Half Moon Regatta
Sailing Instructions
August 8, 2026
1. RULES – The series will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing.
2. NOTICE TO COMPETITORS – Notices to competitors will be posted on the Race Committee
Notice Board located at the south end of the NBC porch.
3. CHANGES TO SAILING INSTRUCTIONS – Any change to the sailing instructions will be
posted at least 1 hour prior to the harbor start, and announced at the skippers’ meeting.
4. SIGNALS MADE ASHORE
4.1.
Signals made ashore will be displayed from the flagpole at the RC slip.
4.2. When flag AP is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 20 minutes’ in the
Race Signals AP.
5. SCHEDULE OF RACES
Registration
9:30 am-10:30 am
Skippers’ Meeting:
10:45 am- 11:00am
Harbor Start:
11:15 am
First Warning:
12:00 pm
No start after:
2:30 pm
Pizza and Awards
3:30 pm-5 pm (subject to change based on weather and/or racing schedule)
5.1.
The Race Committee will run multiple races, weather permitting.
5.2. The order of the starts for the different fleets will be announced at the Skippers Meeting and
from the Race Committee Boat.
6. RACING AREA – The racing area will be the part of the Hudson River known as the Tappan Zee,
south of Hook Mountain and north of the Tappan Zee Bridge.
7. COURSES
7.1.
The course diagrams and identifying course letters are illustrated on the last page of these
SI’s.
7.2.
No later than the warning signal, the Signal Boat will display the course.
8. MARKS
8.1.
Marks will be orange inflatable tetrahedrons.
8.2. Optimist marks will be small spherical marks. They will use shorter courses.
8.3. Change of course marks will be an inflatable green or yellow mark.9. OBSTRUCTIONS
9.1.
No boat shall sail within the NBC mooring area while racing. The mooring area is defined as
the area within straight lines joining all outermost mooring buoys. It is designated as an obstruction.
9.2. A boat that is racing shall not cross the start/finish line except when preparing to start,
starting, or finishing. Except at those times, the start/finish line, including the marks bounding
them, is designated as a single obstruction.
10.
THE START
10.1. The starting line will be between the hoist displaying an orange flag on the Signal Boat and
the course side of the starting mark.
10.2. The starting mark will be a spherical red buoy.
10.3. A boat starting later than 5 minutes after her starting signal will be scored DNS without a
hearing. This changes RRS 63.1, A4, and A5.
10.4. Boats whose warning signal has not been made shall keep clear of the starting area during the
starting sequence for other fleets.
10.3.1 C420: C420 Class Flag
10.3.2 Optimist: Optimist Class Flag
10.3.3 Laser: Laser Class Flag
10.3.4 Sunfish: Sunfish Class Flag
10.5. The Sound Signal Starting System of Appendix S of the RRS will be used (3 minute starting
sequence.) This changes rule 26.
Time to Start Signal
3 minutes 3 long horns
2 minutes 2 long horns
1 min, 30 secs
1 long, 1 short
1 minute
1 long horn
30 seconds 3 short horns
20 seconds 2 short horns
10 seconds 1 short horn
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 1 short horn each
Start
1 long horn
10.6. The RC will attempt to hail the sail number(s) for OCS boat(s) after the starting signal.
Failure to make a hail or to time it accurately will not be grounds for a request for redress. This
changes RRS 62.1(a).
11. THE FINISH –
11.1. The finish line will be between the hoist displaying an orange flag on the Signal Boat and the
course side of the finishing mark.
11.2. The finishing mark will be a yellow spherical buoy.
12. PENALTY SYSTEM – The Two-Turns Penalty is replaced by the One-Turn penalty, modifying
RRS 44.1.
13.TIME LIMITS
13.1. Any boat that has not finished within 30 min of its start shall be scored DNF (did not finish).
This changes rule 35, A4 and A5.
13.2. If no boat has passed the first upwind mark within 20 minutes, the race will be abandoned.
13.3. The finishing window for boats to finish after first boat sails the course and finishes is 20 min
13.4. No starting sequence will be initiated after 3:00PM
14.PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS
14.1. A boat intending to protest shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity, by
promptly hailing “Protest”.14.2. Immediately after finishing a race, without consultation with instructors, coaches or
spectators, a boat shall notify the race committee finish boat of her intent to protest and, if possible,
the sail number and skipper’s name of the protested boat.
14.3. Protest forms are available in the rack next to the RC locker. Protests and requests for redress
shall be delivered to the RC within the time limit.
14.4. The time limit for protests and requests for redress shall be 45 minutes after the Signal Boat
reaches her mooring or slip. This changes RRS 62.2.
14.5. An arbitration meeting will be held prior to a protest hearing per RRS T5.
15.SCORING
15.1. If less than five races are completed, a boat’s series score will be the sum of her race scores.
15.2. If five or more races are completed, a boat’s series score will be the sum of her race scores
excluding her worst score.
16.SAFETY
16.1. All boats intending to race shall check in with the RC, before their first race of each day, by
sailing past the Signal Boat on starboard tack, hailing their sail number and receiving verbal
confirmation from the RC. Any boat that has not checked in may be scored DNS. This changes RRS
63.1, A4 and A5.
16.2. A boat that retires from a race shall notify the RC as soon as possible by sailing by the Signal
Boat or mark boats.
16.3. All participants shall wear a USCG approved life jacket, properly fastened at all times, when
on the water.
16.4. The Race Committee may disqualify a boat for not wearing a PFD, without a hearing. This
changes RRS A4, A5, and 63.1.
17. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY – Competitors participate entirely at their own risk. See RRS 4,
Decision to Race. The Organizing Authority will not accept any liability for material damage or
personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the race.
INSURANCE – Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance.