General Racing Rules
2026 FHSC Race Series information.
2026 FHSC RACE SERIES INFORMATION 2026 GENERAL RACING RULES FRIDAY HARBOR SAILING CLUB INTRODUCTION: Friday Harbor Sailing Club (FHSC) is pleased to provide a Six Race Series for 2026. The series will include three races hosted by FHSC, a race hosted by Lopez Island Yacht Club, a race hosted by San Juan Island Yacht Club, and a race hosted by Orcas Island Yacht Club. Current schedule: May 10th - Skaliwags Revival - hosted by FHSC June 21st - Griffin Bay Bomber Run - hosted by FHSC July 12th - Rum Runners - hosted by FHSC Aug 8th - Shaw Island Classic - hosted by SJIYC Aug 29th - Lopez Cup - hosted by LIYC Oct 3rd - Benson Cup - hosted by OIYC Race details are located by selecting race dates on the Club Calendar, and accessing “More details”
1. RULES: Regattas will be governed by The Racing Rules of Sailing, RRS, the individual Notice of Race, and these General Racing Rules. The navigation rules of the 72 COLREGS always apply for interactions with non-racing vessels. SPECIAL ADVISORY: Racers must be especially vigilant in shipping lanes. Ships travel at deceptively high speed, and will close on a sailboat rapidly. These ships cannot maneuver easily. Racers should avoid creating a potential collision situation, and SHOULD ASSUME THE SHIP HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY, AND SHOULD GIVE WAY. Status as a “racer” has no standing in the COLREGS. See also paragraph 12, PROPULSION. 2. REGISTRATION: All yachts must be registered on the FHSC website in order to be scored. Unregistered yachts may race, but will not be scored. The Notice of Race should be consulted for details. On-course registration with the Race Committee is permitted. Race Registration is located at the FHSC website, in the Calendar, under a Race event. Select the Race Event, select “more information”, select “Race Signup”. 3. RESPONSIBILITY: The skipper of each boat is encouraged to assist in the operation of the racing program. Each skipper is responsible for any unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of the crew. All boats are required to be insured by a valid – third party liability insurance policy with a minimum coverage of $300,000 per event or the equivalent. Occasionally, sailboat racing has resulted in injury or loss of life. All competitors in Friday Harbor Sailing Club events participate at their own risk. It shall be the responsibility of the skipper to inform the crew of the risks of sailboat racing, to make sure they understand and accept those risks, and to decide whether to start or continue in a race. The Friday Harbor Sailing Club, its officers, directors and members accept no responsibility for damage to property, injury or loss of life in connection with the racing program. 4.DIVISIONS: All vessels will race under a PHRF rating. If needed, a rating will be assigned by the Fleet Captain. There may be two divisions racing separately (Race Division – Flying Sails) or (Cruising Division-no flying Sails). However both of these divisions may race as one division as indicated in the Notice of Race. 5. COMMUNICATIONS: All entrants must be able to communicate on CH 72 VHF-FM. The Race Committee will hail the race fleet on VHF CH 72 to announce course numbers, starting times on multiple-race days, recalls and abandonment. The Race Committee will assume that the announcements have been received. 6. SAFETY: All racers should be committed to helping others in cases of distress or emergency. Boats assisting a distressed vessel should apply to the Race Committee for redress. 7. CHECK-IN: All yachts should check in with the Race Committee on CH 72 VHF-FM (low power) between 30 and 10 minutes prior to the first start. Yachts arriving after the first start may compete in that race by checking in with the Race Committee after the start, and by starting properly. 8. COURSES: A course shall be shortened or sailed ‘twice around’ as announced by the Race Committee. If a course is sailed twice around,the starting mark, pin end (as defined in the Notice of Race) shall become a mark of the course, which means yachts must pass through the starting line onto the new course leg. Racers should note the proper side on which to pass the Race Committee boat when crossing the finish line as shown for the individual course. 9. STARTING SEQUENCE: All signals will be made from the Race Committee boat. Races shall be started by using the following signals. Times shall be taken from the visual signals; the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded. However, a shorthanded Race Committee may decide to use sound signals only, of which the fleet will be advised. 