to do so.

21. Prizes

21.1 Prizes will be awarded as appropriate.

22. Disclaimer

22.1 Competitors participate in this event entirely at their own risk. Attention is drawn to Rule 4, Decision to Race.

22.2 The Organising Authority accepts no liability for any personal injury or death, nor for any material or other damage of any sort sustained in connection with this event.

Attachment A to the Sailing Instructions

Course

A-1     The Race Officer will set the course in the area designated for the race and the rounding marks will be taken on the port side, with the sole exception of mark R of the leeward “gate”, which will be taken on the starboard side.

A-2     In the event of extreme conditions or other circumstances making the specified areas or courses unsuitable, the Race Officer may set alternative areas or courses and will give appropriate notice thereof.

A-3     The course will be substantially as shown below:

A-4        In principle, from the Start line, the course will consist of a windward-leeward with a “gate” at the leeward end, and an extra leeward mark to be rounded before a reach to the finish line set from the clubhouse.

A-5        An inner top mark (A) will be set for boats sailing in the Centreboard B division, to provide a shorter course.

A-6        The “gate” at the leeward end of the windward-leeward will be signified by mark R and mark L. Boats may elect to round either mark R or mark L  when passing through the gate, but they MUST pass through the gate.
(That is, in the case of rounding mark R, the mark will be taken to Starboard; and in the case of rounding mark L, the mark will be taken to Port.)

A-6        All divisions will sail the same basic course, with faster divisions sailing to mark 1 as their top mark and slower divisions sailing to mark A as their top mark, as follows:

A-7        In the case of Course 1, the numerical pennant 1 will be flown from the committee boat during the start sequence, and in the case of Course 2, the numerical pennant 2 will be flown from the committee boat during the start sequence.