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1).
PURPOSE
a)
The
purpose of competing for the Mrs. Charles Francis Adams Trophy is to
determine the U.S. Women’s Sailing Championship Team. Teams competing at the
national U.S. Women’s Championship represent the US SAILING Areas.
b)
Throughout this document, the word “club” is defined to include any yacht
club, sailing club, community sailing program or other sailing organization
that is an organizational member of a Regional Sailing Association (RSA) or
US SAILING.
2)
ELIGIBILITY
a)
Each
member of a team shall:
i)
be a female; and
ii)
be age 18 or over in the calendar year of the event, except for one
crew member (not skipper) may be age 15 or older in the calendar year of the
event; and
iii)
be a member of a club; and
iv)
belong to a club within the same US SAILING area as the skipper; and
v)
reside in or regularly compete in the same US SAILING area where the
Club is geographically located; and
vi)
be an individual member of US SAILING.
3)
SELECTION PROCESS
a)
The
selection process to determine the teams competing in the U.S. Women’s
Championship will preferably be by sailing a series of elimination ladder
events potentially starting at the Club level moving to the RSA level, the
Area level and then to the national Championship. When holding elimination
events at any of these levels is infeasible,
Areas may accept resumes from possible competitors in addition to
qualifiers, to have a full compliment of competitors at the semis for that
Area.
b)
The
number of entries at the RSA or Area level may be limited if approved by the
U.S. Women’s Championship Area Representative and published in their
respective Notice of Race.
c)
A Club
may represent only one RSA and its respective Area.
d)
A
competitor, after entering or participating or being selected by resume in
any RSA or Area U.S. Women’s Championship ladder event for that year, may
not compete for another Club except as a substitute under section 4(f) of
these Conditions.
e)
National Championship:
i)
In
the event an entry from a particular area has not been received or a letter
from the area coordinator committing to an entry at the national event has
not been received by the host club’s posted dead line of the event, the host
chair shall then notify the national chair.
In
this case, a sub-committee of the Women’s Championship Committee may appoint
a team(s) by resume from any geographical Area.
Resumes
shall be submitted to US SAILING.
ii)
Resumes
which meet respective championship conditions from any Area will be accepted
up to 45 days prior to the event.
1.
Teams which
competed at their area level and were not named finalists are encouraged to
submit a resume.
2.
Teams who
have not competed may submit a resume.
3.
Alternate
teams will be named 30 days prior to the event.
f)
Other than
as set forth herein, there shall be one entry from an Area in the national
event.
4)
SKIPPER, CREW, ALTERNATES, AND SUBSTITUTES
a)
The
skipper of a team qualifying to compete in the event must remain the same
for all levels of the ladder.
b)
At all
ladder events for the U.S. Women’s Championship the skipper shall be the
helmsman.
c)
The crew
members may change after each qualifying event, provided the new crew
complies with all the items in sections 2 (eligibility) and 3 (selection
process) above.
d)
The crew
must be listed on the event Entry Form by the entry deadline.
e)
One
alternate crew may be listed on the Entry Form by the entry deadline. The
alternate can replace a crew member in the event at any time but then will
replace the listed crew member in all remaining races of that event.
f)
In an
emergency during an event, the protest committee may designate a substitute
crew.
5)
CONDITIONS, SAILING INSTRUCTIONS AND ENTRY FORMS
a)
These
Conditions shall apply to all levels of the U.S. Women’s Championship. The
U.S. Women’s Championship Chairman shall approve any departure from these
Conditions on a RSA or Area level after consulting with the respective U.S.
Women’s Championship Area Representative.
b)
The host
club for each ladder event shall issue a Notice of Race and publish the
Sailing Instructions.
c)
The NOR’s
and SI’s will be written by the hosting organization’s certified PRO using
the US SAILING Championships sample available on line and then submit them
to the Chief Judge and Chairperson of each event for review and refinement.
The NOR should be submitted to the Chief Judge and Chairperson no later than
February 1 and placed on the US SAILING website by March 1. The SI’s should
be submitted to the Chief Judge and Chairperson 30 days prior to the event.
