Here’s all you need to know about the fall land yacht regatta!
Chickawaukee Ice Boat Club
2021 Eastern Landsailing Fall Regatta
Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, Maine
September 9-12, 2021
Organizing Authority
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- The Chickawaukee Ice Boat Club is the event organizing authority.
- Specific Race Committee (RC) Principal Race Officials (PROs) will govern the daily racing activities and make all decisions on racing courses, timing, starting, and scoring. The Unlimited and Blokart fleets will each have fleet captains who can take inputs from the participants to represent the desires of the fleet, but it ultimately the RC PROs that have ultimate authority in making all decisions with regards to racing.
Rules
2.1 For the Unlimited Fleet, the racing shall be governed by the rules published by the National Iceboat Authority which can be found here: https://www.iceboat.org/nia/
2.2 For the Blokart Fleet, the racing shall be governed by the rules published by the International Blokart Racing Association (IBRA) Rules, Edition 7, with modifications published in the Sailing Instructions, announced at the Morning Skippers Meeting, and/or by Announcement at the Starting Line before the dial-up begins. These rules can be found here: https://iceboats.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/ibra_rules_edition_7_final-2019-1.pdf
2.3 In general, the basic right of way rules when sailing between the two above rules authorities are the same with regards to boats meeting on the race course (i.e. port vs starboard, upwind vs downwind, etc).
Eligibility and Entry
3.1 For both fleets, Unlimited and Blokart, entrants shall register in advance by completing an event application that can be found on this web site.
3.2 For the Unlimited Fleet, entries can be land sailing yachts of any size that do not fit within the basic Blokart one-design class fleet.
3.3 For the Blokart Fleet, entries will be considered one class, then may be further broken down into individual divisions based on how many entrants are received. The order by which additional divisions will be formed will be the following:
– Performance and Production Divisions, and/or
– Heavyweight and Lightweight Divisions (approx. ½ of the fleet in each group), or
– Specific weight classes per the Blokart rules
– Light weights, competitors less than 154lbs
– Middle weights, competitors 154lbs and up to 182lbs
– Heavy weights, competitors 182lbs and up to 209lbs
– Super weights, competitors 209lbs and over
Fees
4.1 For both fleets, Unlimited and Blokart, the entry fee is $75/entrant for applications submitted by AUG 9, 2021 and $100/entrant for applications submitted after AUG 9, 2021.
Schedule
5.1 The below schedule is the basic plan of events, subject to change with the weather conditions. The purpose of the schedule is twofold: 1) give participants some structure for their travel and related personal plans for lodging, dining, etc. and 2) give participants approximate time slots for competitive racing as well as fun sailing activities.
Thursday, September 9:
Check-In/Boat Setup/Open Sailing all day
Dinner at Northern Maine Brewing Company 6PM
Friday, September 10:
Skippers Meeting 9AM
Racing 9:30AM-12PM
Racing 1PM-3PM
Open Sailing/ Venue Circumnavigation 3PM-5PM
Happy Hour at Hangar 5PM
Saturday, September 11:
Skippers Meeting 9AM
Racing 9:30AM-12PM
Racing 1PM-3PM
Open Sailing/ Venue Circumnavigation 3PM-5PM
Cookout at The Hangar 5PM
Sunday, September 12:
Skippers Meeting 9AM
Racing 9:30AM-1PM
Awards 2PM
Open Sailing 3PM-Dark
Venue
6.1 The venue for this event is the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine. The facility was an active AFB that is now closed to military operations, and has been reserved exclusively for this event by the Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club.
6.2 The base for the event will be the fighter jet hangar located at the southernmost building of the runways. This hangar will be available for participant use to setup and store land sailing craft during the event including overnight.
6.3. The base hangar has a nearby building with bathroom facilities, but there are no food provisions at the base hangar and all participants must bring their own food/drink to each day’s activities.
6.4 Overnight camping in RVs or tents is discouraged at the venue.
6.5 For directions to get to the venue, the following is provided.
Drive north on I-95 until you are above the latitude of both Quebec and Prince Edward Island. At Caribou take a left off US Rt. 1 and take Rt. 89 towards Limestone. In a few miles you will pass an entrance to Loring Commerce Center on your left with a gas station on the corner. It is best not to enter here, but carry on another couple of miles to the four corners with the flashing light with Cote’s Auto on the corner. Turn left here at this flashing light. You will enter the base around a sharp left bend in the road. A bit further on, on the left, is a derelict building. Just there on the right is your turn. It’s the first right you come to. Go up the hill, bear right at the top.
Courses
7.1 Specific courses will be selected by the RC PROs on each day of racing depending on weather conditions.
7.2 In general, racing will be conducted with starts in the vicinity of the base hangar.
7.3 It is the goal of the RC to setup courses such that there are no meetings of upwind and downwind boats on the same runway to minimize risk of collisions.
