Each competitor is responsible for ensuring that their boat and equipment comply with the applicable class rules and the requirements of the Notice of Race and these Sailing Instructions.

Competitors are responsible for ensuring that the sail number displayed on their boat matches the sail number provided at registration. Any sail-number change shall be reported in accordance with the PGJSA Policies & Procedures before racing.

3.1 Notices to Competitors

Notices to competitors will be posted on the Official Notice Board designated for the event. The location or electronic address of the Official Notice Board will be identified in the Notice of Race or other event information.

3.2 Skippers' Meeting

A Skippers' Meeting will be held before racing at the time and location stated in the Notice of Race or other event information.

The Race Committee may use the Skippers' Meeting to provide information and clarification concerning the racing area, courses, marks, starting procedures, safety, and other matters relating to the conduct of racing.

Information provided at the Skippers' Meeting does not change the Notice of Race or these Sailing Instructions unless the change is made in accordance with the Racing Rules of Sailing and these Sailing Instructions.

4.1 Changes Ashore

Any change to the Sailing Instructions made ashore will be posted on the Official Notice Board before the time specified in the Notice of Race or event information.

4.2 Changes on the Water

In accordance with RRS 90.2(c), changes to the Sailing Instructions may be made orally on the water.

An oral change will be communicated by the Race Committee to each affected boat before her warning signal.

The Race Committee may communicate an oral change by hail, VHF radio, or other means reasonably calculated to inform each affected boat.

The Race Committee may display flag L when communicating an oral change, but failure to display flag L will not invalidate an otherwise properly communicated change.

Competitors are responsible for obtaining the change before their warning signal.

The racing area will be identified in the Notice of Race, event information, or at the Skippers' Meeting.

The Race Committee may provide additional information at the Skippers' Meeting concerning the location of the racing area and the location of individual fleets or courses.

Changes to the Sailing Instructions affecting the racing area will be made in accordance with Section 4 of these Sailing Instructions.

6.1 Course Configuration

Courses may consist of windward-leeward, triangle, or combination configurations.

The course to be sailed will be identified by the Race Committee before the warning signal for each race. The Race Committee may communicate the course by course board, placard, hail, VHF radio, or other means described at the Skippers' Meeting.

6.2 Starting and Finishing Lines

Except when starting or finishing, boats shall not cross the starting or finishing line or pass between the line's limiting marks while racing.

Except when starting or finishing, boats shall not cross the starting or finishing line or pass between the line's limiting marks while racing.

A boat that crosses a starting or finishing line when not starting or finishing shall return completely to the course side of the line before continuing to sail the course.

The marks to be used for each course will be described in the Notice of Race, event information, or at the Skippers' Meeting.

The Race Committee may use different marks for different fleets or courses.

8.1 Starting Line

The starting line will be between a staff or designated point on the Race Committee signal vessel and the course side of the starting mark.

8.2 Finishing Line

The finishing line will be between a staff or designated point on a Race Committee vessel and the course side of the finishing mark.

8.3 Starting Procedure

Races will normally be started using the PGJSA three-minute dinghy starting procedure.

The Race Committee will describe the starting procedure at the Skippers' Meeting.

The Race Committee may modify the starting procedure when necessary. Any modification made after the Skippers' Meeting will be communicated to the affected competitors before their warning signal in accordance with Section 4 of these Sailing Instructions.

8.4 Race Committee Vessels

Race Committee vessels may be positioned at either end of the starting or finishing line.

The configuration and location of the starting and finishing lines will be described at the Skippers' Meeting.

Individual recalls will be signaled in accordance with RRS 29.1.

The Race Committee may attempt to hail the sail number or other identifying information of a recalled boat. Any such hail is provided as a courtesy.

Failure of the Race Committee to hail a boat, failure of a boat to hear a hail, the order in which boats are hailed, or the timing of a hail shall not relieve a boat of her obligation to start in accordance with the Racing Rules of Sailing.

The Race Committee may change the next leg of the course in accordance with RRS 33.

The Race Committee may provide additional information concerning the change by voice hail or VHF radio.

If conditions make it impractical to continue the race safely or fairly, the Race Committee may shorten or abandon the race in accordance with the Racing Rules of Sailing.

11.1 Race Time Limit

The time limit for the first boat in each fleet to sail the course and finish will be sixty (60) minutes.

11.2 Finishing Window

The Finishing Window is twenty-five (25) minutes after the first boat in that fleet sails the course and finishes.

Boats failing to finish within the Finishing Window, and not subsequently retiring, penalized, or given redress, will be scored Time Limit Expired (TLE) without a hearing.

11.3 Target Race Duration

The Race Committee will endeavor to set courses so that races are approximately twenty (20) to forty (40) minutes in duration.

Failure to meet the target race duration will not be grounds for redress.

11.4 Shortening or Abandoning

The Race Committee may shorten or abandon a race in accordance with the Racing Rules of Sailing.