It is suggested the SI’s be held for distribution at the event. The
Conditions of each Championship will be used to help in the preparation of
the SI’s and the
NOR. The NOR
and/or the SI’s will set a limit of 5 races per day maximum with the
understanding the Race Committee/PRO will notify and confer with the
Championship Chairperson and/or the Chief Judge/s before sailing the fifth
race of the day.
d)
Per US
SAILING Regulation 5.01, the template for the Notice of Race and Sailing
Instructions shall be used for all levels of the championship ladder and can
be obtain from the Championship web site at
www.ussailing.org/championships.
e)
The
Conditions, the Notice of Race, the Sailing Instructions and the entry form
for the national U.S. Women’s Championship will be on the US SAILING web
site at
www.ussailing.org/championships or may be obtained from the US SAILING
office (PO Box 1260, 15 Maritime Dr., Portsmouth, RI 02871-0907;
1-800-USSAIL1)
6)
EVENT
FORMATS / NUMBER OF RACES
a)
The
preferred format for ladder events leading to the national U.S. Women’s
Championship shall be in the following order of preference and shall be
stated in the Notice of Race:
i)
Round Robin – Each entry sails each boat once to complete the
event except if it is a two-boat event it shall be, at a minimum, a double
round robin.
ii)
Boat Drawn – The number of races sailed equals the number of days
scheduled for racing times three. Teams will draw for a boat on a daily
basis and sail that boat for the entire day. A minimum of two days needs to
be scheduled.
iii)
Bring and Sail your Own Boat – The number of races sailed equals the
number of boats entered times two, with a maximum of ten races in the event.
b)
At the
National Event, if new boats are used in the championship(s), the boats will
be drawn before the first day of racing and shall be rotated daily. If
borrowed boats are used, there shall be a round robin rotation after each
race.
c)
The
format for the national U.S. Women’s Championship
will be four days,
preferably Thursday through Sunday and include an on shore clinic and a
short on water practice session prior to the first race. It is believed
that sailors will have some familiarity with the boats by the time they
reach the finals.
The final format chosen
shall be approved by the chairman of the U.S. Women’s Championship committee
and shall be stated in the Notice of Race.
d)
When the
protest committee determines that conditions make it impossible to complete
an event in accordance with a chosen format, the event will be determined on
the number of completed races.
7)
BOATS
AND EQUIPMENT
a)
Boats,
when provided at an event, may not be modified except as stated in the
Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions of that event
b)
US
SAILING Regulation 5.02 states “all competitors in US SAILING championships,
at all levels, shall wear, while on the water, other than for brief periods
while adding or removing clothing, a U.S. Coast Guard (or Canadian) approved
PFD, except where the ORC regulation apply.”
c)
Each
competitor must have a whistle attached to their PFD.
d)
Items
that teams are permitted to bring on the boat include: compass that meets
the class rules of the boat being sailed, flags, sponge, bailer, bucket,
normally equipped ditty bag, and personal effects.
e)
The use
of VHF radios shall be in accordance with the RRS unless prohibited by the
class rules of the boat being sailed.
f)
Cell
phones may be carried for emergency use only and shall not be used after the
boat leaves the dock until it returns.
8)
ENTRY
FEES
a)
The entry
fee for any ladder event shall include regatta host costs, any food/social
packet, and any boat insurance premium and shall be stated in the Notice of
Race for the specific event.
b)
The entry
fee for the national U.S. Women’s Championship event shall be approved by
the chairman of the U.S. Women’s Championship committee, in agreement with
the host club, and shall be stated in the Notice of Race.
c)
The entry
fee for all ladder events leading to the national event should not exceed
the entry fee for the national U.S. Women’s Championship event.
d)
Boat
damage deposits are in addition to the entry fee and should be paid by a
separate check.
9)
PROTEST COMMITTEE
a)
AUTHORITY
– The Protest Committee is appointed to advise and assist with the running
of the event. One or more US SAILING Judge(s) should be present at all
races of an event.
b)
SELECTION
i)
Club and Association ladder events – The Association shall be
responsible for selecting the Protest Committee. It is recommended and
encouraged (but not required) that a US SAILING certified judge (at any
level) be appointed as protest committee chairman.
ii)
Area ladder events – The Area Representatives to the U.S. Women’s
Championship committee, after conferring with any Area coordinating group,
shall be responsible for selecting the Protest Committee. It is recommended
and encouraged that a US SAILING Senior Judge be appointed as protest
committee chairman, but a US SAILING Judge is acceptable.
iii)
National event – Judges shall be selected by the U.S. Women’s
Championship Chairman. It is required that a US SAILING Senior Judge be
appointed as Protest Committee Chairman and that a majority of the protest
committee be US SAILING certified judges.
iv)
No person may serve as a member of the protest committee or as the
principal race officer at an event in which any competitor in the event is a
close relative.
[For the
purpose of this policy the term "close relative" is defined as an individual
related to another person or the person's spouse within the third degree.
