NWICSA District Rules & Policies


 

NWICSA District Rules & Policies

Overhauled 1/28/2017

Latest Revisions 4/30/17

 

PART I

REGATTA REQUIREMENTS

 These regatta requirements have been established in order to create consistency and clear expectations at NWICSA Regattas.

1.         RULES

All NWICSA regattas shall be governed by the current Racing Rules of Sailing, as modified by the ICSA Procedural Rules, and these NWICSA District Rules. Certain rules may be further modified by the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions governing each regatta. In case of conflict between any of these rules, the ICSA Procedural Rules shall prevail.

2.         NOTICE OF RACE

A notice of race shall be sent out a minimum of 2 weeks before the event. These shall be posted online and circulated on the NWICSA email list by the host school. At a minimum, the notice of race should cover the following information:

Dates and Schedule of Events
Location of event
Boats to be sailed. Will boats be provided? Bring your own boat?
Format & Eligibility
Housing information
Host Contact Information

3.         SCORING

District Requirements:

a)         Regatta hosts are responsible for promptly scoring regattas and sending results to the NWICSA list by Sunday evening of a regatta weekend.

b)         Results shall be posted using TECHSCORE. It is highly recommended that scores be entered as races finish. This makes for much less work Sunday evening.

c)         Teams are responsible for entering RP information on Techscore at the conclusion of the regatta. Per ICSA procedural rules, teams which do not enter RP information within 24 hours of the conclusion of the regatta are subject to a 20 point per division scoring penalty. This penalty shall be applied by either the host or Conference Commissioner

4.         RACE COMMITTEE

The host school is responsible for assembling an appropriately capable race committee with experience running collegiate regattas. Race committees may consist of yacht club volunteers, former college sailors etc. Current college sailors may help run races in an auxiliary capacity (safety boat/markset/scoring etc.), but shall not serve as PRO, with the exception of JV events. Race Committee members may also hear protests, unless it is the Race Committee being protested.

5.         REGATTA REGISTRATION

Teams shall use the approriate meanns of RSVPing for all district events by 11:59pm on the Saturday prior to the event. Pertenent information and requests, such as housing, charters, and sail numbers shall be provided at this time too. These may not be guaranteed and shall be granted on a first come first served basis.

 

PART II

NWICSA DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

These regattas determine which teams attend the various ICSA national championships. While the rules and policies described in Part I continue to apply, these regattas have additional requirements and are held to a higher standard. The following rules and policies are intended to preserve the integrity, fairness, and transparency of the qualification process.

 

1.         LIST OF NWICSA CHAMPIONSHIPS

There are seven NWICSA Championship regattas, all of which determine a berth to ICSA championship events with the exception of the NWICSA Fall Championships. Therefore, these regattas may also be referred to as qualifiers or qualifying events. All Regular and Provisional NWICSA teams in good standing should compete in all district championships. 

·       Fall Championships (Determines Spring Intersectional Pick Order)

·       Men’s Singlehanded Championship (Fall)

·       Women’s Singlehanded Championship (Fall)

·       Match Racing Championships (Fall)

·       Women’s Dinghy Championship (Spring)

·       Team Racing Championship (Spring)

·       Coed Dinghy Championship (Spring)

 

2.         CONDITIONS FOR DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

2.1       District Championships shall be held at a minimum of three (3) weeks prior to the ICSA National Championship for which teams are qualifying. The only exception to this rule applies if NWICSA is also the ICSA National Championship host. 

2.2       NWICSA championships shall conform as closely as possible in format and style to the corresponding ICSA championship. ICSA championship conditions can be found in the “document” section of the ICSA website. Both the Championship Conditions and the ICSA Procedural Rules shall be closely followed.

2.3       The NOR and Sailing Instructions must be sent to the Commissioner for review prior to their publication/distribution. With consultation from the host team, umpires (if applicable) and PRO, the Commissioner has final say in any changes/revisions to these documents.

2.4       All NWICSA championships shall be rotational events, in which teams change boats between each set or match, with the exception of the NWICSA Singlehanded Championships.

2.5       At all district championships, every effort shall be made to complete the entire scheduled number of races, or race until the time limit stated in the NOR/SIs. 

2.6       The minimum number of races required to constitute a district championship are listed below.

Singlehanded Champs- 3 Races
Co-Ed Fleet Racing Champs- 3 Races in each fleet
Women’s Fleet Racing Champs- 3 Races in each fleet
Fall Fleet Racing Champs- 3 Races in each fleet
Team Racing- Single Round-Robin
Match Racing- Single Round-Robin 

2.7       For match racing and team racing championships only; when a Round-Robin is nearly complete and racing is postponed indefinitely and the time limit expires, the chief umpire may validate the incomplete results of the regatta if a mathematically clear winner is apparent.