12.1 Personal Flotation Devices

All competitors shall wear a properly secured U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (PFD) at all times while on the water, except briefly while changing or adjusting clothing or personal equipment.

12.2 Competitor Responsibility

Each competitor is responsible for their own safety and, when applicable, the safety of their crew and boat.

12.3 Retirement

A boat that retires from a race or leaves the racing area shall notify the Race Committee as soon as reasonably possible.

12.4 Race Committee Safety Instructions

Competitors shall comply with safety instructions issued by the Race Committee. The Race Committee may require a competitor to accept assistance when it considers that action necessary for the safety of the competitor or others.

Except in an emergency or when communicating with the Race Committee as permitted by these Sailing Instructions, a boat that is racing shall neither make nor receive radio, telephone, or other electronic communications that are not available to all competitors.

This restriction includes mobile telephones, radios, and other wireless communication devices.

14.1 Governing Procedures

Protests, requests for redress, and hearings will be conducted in accordance with Part 5 of the Racing Rules of Sailing and the applicable PGJSA Policies & Procedures.

14.2 Informing the Protestee

A boat intending to protest another boat shall comply with the requirements of the Racing Rules of Sailing for informing the protestee.

For PGJSA dinghy events, a protesting boat is not required to display a protest flag. When required by the Racing Rules of Sailing, the protesting boat shall hail “Protest” at the first reasonable opportunity.

A boat intending to protest shall also notify the Race Committee as soon as reasonably possible after finishing or retiring.

14.3 Delivering a Protest or Request

Protests and requests for redress shall be submitted in writing and delivered to the designated Race Office or Protest Committee representative.

The protest time limit will be thirty (30) minutes after the Race Committee signal vessel docks following the completion of racing for the applicable fleet, unless otherwise posted on the Official Notice Board.

14.4 Junior Sailor Responsibility

Junior sailors are expected to prepare and present their own protest.

Coaches, instructors, and family members may explain the protest process but shall not direct or coach a sailor's testimony.

14.5 Hearing Information

Notices of hearings will be posted on the Official Notice Board as soon as reasonably possible and will identify the parties and the time and location of the hearing.

Parties and witnesses shall comply with the procedures established by the Protest Committee and the Racing Rules of Sailing.

14.6 Protest Committee

The Protest Committee will be constituted in accordance with the applicable PGJSA Policies & Procedures and the Racing Rules of Sailing.

15.1 Scoring System

The Low Point System of RRS Appendix A will apply.

One (1) race is required to be scored to constitute a regatta.

15.2 Excluded Score

When fewer than five (5) races are scored, a boat's regatta score will be the total of her race scores.

When five (5) or more races are scored, a boat's regatta score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score.

15.3 Time Limit Expired (TLE)

A boat scored Time Limit Expired (TLE) under Section 11.2 will receive points equal to the number of boats that finished within the Finishing Window plus two (2) points.

A TLE score shall not be worse than the score the boat would receive for DNF under RRS Appendix A.

Boats scored TLE will be scored without a hearing.

15.4 Summer Series and Championship

PGJSA Summer Series standings and PGJSA Championship scoring are governed separately by the applicable PGJSA Summer Series and PGJSA Championship Qualification, Rules & Scoring.

16.1 PGJSA Coaching Conditions

Coaches, instructors, support persons, spectators, and support boats shall comply with the PGJSA Coaching Conditions applicable to the event.

16.2 Race Committee Instructions

Coaches, instructors, support persons, spectators, and support boats shall comply with safety and operational instructions issued by the Race Committee.

16.3 Assistance to Competitors

Nothing in the PGJSA Coaching Conditions or these Sailing Instructions shall prevent a coach, support person, or spectator from providing assistance to a competitor when necessary for the immediate safety of a person or boat.

17.1 Standards of Conduct

Competitors, coaches, instructors, and support persons are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the Racing Rules of Sailing and the principles of sportsmanship, good manners, fair play, and respect for others.

Conduct inconsistent with these principles includes, but is not limited to:

a. Abusive, threatening, intimidating, harassing, or inappropriate language or behavior toward competitors, teammates, race officials, volunteers, coaches, or others;

b. Taking, using, damaging, or interfering with another person's property without permission;

c. Conduct involving alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, or other prohibited substances that violates applicable law, host-club rules, or PGJSA policies;

d. Deliberate disregard of safety instructions issued by the Race Committee or other event officials; and

e. Other conduct that may constitute misconduct under the Racing Rules of Sailing.

17.2 Misconduct Under the Racing Rules of Sailing

Alleged misconduct within the scope of the Racing Rules of Sailing will be handled in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Racing Rules of Sailing.

17.3 Host Club and PGJSA Rules

Competitors, coaches, instructors, and support persons shall also comply with applicable host-club rules and PGJSA policies while participating in a PGJSA event.