This includes parents, grandparents, great‑grandparents, siblings, children,
grandchildren, great-grandchildren, spouses and close relatives of spouses
including step‑ or in‑law relatives.]
c)
At the national level, if an event is to be terminated prior to
completion of scheduled races the Protest Committee, and the National
Chairman shall so decide.
Consult guidelines for Race Officials at US SAILING Championships
(March 2004) at
www.ussailing.org/championships/.
10)
RACE COMMITTEE
a)
AUTHORITY
i)
The race committee is appointed to conduct races on the water.
ii)
The race committee at all ladder events shall be appointed by the
Club or Association hosting the ladder event.
b)
SELECTION
i)
Club and Association ladder events – it is recommended and
encouraged (but not required) that a US SAILING certified race officer (any
level) be appointed as principal Race Officer (PRO).
ii)
Area Ladder events – it is recommended and encouraged that a US
SAILING Regional or National race officer be appointed, but a certified US
SAILING Club Race Officer is acceptable.
iii)
National Event – It is required that a certified US SAILING Regional
or National Race Officer be appointed as PRO.
c)
Consult
guidelines for Race Officials at US SAILING Championships (March
2004) at www.ussailing.org/championships/.
11)
POWERLINE HAZARDS
a)
US
SAILING Regulations 5.05 states “US SAILING Championships at all levels
shall be held at sites free of power line hazards in any area.”
12)
BREAKDOWNS
a)
When a
boat suffers a breakdown, the crew shall display a yellow breakdown flag at
the first reasonable opportunity. The boat’s crew shall make all reasonable
efforts to fix the damage and continue racing, unless that would result in
further damage to the boat or risk safety of the crew. Race officials may
require a damaged boat to retire.
b)
When a
boat’s finishing position is materially prejudiced by equipment failure
clearly not the fault of the boat’s crew or by swamping, capsizing,
disablement or damage caused by an infringing boat, that boat may be awarded
compensation.
c)
Compensation for breakdowns will be in accordance with RRS 62 and A10.
13)
SCORING
a)
The
low-point Scoring System, Appendix A4, of the Racing Rules of Sailing will
be applied.
b)
The
boat’s score for the series shall be the sum of her scores for all races.
This alters RRS A2.
c)
At any
level of the competition, ties shall be decided in a single sail-off race
between the tied teams, using the two (or more) boats which have been most
evenly matched during the series. The tied teams shall draw for the
respective boat they will sail in the sail-off race. If, in the opinion of
the Protest committee, conditions do not permit a sail-off race, the tie
shall be broken in accordance with Appendix A8.
14)
PRIZES
a)
At the
national U.S. Women’s Championship, US SAILING’s perpetual trophies and
keeper medals are awarded to the first three teams as follows:
i)
First place is the Mrs. Charles Francis Adams Trophy
ii)
Second place is the Mrs. Willis D. Wood Trophy
iii)
Third place is the Alexander Gest Trophy
b)
The
winner of each perpetual trophy shall sign a trophy receipt form as provided
by US SAILING.
c)
At the
national U.S. Women’s Championship, Trustees of the Adams Trophy will
present the following awards:
i)
Francis
McElwain Wakeman Sportsmanship Award
- presented to
the skipper or crew which best exemplifies sportsmanship both on and off the
water
ii)
Shipshape Award
- presented (if appropriate) to the team which maintains neatness
and general shipshape conditions of borrowed boats
d)
At all
other ladder events, the regatta chairman, working with the respective U.S.
Women’s Championship committee representative, will determine the number and
style of awards to be presented.
15)
CONTESTANT CONDUCT
a)
US
SAILING Regulation 5.03 states that during any US SAILING Championship no
contestant shall use, either on or off the water, marijuana or any other
controlled substance (as defined in 21 U.S. Code 802), the possession of
which is unlawful under 21 U.S. Code 841.
16)
OTHER
a)
Boats
will be made available for practice only during specified practice times.
b)
Instructors, coaches or other support personnel will be permitted on the
water from the practice race through the end of the last race, and shall use
only the boats provided/approved by the regatta organizing committee.
17)
Host Club Responsibilities
a) The Host Club will be
responsible for the housing of the “Adams” and the “Mallory” chairperson and
two judges for each championship at combined events or three judges for each
championship at separate events.
b) Host clubs are
encouraged to seek local sponsorships, but must have the sponsorships
cleared by the US SAILING prior to formalizing and agreement/contract with
the sponsor. |
