REGULATIONS OF THE BARNEGAT BAY YACHT RACING ASSOCIATION
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

www.bbyra.org

A. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. All races held under the jurisdiction of the Association shall be sailed under the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the prescriptions of US SAILING, the Sailing Instructions and these Regulations. Inasmuch as no document can be devised to cover every situation, it shall be the duty of the Regatta Committee to decide all questions that may arise. In deciding such questions the Regatta Committee shall not act before satisfying itself that its action is as equitable as possible to all boats concerned.
2. The Championship Series, held under the jurisdiction of the Association shall be conducted by a Race Committee appointed by the Regatta Committee of the Association and chaired by the Vice Commodore.
3. Each year the Regatta Committee shall adopt Sailing Instructions (SIs) that shall be provided to all entrants. The Regatta Committee shall also cause appropriate race information not contained in the SIs or these Regulations and required by RRS J1, "Notice of Race Contents", to be published on the BBYRA website prior to May 15th.

B. ELIGIBILITY

1. A boat entered for a race must be the bona fide property of a recognized yacht club or of the person in whose name she is entered, who must be a member of a yacht club of the Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association except as provided in paragraph B.5. A person chartering a boat shall be deemed the owner provided said boat has been chartered in good faith for a period of not less than thirty days.
2. Any class qualifying three or more boats in the previous year’s Championship series will be eligible for competition. Each class shall be scheduled to compete at least two days in each BBYRA race venue (Upper and Lower Bay). Additional classes may be considered upon written petition to the Regatta Committee by at least six skippers representing a minimum of three member clubs. Such petition shall be submitted no later than November 15^th of the prior year for which eligibility is being requested and shall include (as a minimum) the following information for consideration:
   1. A commitment from each skipper stating his/her intention to qualify for the championship.
   2. Identification of Class Liaison Representative (including pertinent contact information).
   3. Listing of any and all racing preferences (i.e. morning or afternoon, bye weeks, preferred courses, etc.).
   4. Proposed age limit or gender restriction (if applicable).
   Any new class accepted shall be considered “provisional" for a period of at least one year with provisional status to be reviewed annually by the Class Eligibility Committee. Provisional classes are not eligible for championship awards. Those classes eligible for competition each year shall be designated by the Regatta Committee and published on the BBYRA website prior to April 15^th.
3. In junior classes with an age limit, a contestant will be considered eligible when his age limit birthday will not have been reached on the last day of the calendar year.
4. Except as provided in Paragraph B.5, skippers/helmsmen are required to be members of the BBYRA, a member Club of said Association, and their respective class organizations. Member Clubs are expected to furnish the Regatta Committee with a membership list and a list of BBYRA contributing members prior to June 15th of each year. Crews are exempt from this requirement.
5. A sailing instructor actively employed by a BBYRA member club may be permitted to enter and/or skipper a boat which is the bona fide property of a recognized yacht club or of the person in whose name she is entered provided he/she is a member of US Sailing and his/her respective class organization, pays a guest entry fee and the usual entry fees for the class in which he/she is entered. Entry will be at the discretion of the Regatta Committee and shall be denied if not in the best interest of the Association.

C. ENTRIES

1. A member of the Regatta Committee shall supervise the receipt of entries and fees in all classes.
2. Entries shall be made as required by the Regatta Committee.
3. An entry fee will be charged for the season or for each race of the championship series for all classes at rates established by the BBYRA. Entry fees are non-refundable.

D. RACING TRIM

1. All one-design and restricted classes must file with the Association Measurer a copy of their class rules and regulations which shall include restrictions, measurements and designations pertaining to the hull, mast, rigging, sails, and crew limitations as to weight and number, not later than two weeks prior to the date of the first championship regatta. These will remain frozen through the entire Championship series. No boat will be entitled to start in any race unless the boat meets the above mentioned requirements and conforms to these Regulations.
2. A record of class restrictions and designations including sails, crew limitations, equipment, etc. will be maintained by the Association Measurer.
3. All boats must carry safety equipment as specified by their class, as may be required by the USCG and as set forth in Appendix 1. Deviations for any class may be granted by the Regatta Committee. The Penalty for violating this rule shall be DSQ, DNE, or DGM.

E. QUALIFICATION and SCORING

1. Each season the Association will award the championship to the boat in each class making the best score as prescribed in the sailing instructions.
2. Only those races designated for points in the championship series will be considered in computing the record of each boat.
3. In order to qualify for the Championship a boat must come to the starting area in at least 50% of race days scheduled for her class.
4. Points shall be awarded to a boat and may not be transferred except by specific written permission of the Regatta Committee.
5. No race shall be declared official unless two or more entrants come to the starting line.
6. Races abandoned will not be scored.

F. ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

1. The BBYRA may act to suspend the awards of a class's season championship series if the final outcome of its series is dependent on the outcome of an appeal.
2. No new class shall be added to the race program for championship purposes after the schedule is posted on the official BBYRA website.
3. A report of each championship race giving the identification of all boats registered therein and their order of finish shall be filed with the Scorer of the Regatta Committee and kept for two years.
4. A suitable Point Accumulation Sheet will be maintained by the Scorer showing in detail the record of each boat's activity for the current Championship Series. All scores shall be considered final eight days after they are posted on the official BBYRA website except that they shall be considered final at 0830 on the day of the final regatta and unless a decision on a valid protest or appeal is pending.
5. First place individual regatta pennants will be awarded for each race. Second place pennants will be awarded when there are at least four starters and third place when there are at least seven starters.
6. Season championship flags and trophies will be awarded to the winning boat in each class. Second place trophies will be awarded when there are at least four qualifiers, third place when there are at least seven qualifiers, fourth place when there are at least eleven qualifiers and fifth place when there are at least fifteen qualifiers.

G. PROTESTS, REQUESTS FOR REDRESS, APPEALS AND HEARINGS

1. Appeals, Requests for Redress, Protests and Hearings shall be in accordance with the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS).
2. The BBYRA Website and the appropriately designated pages shall serve as the official Notice Board of the Protest Committee.
3. All decisions of the Protest Committee shall be submitted in writing to the Scorer along with the original protest papers. The applicable Scorer, after noting any adjustments to the scores of the boat(s) involved, shall forward the original protest, the protest committee’s decision, and all pertinent papers to the Secretary of the BBYRA who shall keep them on file for a period of two years.
4. Appeals shall comply with US Sailing Prescription Appendix F and be mailed to: RACE ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR, US SAILING, PO BOX 1260, PORTSMOUTH, RHODE ISLAND, 02871. Additionally a  complete copy of the appeal shall also be simultaneously forwarded to: BBYRA APPEALS COMMITTEE, P.O. Box 4237, BRICK, NJ 08723.
5. The BBYRA Appeals Committee prescribes that the following fees be included with the initial filing of an appeal,  BBYRA members $25.00, non-BBYRA members $50.00.

 

Approved, Delegates Meeting 5/16/1981

Last Revised, Delegates Meeting 4/05/2008

APPENDIX 1

SAFETY EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENT CHECK LIST

Notes:      1. Manual bailer Min 4 quart

2. All boats must carry a towline solely dedicated to towing and/or anchoring and readily available for use at all times. Line must be at least 24' long and of sufficient strength to tow a swamped boat.

3. All boats must carry a whistle attached to throwable or life vest.