1. 

RULES

1.1.

Each regatta will be governed by the “rules” as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS).  The prescriptions of the National Authority will not apply.

1.2.

Add to rule RRS A11: ARB means scoring penalty after arbitration, PTS scoring penalty for a yellow flag after finish.

1.3.

Sails shall have the full sail number AND NATIONAL LETTERS in accordance with the Class Rules and Racing Rules.

2.

ENTRY REGULATIONS

2.1.

Only current fully paid members of the International Laser Class Association may enter the regatta.
During registration each sailor will be required to show clear written evidence of current membership of their national Laser Association.
If a sailor is unable to present this, he/she will be charged a fee of € 70 (payable in local currency), € 10 of which will be retained by the collecting club and € 10 by ILCA, to cover administration.  € 50 will be passed on to the sailor's district, who may refund it to the sailor if he/she is already a current member, or may put it towards that sailor's membership fee if he/she is not a member.

2.2.

Crew substitution of the registered sailor is not permitted.

2.3.

Competitors shall reach the following ages during 2006:

35 to compete in the Apprentice Masters
45 to compete in the Masters
55 to compete in the Grand Masters
65 to compete in the Great Grand Masters

Women shall reach their 35th birthday during 2006 to compete in the Female Laser Radial Masters.

3.

ENTRY FEES & MAILING ADDRESSES FOR ENTRIES

Foreign entrants are allowed to pay their entry fee as well as their late entry fee – if applicable – in cash and in local currency at the registration desk upon arrival provided they have registered by sending a completed Entry Form.

4.

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Copies of Sailing Instructions will be available from the Race Offices the day before the Regatta/s.

5. 

MEASUREMENT

Wet clothing, measurement and equipment checks may be made throughout the Regatta at the discretion of the Class Representative, Race Committee or International Jury.

6. 

BOATS AND EQUIPMENT

6.1.

All competitors shall use only one hull, sail, mast, boom, centreboard and rudder.

6.2.

In the event of damage, boats and equipment may only be substituted with the written permission of the Race Committee. If the damage occurs later than 90 minutes before the first scheduled start on a racing day and before the start of the last race of the day, provisional verbal permission shall be obtained from the Jury or Race Committee and the written permission of the Jury or Race Committee shall be applied for before the end of Protest Time at the end of the day in which the substitution takes place.

7. 

PROGRAMME

7.1.

If possible all Standard boats start together (see also 7.2.).  The Laser Radials will have a separate start if there are 5 boats or more.  For 4 boats or less the Laser Radials start with the Standard fleet.  In the latter case there is still separate fleet rankings for the Laser Radial.

7.2.

Fleets might be formed if there are more than approximately 60 participants in each category.  The fleets will be composed of one or several age categories in order to form fleets of approximately 20 to 60 participants.  For better understanding the following EXAMPLE shows one possibility:  38 participants in “Fleet 1, Standard Apprentice”, 44 participants in “Fleet 2, Standard Master, Standard Grand Master and 23 participants in “Fleet 3, Laser Radial”.

8. 

IMMEDIATE PENALTIES FOR BREAKING RRS RULE 42

8.1.

RRS Appendix P will apply with the following changes:
On the first protest, if protested after she has finished, she will be given a scoring penalty of 8 points without a hearing.

8.2.

RRS P 2.2 and 2.3 are replaced with the following: "When a boat is protested two or more times in the series she shall acknowledge her breach by immediately retiring from the race. If she fails to do so she shall be disqualified without a hearing and her score shall not be excluded.”

8.3.

RRS P 3 is modified as to read “If a boat has been protested under RRS P1 and the race committee signals a postponement, general recall or abandonment, the penalty from her first protest only is cancelled, but the protest is counted to determine the number of times she has been protested during the series”.

8.4.

Action taken by the jury under Appendix P will not be grounds for redress by a competitor.

9. 

SCORING

9.1.

Individual Regattas

The individual regattas will be scored using the Low Point System according to RRS Appendix A.
The ranking at the individual events will be by Age Categories in the Standard and the Radial fleet.  This ranking will be extracted from the overall position in the Laser Standard fleet or in the Laser Radial fleet unless there is more than one start in the Laser Standard fleet when the ranking will be extracted from the overall position in the starting group/fleet.
If a points scoring penalty for a breach of rule 42 or under the Arbitration System would result in a score worse than DSQ, the penalty will be that corresponding to DSQ.  The scores of other boats will not be changed.

9.2. 

Overall Series

The overall Series ranking will be by Age Categories in the Standard and the Radial Fleet.
The 2006 Euro Masters Series will consist of 12 regattas.  A minimum of 2 races must be sailed by a competitor to be included in the 2006 Euro Master Series ranking and a competitor’s best 3 results will be scored for the Overall Series.
The winner shall be the boat with the lowest total score.  When there is a tie on the total points between two or more boats, the tie shall be broken in favour of the boat with the most first places, and when any such boats remain tied, the most second places and so on, if necessary for such races as count for total points.  When the tie still remains, it shall stand as part of the final series results.

10.

INTERNATIONAL JURY

An international jury may be appointed in accordance with RRS Appendix N and perform the duties listed in RRS N2, in which case the decision of the Jury will be final.

11.

WHISTLE SYSTEM

To encourage boats to take penalties afloat, jury/protest committee members may blow a whistle when they see what they believe to be a breach of a rule.

12.

PRIZES

12.1.

Prizes for each Regatta will be awarded in the following categories subject to entry numbers.
Standard Fleet:
Apprentice Standard rig (35 to 44 years)
Master Standard rig (45 to 54 years)
Grand Master Standard rig (55 to 64 years)
Laser Radial Fleet:
Apprentice Radial rig (35 to 44 years)

Master Radial rig (45 to 54 years)

Grand Master rig (55 to 64 years)

Great Grand Master Radial rig (from 65)
Laser Radial rig women (all ages 35 years and older together)

12.2 

Overall Series

ILCA Cubes for places 1 to 3 in each category subject to ILCA Honour Awards By Law.

13.

COURSES

Courses will be detailed in the sailing instructions.

14.

LIABILITY

The Sailing Clubs, the National Authorities and the International Laser Class Association, their officers, members and volunteers do not accept liability for loss of life or property, personal injury or damage caused by or arising out of the Euro Masters Series regattas and competitors take part in the regattas at their own risk.
The establishment of the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions in no way limits or reduces the complete and unlimited responsibilities of a competitor being solely and entirely responsible for the management of a boat he or she is sailing.
A competitor must be of good health and a competent sailor capable of sailing a Laser in strong winds.
It is the responsibility of each sailor to decide to participate in a race or to continue racing.
A competitor is wholly and exclusively responsible for third party liability insurance on the boat that he or she is sailing and for his or her personal accident and health insurance.

15.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Additional information will be notified either from the International Office or from individual organising clubs.