Notice of Race

Venue

The 2008 MExT Multihull Cup (Open Belgian F18 Long Distance Championship) will be held on August 16-17, 2008. The regatta will be sailed at Oostende Belgium.

Organizing Authorities

The Organizing Authorities are the Ostend Sailing and Racing Club (OSRC) and the Belgian Multihull Association (BMA).

Governing Rules

The regatta will be governed by:

The rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing 2005-2008 (RRS) and any amendments;
The prescriptions of the KBYV;
The rules as defined in the Equipment Rules of Sailing 2005-2008 (ERS) and any amendments;
The Notice of Race;
The Sailing Instructions.

In case of conflict between languages the English text will prevail.

Advertising Category

The regatta is designed as a Category "C" event in accordance with RRS Appendix 1 - ISAF Advertising Code, Regulation 20. The forward 25% part of the hull on each side of all participating boats shall only display advertising chosen (and required to be displayed) by that event organizer.

Classes

The MExT Multihull Cup 2008 is open to F18 Class catamarans and C1 catamarans with ISAF rating 104 complying with their class rules. Maximum 70 teams will be allowed to participate. Selection will be done in the order of valid registrations received at the OSRC.

Eligibility

All entrants, to be eligible for the regatta, shall:

comply with RRS Appendix 2 – ISAF Eligibility Code;
be current financial members of their National Multihull Association;
have a current Public Liability and Third Party Property Insurance policy, including coverage when racing at the venue of the Championship, of not less than 2.500.000 € or equivalent for each boat;
Present the measurement form of the boat and rating certificate;
Present a valid and current sailing license delivered by a national sailing authority;
Any competitor under the age of 18 yrs will be required to obtain parental/guardian consent prior to commencement of Championship

Entries

The fully completed entry forms shall be sent by mail to:

Mail:	MExT Multihull Cup 2008 OSRC Vuurtorenweg 2 B-8400 Oostende BELGIUM
Tel.:	+32 (0)59 32.18.98

Online registration will be possible on http://www.multihullcup.be

The entry fee is:

€ 110 per boat registered before August 11^th, 2008
€ 130 per boat registered on August 11^th 2008 or later

The entry fee will be paid in Euro’s before August 11^th on:

bank account number KBC 738-5093361-10
in the name of “Ostend Sailing & Racing Club, Oostende”
with label : Registration MExT Multihull Cup 2007 and skipper’s name + sailnumber

For international money transfers:

BIC-code KREDBEBB
IBAN code BE41 7385 0933 6110
with label : Registration MExT Multihull Cup 2008 and skipper’s name + sailnumber
Credit cards will not be accepted.

Measurement and Certificates

Each competitor shall present a valid measurement certificate the first day of his registration. To prevent any dispute, no fundamental measurement will be done on the spot.
Boats, sails, rigging and crews must be at the disposal of the Measurement Committee in the measurement area on August 16. Corrector weights as shown on the certificate or form shall be in place at the time of weighing.
The Organizing Authority reserves the right to conduct measurement checks before and after races.

Sailing Instructions

The Sailing Instructions will be given to each competitor on completion of registration.

Scoring

Long Distance Race

The scoring will be done based on the handicap time system taken from the ISCHRS (small catamaran handicap rating system) rating forms published by the ISAF calculated on the sum of the real time of each validated race, to which eventual penalties may be added.
The minimum number of races to validate the event is 1.

Windward/Leeward Races (in case weather conditions do not permit long distance racing)

The scoring for each race will be done based on the handicap time system taken from the ISCHRS (small catamaran handicap rating system) rating forms published by the ISAF.
The low point scoring system of Appendix A will apply
When 4 or more races are sailed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score
The minimum number of races to validate the event is 3.

