2021 LPYC Saturday Fun Race Series
The goal of this series is to provide a fun way to get sailors out on the water to enjoy sailing their boats. Although it is called a race, emphasis is on fun and participation and not on strict racing. As discussed below, boat ratings will be adjusted from race to race to compensate for each individual boat and captain. The goal of the race is to have a staggered start so that each boat crosses the finish line at about the same time.
Race Course
The series will be set up with an approximate four mile course so that all boats should be able to finish in two hours or less in normal wind conditions. The starting line will be an imaginary line between the white covered boathouse on the north shore and the red roof boat house on the south shore near the entrance to Saline Bay at approximately 32° 08.313’ N, 95° 26.962’ W. Here are photos of the two boat houses that comprise the start/finish line:
We will sail approximately two miles south toward Eagles Bluff to south of the Eagles Bluff boathouses and the point where the road collapsed several years ago to 32° 06.433’ N, 95° 26.750 W for those with GPS. At the turning point there will be a large orange or yellow turning mark. The mark will be set near the southern most copper top boathouse on the eastern shore. ROUND THE TURNING MARK TO PORT AND SAIL BACK UP TO THE STARTING LINE TO FINISH THE RACE. Here is a photo of the two copper top boathouses on the eastern shore:
A diagram of the approximate race course follows:
The Rules
1) NO LUFFING is allowed. Luffing shall be defined as changing course to windward after another has approached within two boat lengths from any direction.
2) A boat passing to windward or leeward must MAINTAIN AT LEAST TWO BOAT LENGTHS TO EITHER SIDE until no overlap exists.
3) Use of Autopilots is allowed.
4) HAVE FUN!
Disclaimer of Liability
Sailing is an activity that has an inherent risk of damage and injury. Competitors in this event are participating entirely at their own risk. See RRS 4, Decision to Race. The Lake Palestine Yacht Club, its officers and directors, and the race coordinator will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after each race in the series. By participating in this race series, each competitor agrees to release the race organizers from any and all liability associated with such competitor’s participation in the race series to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Start Times and PHRF Ratings
THERE ARE TEN RACES IN THIS YEARS SERIES, each scheduled to start near 2:00 PM (actual individual start times are listed on the spreadsheet as discussed above), on:
April 10th, April 17th
May 8th, May 22nd
June 5th and June 19th
September 11th and September 25th
October 9th and October 16th.
PHRF ratings will be used for the initial start times for this Series. These will be adjusted with each race to reflect the performance of each individual boat and captain. The goal is to RATE EACH BOAT SO THAT EVERYONE CROSSES THE FINISH LINE AT THE SAME TIME. Regardless of performance, we will restrict starting times so that no boat will start earlier than about 1:33 PM, which reflects a PHRF of 600.
THE START TIMES AND RATINGS FOR BOATS are posted on the website and will be updated after each race.
Cancellation of Races
A minimum of three boats participating is required for a race to go forward. Jim Stevenson will send out an email reminder for each race approximately one week ahead of each scheduled race. Those that plan on participating should REPLY ALL that they plan to race so that other potential participants know how many boats plan to race. If fewer than three boats respond via email that they plan to race, the race will be cancelled. Consequently, it is very important to REPLY ALL if you plan to race.
In addition, weather conditions will impact whether a race will be held. If the National Weather Service issues lake wind warnings (See weather.com for wind forecasts for the Bullard, Texas area) for any time period during the window of 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM on race day, or if winds are predicted to be lower than 3 mph for any time period during the same window, the race will be cancelled.
Points/Scoring/Series Awards
If six boats race, then the first place boat will be awarded six points, the second place boat five points, etc. However, the minimum points awarded to a first place boat will be three points, minimum points to second place boat is two points, minimum points to a third place boat is one point. PARTICIPATION = POINTS!
EMAIL JIM STEVENSON (
VHF Monitoring
We will be monitoring VHF channel 72 during the race in the event there are problems or questions.
Prizes
We have a travelling trophy consisting of an LYPC Burgee with the “Race Series Champion” printed on it that the winner can proudly fly for the next racing season.
Jim Stevenson