7.4 Each mark of the course will be marked with a large cone and a flag, and will have an overlap zone of ~20 meters, marked with a small cone to indicate the zone boundary. The zone boundary markers must also be rounded as part of the course and cannot be touched by a boat.
7.5 Certain parts of the airfield have airstrip light fixtures that protrude above the sailing area pavement near the edge of runways. Some of these light fixtures can be of height tall enough to cause severe damage to a boat or the pilot. These fixtures are considered obstructions and should be avoided and can be considered an obstruction in accordance with the racing rules (you need to quickly and loudly ask for “room for obstruction” if another boat is forcing you into an obstruction).
Starting Sequences
7.6 It will be the intent of the RC to start the fleet first that makes the most sense such that the two fleets of Unlimited and Blokart craft do not intermingle on the race courses chosen for each fleet, which will likely overlap in some way. Depending on the course and or number of laps chosen for each fleet, the Unlimited or Blokart fleet may start first or second.
7.7 If the Blokart fleet is >25 boats, the Blokart fleet start may be divided into two groups starting by sub-divisions (i.e. Lightweight and Heavyweight) which will be announced at the skippers meeting.
7.8 Unlimited Fleet: The Unlimited Fleet will start from a stationary start on the start line. The RC will give an aural countdown to the one minute flag sequence listed below once all boats are positioned on the start line. The RC will use the following flag sequence to countdown to the start at T-0 at which time competitors can push their craft over the start line similar to an ice-boat start and jump in their boats and go.
T-1 minute Green flag raised to vertical/one short sound signal
T-30 seconds Green flag lowered to horizontal/one short sound signal
T-0 seconds Green flag dropped fully/one long sound signal
7.9 Blokart Fleet: The Blokart fleet will start in a “dial-up” process wherein they will all be stationary in the vicinity of the start line to get an aural countdown from the RC for T-2 minutes to start. At T-2 minutes, an orange flag will be raised indicating the countdown has begun. Competitors will “dial-up” in counterclockwise ovals and only cross the start line in the normal race direction (towards the first mark). The purpose of the “dial-up” is for safety reasons encouraging all competitors to start on starboard tack. Similar to the Unlimited Class and as per the IBRA rules, the remaining timing and signals are as follows:
T-1 minute Orange flag lowered/Green flag raised to vertical/one short sound signal
T-30 seconds Green flag lowered to horizontal/one short sound signal
T-0 seconds Green flag dropped fully/one long sound signal
Sound signals take precedence over flag signals and / or verbal countdowns and/or any other visual signals, which are for assistance only and the failure of such systems will not be cause for redress.
If a competitor is over the start line when the start is signaled, they must return to the dial-up side of the line by sailing around one end of the start line (no dips to restart). In doing so, they must not interfere with any other competitor and will not be deemed to have started until they cross the start line in the direction of the first mark after the start signal. A competitor over early is responsible to recognize they are over early and restart on their own based on the sound/flag signals of the RC. The RC is not obligated to identify specific boats over early.
If the start line forms part of the course on subsequent laps, the competitor will be deemed to have started on their first lap started after the start signal.
Other flags and race signals may include:
Black flag – race abandoned or general recall
Red flag – Individual(s) recall
Checkered flag – race finish
Protests and Redress
8.1 Protests and Redress processes are permitted but highly discouraged. Any fouls during racing are expected to be settled on the race course via proper penalty turns.
8.2 If a competitor requests a protest to be heard or redress from the RC, the process within the IBRA rules Section G must be followed.
Disclaimer
9.1 Competitors participate in this event entirely at their own risk. The Organizing Authority will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with, prior to, during, or after the series.
Modifications to this Document
10.1 Any provision of this document may be revised and issued as an Amendment to Sailing Instructions which all competitors are expected to be aware of.
Blokart Tires
11.1 Blokart has introduced a new purpose built Blokart tire on the market, and early testing of the tires in New Zealand in 2021 have proven them to be safer, stronger and more durable than the current wheelbarrow tires being used. Some opinions of testing personnel indicate that they may be faster when sailed tubeless since they are lighter and more balanced.
11.2 Last year, IBRA had clarified that tubeless tires were not permitted for racing under the IBRA rules. This was due in part to safety concerns with lightweight “wheelbarrow” tires being used tubeless and risk of blowouts and karts spinning out of control as a result.
11,3 But the new Blokart tires are far more robust and have been designed to be fitted tubeless. The IBRA committee has therefore decided that the rules will be amended to allow the new tires to be used tubeless, but the rules will only be formally changed once the new tires become internationally available to anyone with a Blokart desiring them. A new version of the IBRA rules is due to be released later in 2021. It is expected that the change in rules will be included with this release.