 

3.         PROTESTS

3.1       A protest committee shall be determined prior to all championship regattas. It shall include at least one certified judge and/or at least one NWICSA Graduate Officer.

3.2       When neither are available, protest hearings shall be postponed and heard via Skype or other teleconference service. If this is the case, hearings shall be scheduled no later than 48 hours after the conclusion of the regatta, unless all parties agree to a later time. It shall be the Conference Commissioner’s responsibility to assemble a protest committee if such is the case.

 

4.         ATTENDANCE AT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

4.1       A team or individual which qualifies for any ICSA National Championship must indicate their intention to accept or decline their berth within 48 hours after the conclusion of the qualifying regatta. This shall be done by contacting the NWICSA Conference Commissioner. In the event that a team declines their berth, they shall notify the runner up team at the same time they notify the Commissioner.

4.2       District champions are responsible for separately registering for ICSA championships. This is done on collegesailing.org. Competitors are responsible for doing so prior to the deadline established by ICSA for each championship.

4.3       District champions are responsible for entry fees, charter fees, travel costs etc. when attending ICSA championship events.

 

5.         ALTERNATIVE MEANS FOR DETERMINING DISTRICT CHAMPIONS

The following provisions are in place to determine qualification for ICSA championships when regatta organizers are unable to complete the required minimum number of races at any of the district championships. Such instances occur when regatta organizers and race officials have done their due diligence in planning the regatta, but conditions or circumstances beyond their control arise. When such extenuating circumstances arise… 

a)         the results of a backup regatta shall be used in place of a district championship. These backup regattas shall be designated at the beginning of each season. It is not required to designate a backup regatta for every district championship. The host and regatta officials of a backup regatta shall make their best effort to comply with the championship conditions outlined in Part II Section 2 of these district rules. A backup regatta is subject to the same minimum number of races listed in Part II Section 2.6. If there is no back up regatta, or if it fails to meet the minimum number of races, then… 

b)         the district championship shall be re-sailed at a later date, which may be within (3) weeks or less of the ICSA championship (pending ICSA approval). The rescheduled date must be agreed upon by a simple majority of the teams present at the district championship. In the event of a tie, the Commissioner shall cast a tie breaking vote. If no consensus can be reached, permission from the ICSA to hold a later qualifier is denied, or it is not simply not feasibly or logistically possible to re-sail the championship, then…

c)         as a last resort teams shall submit resumes (one for each competitor) to the NWICSA Commissioner within 48 hours of this decision. The selection committee shall be composed of the NWICSA Graduate Officers. This committee shall review resumes and make a decision based on the information provided in a timely matter. The committee shall place greatest weight on relevant experience in the discipline of the championship before considering other achievements and results. The resumes of the skipper(s) may receive more emphasis than that of the crew(s). In the case of Match Racing, one-design keelboat experience shall be heavily weighed along with Match Racing experience. Upon selection, any of the teams may request to see the resumes of the selected team. Decisions from this committee are final.

  

PART III

INTERCONFERENCE REGATTAS


1.         INTERCONFERENCE PARTICIPATION AND PRIORITY

1.1       Interconference regattas with limited berths shall be allocated twice a year at special interconference meetings. 

1.2       Priority for picking interconference regattas shall be based on the previous season’s rankings. NWICSA Fall Championship shall be used as the fall ranking regatta, while the NWICSA Co-ed Championship shall be used to determine spring rankings.

1.3       Women’s interconference scheduling priority shall be decided upon by the finish order of women’s teams at the NWICSA Fall Championship and the NWICSA Women’s Championship.

1.4       The results from a designated back up regatta shall be used in the event that any of these ranking regattas fail complete the minimum number of races.

2.         FAILURE TO COMPETE IN AN INTERCONFERENCE REGATTA

In most cases, teams are responsible for cancelling four weeks prior to the event. This “drop deadline” is established by the ICSA Intersectional Coordinator. Teams are responsible for understanding and abiding by the interconference drop deadlines and shall notify the Conference Commissioner if they intend to drop out. Teams which fail to attend an interconference regatta, leave early, or drop after the deadline are subject to a no show penalty outlined in PR 15(d). The no show penalty is that a team is stripped of all interconference berths the following spring season.

A no show penalty may be waived under extenuating circumstances like bad weather, cancelled flights, or for other emergencies. In such cases teams must notify the regatta host and NWICSA Commissioner as soon as possible.