Penalty System for Long Distance Races

DNC, DNS, RAF, DNF :

DNC : time of last correctly finished boat + 10%
DNS : time of last correctly finished boat + 10%
RAF : time of last correctly finished boat + 10%
DNF : time of last correctly finished boat + 10%

Breach of rule 28 of RRS:
A boat the has not sailed the course in accordance to RRS 28 will be classified without hearing “DSQ” et will receive the time of the last correctly finished boat +10%.
Breach of rules 29.1 or 30.1 or 30.2 or 30.3 of RRS:

OCS : time of the race sailed by the boat + 15 minutes (this changes RRS 29.1 and 30.1)
ZPG : time of the race sailed by the boat + 30 minutes (this changes RRS 30.2),
BFD : time of the race sailed by the boat + 45 minutes (this changes RRS 30.3).

After a hearing, breach of the rules of chapter 2 of the RRS:
For breaching the rules of chapter 2 of the RRS and being subject to a hearing:

15% of the time of the first finished boat

After a hearing, breach of a rule other than chapter 2 of the RRS :

The penalty for a boat which has acknowledged its fault by completing a written declaration within the time limits foreseen in the SI will be at the discretion of the Jury but will in any case not be lower than 15% of the time of the first finished boat.
The penalty for the same fault but not acknowledged will not be below 30% of the time of the first finished boat.

The Jury reserves itself the right to disqualify a boat:

DSQ : time of last correctly finished boat + 30%

In case a boat is subject to multiple penalties in the same race, only the most unfavourable will be applicable.

Penalty system for Long Distance Races & Windward/Leeward Courses

The alternative penalty rules RRS 44.1 and 44.2 are changed so that the 720° turn shall be replaced by a 360° turn and shall include one tack and one gybe.

Safety regulations

Every boat must be equipped with the following safety equipment :

a paddle
a towing rope of 15 meters long and 6 mm in diameter
a hold up rope of 4 meters long and 10 mm in diameter
2 buoyancy aids in accordance with EC specifications
a pair of 2 red "hand distress” signals each to be worn on each crew member

Note : lengths and diameters specified in this article have to be read as minimum.

RRS 40 applies at all times while afloat, although flag "Y" will not be displayed. This changes RRS 40.

Racing Areas & Regatta Site

The Racing Area is the North Sea; starting line in front of the osrc
The Regatta Site is the O.S.R.C. Vuurtorenweg 2 8400 Oostende TEL +32 59 32.18.98

Courses

The regatta consists of long distance races along the Belgian coast. If weather conditions do not allow for security reasons a long distance, the regatta might use windward/leeward sausage courses.

Competition format

A long distance is scheduled on the first and second day of the race

Schedule

MExT Multihull Cup 2008
Date	Time	Event
Saturday August 16th, 2008	12.00 Hrs	Warning signal race 1
Sunday August 17th, 2008	10.30 Hrs	Warning signal first race of the day

Identification

In appliance of appendix G "Identification on sails", boats not displaying numbers on their sails or displaying numbers that are not readable or different from those under which they registered, could be considered as D.N.S., without instruction.

All competitors should write on the entry form the sail number with nationality letters, if any, and numbers (including zero). Without this it will be classified DNC.

Request for redress

On the last day of the regatta, a request for reopening a hearing shall be delivered:

Within the Protest Time Limit, if the party requesting reopening was informed of the decision on the previous day.
No later than 30 minutes after the party requesting reopening was informed of the decision on that day.

This changes RRS 66

Right to use Names and Likeness

In sailing in the MExT Multihull Cup 2008 a competitor automatically grants to the Organising Authority and the sponsors of the event the right in perpetuity to make, use and show from time to time and at their discretion, any motion or still pictures, and live, taped or film television and any other reproductions of him/her during the period of the MExT Multihull Cup 2006 in witch the competitor competes and in all material related to the MExT Multihull Cup without any compensation.

Trophies and Prizes

Trophies will be awarded to the Top 3 finishing boats.
Other prices will be awarded at the discretion of the organising authority.

Accommodation

Dienst Voor Toerisme Oostende
Monacoplein
B-8400 Oostende
Phone: +32 5970 11 99