10. Start Signals: The Race Course and Time will be announced on Ch 72, 15 minutes before Start Time. Class Flag = White with red circle Preparatory Flag = Blue square w/ white inner square Start Sequence Warning - Class Flag - 1 sound - 5 minutes before Race Start. Preparatory - Preparatory Flag - 1 sound - 4 minutes before Race Start. One Minute - Preparatory Flag removed - 1 long sound - 1 minute before Race Start. Start - Class Flag Removed - 1 sound - Race Start. 11. RECALLS: Each yacht is responsible to know if it crossed the starting line before the starting signal, in which case the boat must return to an area behind the line, and re-start. The Race Committee will signal individual recall, X flag or will make recall hails on CH 72 VHF. In the event of a general recall, the race committee will signal with the FIRST SUBSTITUTE pennant, or hail the fleet by radio. The start sequence will return to the Warning signal one minute after the FIRST SUBSTITUTE pennant is removed. 12. PROPULSION: RRS rule 42 is modified to permit the use of engine power to make way for a ferry or other vessel that has right of way, to recover from grounding or to avoid an inevitable grounding when there is no other option, to give required distance from an Orca. Any such use of the engine should not reduce the distance or time needed to finish the race, and should not move the boat into a more advantageous position with respect to wind, current or other vessels. Use of engine power must be reported to the Race Committee on VHF channel 72, and by written report to the Race Committee immediately following the race. The report shall include the boat name, as well as the nature, location and time of the incident. 13. PENALTY SYSTEM: A yacht may exonerate herself of touching a course marker by means of an immediate one-turn penalty (one tack and one jibe) accomplished at the earliest convenience after the violation has occurred and prior to finishing. All other violations may be exonerated by an immediate two-turn penalty accomplished at the earliest convenience after the violation has occurred and prior to finishing. 14. PROTESTS: FHSC racers are encouraged to avoid official protests. However, protests shall be in accordance with U.S. Sailing rules. As soon as possible after finishing, a yacht intending to protest must notify the Race Committee of the intent to protest and the sail number or name of the protested yacht. Written protests must be submitted within one hour after the Time Limit for that day. Forms will be available from the Race Committee. Protests will be forwarded to the FHSC Protest Committee for judgment. The committee will be composed of the FHSC Fleet Captain (or a designee) and a minimum of 2 other sailors not immediately involved in the protest. 15. TIME LIMIT: Boats that do not finish before the Time Limit will be scored DNF. 16. CHECKING OUT: Yachts retiring from the race area before the end of each day’s racing should hail the Race Committee. 17. RESULTS AND SCORING: Only registered yachts will be scored in official race results. Time-On-Distance scoring will be used, based upon PHRF and FHSC ratings. The yacht finishing a race in the least corrected time places first. Points are awarded based on the Low Point System (RRS Appendix A). No score will be excluded to determine the final series standings unless more than four races are completed, in which case one worst score will be excluded. 18. SEASON TOTAL POINTS: Total points scored for the season includes FHSC events plus selected events outside of FHSC chosen prior to the start of the racing season. Scoring will consist of final overall placement for each event, not on individual race scores of multiple races within that event. Scores for events outside FHSC will be scored based on the number of FHSC entrants in those events and their relative placement to one another. The points scored in the events outside FHSC events will be added to the FHSC events scores to arrive at a season total. 19. RATINGS: FHSC events require a valid current PHRF certificate, or a rating will be assigned by the Fleet Captain based on established one-design or similar vessel ratings. FHSC may review and adjust ratings for their club events to promote fair and equitable racing. The FHSC FleetCaptain is the final authority for this review. ADDITIONALLY INFORMATION: Co-Fleet Captain: Dennis Kennedy, 248-255-7043 Denniskennedy8847@gmail.com Co-Fleet Captain: Walker Radonski. 360-643-2100 Walkerradonski@gmail.com