  

PART IV

 NWICSA ALL-NORTHWEST AWARDS

1.         ALL NORTHWEST SELECTION

At the end of each spring season a committee, organized and chaired by the Vice-President, with a representative from each Member College (not counting the Vice President), shall vote on All-Northwest awards. When a tie occurs in the voting process, the Vice President shall cast a tie breaking vote. However, the Vice President shall not vote otherwise. Care should be taken to ensure that members of the selection committee are not themselves in contention for said awards. The awards are as follows…

 

a)         PETE McKILLOP SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

This award, named after a former University of Washington sailor who died in a tragic accident, recognizes one sailor each year who demonstrates cooperation and enjoyment of true competitiveness in college sailing. They make racing fun for all of their teammates and competitors. They embody the Corinthian values of our sport to the fullest.


b)         NWICSA STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD

This award recognizes one sailor each year who has had a highly active role in the organization of their team and the NWICSA and is looked up to by their teammates as a leader. They have a genuine love of college sailing, which they demonstrate by putting considerable time and effort into the success of their team and the NWICSA.

 

c)         ALL-NORTHWEST CREW AWARD

Each year, this award recognizes two (2) competitors who have participated in a large number of Northwest regattas as a crew and enjoyed success regardless of the skipper they are placed with. This is a performance based award and should based the opinions of fellow competitors on the selecion committee and verified with data from regatta results in the Fall and Spring seasons. Performance in championship and qualifier regattas should also be considered, along with frequent participation in regular NWICSA regattas.

 

d)         ALL-NORTHWEST CO-ED SKPPER AWARD

Each year, this award recognizes two (2) competitors who have consistently finished at the top of the fleet throughout the Fall and Spring seasons. This is a performance based award and should based the opinions of fellow competitors on the selecion committee and verified with data from regatta results in the Fall and Spring seasons. Performance in championship and qualifier regattas should also be considered, along with frequent participation in regular NWICSA regattas.


e)         ALL-NORTHWEST WOMEN’S SKIPPER AWARD

Each year, this award recognizes two (2) competitors who have consistently finished at the top of the fleet throughout the Fall and Spring seasons. This is a performance based award and should based the opinions of fellow competitors on the selecion committee and verified with data from regatta results in the Fall and Spring seasons. Performance in championship and qualifier regattas should also be considered, along with frequent participation in regular NWICSA regattas.

 

PART V

 DAMAGE WHILE RACING 

1.         DAMAGE

            Incidents of damage/loss of equipment are usually unintended consequences of racing. Damage/loss of equipment may be the sole responsibility of a single team or attributable to multiple parties. In any case, teams shall…

a)         Thoroughly inspect their boats before, during, and after racing

b)         Immediately report any/all damage to the race organizers

c)         File protest whenever a collision results in damage      

d)         Agree to the NWICSA policies regarding damage and any rulings issued by the protest committee or the executive committee.

2.         When a collision results in major damage (over $200), there shall be a compulsory protest hearing (pursuant to RRS 60.3), regardless of whether a protest was hailed at the time of the incident. Such hearings shall include at least one certified judge and one NWICSA Graduate Officer.

2.1       When neither are available, protest hearings shall be postponed and heard via Skype or other teleconference service. If this is the case, hearings shall be scheduled no later than 48 hours after the conclusion of the regatta, unless all parties agree to a later time. It shall be the Conference Commissioner’s responsibility to assemble a protest committee if a hearing is scheduled. 

2.2       The boat(s) found to have broken a Rule of Part 2 of the Racing Rules of Sailing

shall assume liability for all damage unless both parties and the OA agree otherwise. If two or more boats are found to have broken a Rule of Part 2 the liability shall be split equally.

2.3       Costs associated with any damage will be billed to the team(s) responsible.

2.4       When a team is either unable or unwilling to pay for the damage of which they are liable, then a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be convened. The Executive Committee has the power to

            a)         Suspend the team until damages have been paid

            b)         Use district funds to pay for damages

            c)         Establish a repayment plan

            d)         Propose other solutions

3.         In a rotational regatta, when damage cannot be attributed to a specific team, the cost of the damage shall be divided equally amongst all teams in the regatta.

 

 

PART VI

 INCIDENTS OF INDIVIDUAL GROSS MISCONDUCT 

1.         GROSS MISCONDUCT

            Allegations of Gross Misconduct are of the most serious nature and include gross violations/disregard of the Rules, serious breaches of sportsmanship, or personal conduct which is unbecoming to NWICSA and College Sailing.

2.         When these actions happen on the race course or at a regatta, a Rule 69 hearing shall be called. This hearing shall be led by a certified judge and composed of at least one Graduate Officer. Based on the findings of the Rule 69 hearing, the Executive Committee shall convene to determine an appropriate penalty, which may result in an individual’s suspension from future NWICSA events for a determined period of time.

3.         Penalties and sanctions may also be imposed for actions that happen after hours, while traveling, or away from the regatta venue, so long as it is in conjunction with a NWICSA or College Sailing event. In such cases, the Executive Committee shall convene to determine an appropriate penalty, which may result in an individual’s suspension from future NWICSA events for a determined period of time.