11.4 It is intended that the rule change will allow only the new Blokart tires to be used tubeless. An inner tube will still be needed when using the present wheelbarrow style tires.
11.6 Until the new rules are released; it is up to the race committees of local clubs and associations to decide if tubeless tires are permitted for individual local race events. It is intended that this only occurs when the new tires are readily available to all participants who want them. The new tires can still be used at any event without extra approval provided an inner tube is fitted.
11.7 In conclusion, for this event in SEP of 2021 in Maine, USA, it is not expected that a sufficient quantity of the new Blokart tires will be in inventory in the USA or Northeast in particular, thus making it NOT possible for ALL participants to secure the new tires and race tubeless. Hence, for this event, the new Blokart tires can be used for racing, but only with an inner tube fitted.
Series Format:
12.1 The racing event will consist of a minimum of six (6) races in each division. The racing event will be complete when each class has completed 15 or more races at the end of racing on Sunday, September 12.
12.2 Fun events such as open sailing, venue circumnavigation, and relay races may be organized during the event depending on the desires of the participants.
Scoring
13.1 The following scoring abbreviations shall be used for recording the circumstances described:
• DNS Did not start; did not come to the starting area
• OCS On the course side of the starting line at the starting signal
• DNF Came to the starting area but did not finish
• RAF Retired After Finishing
• DSQ Disqualification (other than DGM)
• DGM Disqualification for gross misconduct not excludable
• RDG Redress given
13.2 Low Point System Finishing Place Points
First 1 point // Second 2 points // Third 3 points // Fourth 4 points
Each Place thereafter Add 1 point
13.3 A competitor that did not start, did not finish, retired or was disqualified shall be scored points for the finishing place one more than the number of competitors entered in their division i.e: DNS, OCS, DNF, RAF, DSQ, DGM all score number of entries + 1
13.4 If a competitor is disqualified from a race or retires after finishing, each competitor with a worse finishing place shall be moved up one place.
13.5 If the protest committee decides to give redress by adjusting a competitors’ score, the scores of other competitors shall not be changed unless the protest committee decides otherwise.
13.6 If there is a series-score tie between two or more competitors, each competitors’ race scores shall be listed in order of best to worst, and at the first point where there is a difference the tie shall be broken in favor of the competitor with the best score. No excluded scores shall be used. If a tie remains between two or more competitors, they shall be ranked in order of their scores in the last race. Any remaining ties shall be broken by using the tied competitor’s scores in the next-to-last race and so on until all ties are broken. These scores shall be used even if some of them are excluded scores.
13.7 After race eight (8), a competitor’s worst single race result will be dropped (omitted) from the final series tally. A second worst race result will be dropped (omitted) from the final series tally after race fifteen (15) and a third dropped after race twenty-two (22). Dropped (omitted) race results may come from any of a competitor’s races. Dropped races can include any finish except for a DSQ or DGM.
Penalties
14.1 Taking a penalty for a foul while racing is a one turn (full 360 including a tack and a gybe) requirement and must be done as soon as reasonable after the penalty and before finishing. A penalty is required for any port/starboard foul, or mark rights fouls, hitting a mark, or any other breech of the class racing rules.
14.2 Being OCS (over early) at the start may only be exonerated by restarting ant NOT a penalty turn and no dipping back below line then above. OCS exoneration requires rounding one end of the starting line then restarting from the pre-start side.
Prizes
15.1 Prizes for the top 3 finishers in each division within each fleet will be given for racing events. Divisions will be established with the goal of having at least 6 boats/division.
Modifications to this Document
16.1 Any provision of this document may be altered in the Sailing Instructions, at the Morning Skippers Meeting, and/or by Announcement at the Starting Line before the dial-up begins.
Lodging Information
17.1 There are two primary lodging options nearby the venue, with the first one (Bunker Inn) right on the venue, although there are no dinner food options there. The Caribou Inn is a 15 minute drive to the venue, slightly more expensive, but has multiple dining options nearby for breakfast and dinner. There are other smaller motels between Caribou and Limestone you may find on your own as well.
17.2 Bunker Inn
This facility is only $50/night with the land sailor special and breakfasts are included with regatta registration. https://www.loringind.com/thebunkerinn/
17.3 Caribou Inn
This hotel is just south of the venue, but has a restaurant and bar, as well as an excellent brewery/restaurant across the street. When you call to book, ask for the land yacht special rate of $99.oo https://www.caribouinn.com/
Contacts
For further event information please contact:
Event Chair/Unlimited Fleet Captain: Bill Buchholz, hilltop, 207-975-6980
RC PRO: Karen Binder
RC PRO: Henry Capotosto
Blokart Fleet Captain: Dave Lussier, dlussier, 401.225.8463
