The River Cruiser Class Rules

Construction

1.       The Class is open to bona fide river cruisers and the interpretation of this definition rests with the General Committee.
2.       A River Cruiser shall be a boat designed specifically and exclusively for the Norfolk Broads. A River Cruiser’s hull and decks may be constructed of any material, and shall include:

1. b) A cabin at least 6ft long between aft bulkhead and cabin front or rear of tabernacle, whichever dimension is the smaller, with a minimum height throughout of 3ft between cabin sole* and coachroof, measured on the centreline with the coachroof in its lowered position. The cabin should contain at least two bunks, with mattresses and bunk base.

       *  Note: where the cabin sole is interrupted by bunks, engine casings or the like, the measurement for headroom is taken from where the sole would be in the absence of such obstructions. The roof beams are not taken into account.

1. c) A forepeak, with hatch, to allow the mast to swing for lowering. The mast shall be mounted in a tabernacle, which forms an integral part of the structure of the boat. The tabernacle shall be stepped on the hog or GRP equivalent. (Yachts built before 1975 may be exempt from provisions a), b) and c) above at the discretion of the General Committee.)

          NB – Prospective applicants seeking registration of a yacht are advised to contact the Class Committee prior to purchase, building or alteration of a vessel.

3. Any innovation in the materials used in the construction or alteration of keel, hull, cabin, sails, spars or equipment, or the adaptation of offshore or racing dinghy technology to River Cruisers, shall be approved by the Committee prior to its use. Furthermore, the General Committee reserves the right to refer any major innovation to the Class at a General Meeting.

          (A rider to this rule was presented to the January 1984 meeting and contains advice on materials and equipment which, on application, would expect to be ruled admissible under the provisions of that rule.)

4. In variation of World Sailing, Racing Rules of Sailing rule 51 shall not apply to River Cruiser Class racing
5. In variation of World Sailing, Racing Rules of Sailing rule 54, headsail tacks may be attached to a jib boom whose other end is attached approximately on the boat’s centre-line.
6. In variation of World Sailing, Racing Rules of Sailing rule 55.2, a whisker pole need not be attached to the mast when in use.

Handicaps

7. Any yacht on the River Cruiser Class register may be eligible to compete for any cruiser trophy, provided that it has a ratified handicap, as published in the Green Book or amended by the General Committee. The Committee may issue a provisional handicap to any boat for which, in its opinion, it has insufficient knowledge to issue a ratified handicap. Yachts sailing under a provisional handicap may compete in Class events but shall not be eligible to be awarded a place in the race results or a trophy. (See guidance note at end of rules).
8. Any alterations to keel, rudder, hull, deck, cabin or rig may render a yacht’s handicap invalid, and written notice of any such alterations shall be made prior to competing to the General Committee. The General Committee may decide to allocate a provisional handicap whilst the performance of a new or altered yacht is being assessed.
9. a) At the end of each season (deemed to be November 1st), handicaps shall be reviewed by the General Committee (“the Annual Handicap Review”), which shall allot new handicaps (ratified or provisional) for the following season. Handicaps shall be subject to alteration at any time thereafter, subject to the proviso that ratified handicaps shall be allotted only by a quorate meeting of the General Committee, the date of which has been published as described in rule 5. The General Committee will publish on the Class Website the section of the Minutes of each General Committee Meeting which relates to handicaps and which will include a definition of those races or regattas which have most influenced the Committee’s decision in respect of any change of handicap.  
10. b) Members may request a review of their handicap in writing, to the Honorary Class Secretary. Members who remain unsatisfied with the General Committee’s response may make a final Appeal to the Committee via the Honorary Class Secretary using the procedure and pro-forma document adopted at the AGM of 29th November 2014. The full procedure is in the Guidance Notes. The Appeal will be final and the appellant will receive a full and reasoned reply. This will be minuted and will be published as in (a) above.
11. In the event of a new or changed boat presenting to compete in an event, the Captain or other committee members present may call an Emergency Committee Meeting. Any handicap set by an Emergency Committee Meeting shall be a provisional handicap. The quorum for an Emergency Committee Meeting shall be three.
12. Provisional handicaps shall be ratified by the General Committee at the earliest reasonable opportunity, which will normally be at the first scheduled, quorate meeting of the Committee, following completion by the yacht in question of three races under a provisional handicap. Normally there will be scheduled meetings of the General Committee in the weeks immediately prior to Thurne Mouth Open Regatta, Wroxham Week and Oulton Week. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that details of any changes to a yacht, and any race results and times relevant to the ratifying of a handicap, are received by the General Committee.

Competitions

12. Paid hands shall not steer during a race.
13. Should the number of entries, the weather or any other conditions make it desirable, the Officer of the Day may order a River Cruiser race to be sailed in two or more divisions according to handicap. The Officer of the Day shall fix parameters for such divisions above and below particular handicaps. Such races are to count as one race with any difference in start times between the divisions being adjusted. (See guidance notes at end of rules.)
14.      Time allowances shall be calculated on the elapsed time of each boat, not on the first boat to finish.
15.      All cruisers shall be limited to using the following sails when racing: a foresail or foresails, which can be used on all points of sailing, a mainsail and a topsail where appropriate. The use of spinnakers when racing is prohibited.
16. Any boat competing in events run under the River Cruiser Class rules shall display sail numbers. Owners not wishing to affix numbers to sails shall display their numbers on yellow boards in black lettering not less than ten inches in height and one and a half inches in width, the boards to be clearly displayed on both port and starboard sides and affixed to cabin sides or shrouds.
17.    Unless the Notice of Race or Sailing Instructions for an event state otherwise, for the purposes of the definition of “Start” and “Finish” and rules 21.1, 29.1, 30 and 44.2 of the RRS (but not any other rules), the term “hull” includes a boat’s bowsprit in its normal position.
18.     The General Committee reserves the right to withdraw the handicap of any yacht that does not comply with any of the above rules.

Responsibility

          RCC members and their crews, and the racing committees of sailing clubs, should be aware that sailing or racing River Cruisers presents a risk of damage to property, personal injury or death. Participants (including the parents of participating minors) should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement. The RCC, in admitting or maintaining any River Cruiser within the class or in allocating a handicap (provisional or ratified) to any River Cruiser, makes no representation, express or implied, as to the fitness or suitability of any River Cruiser to participate in yacht races or any other sailing, and accepts no responsibility for any damage caused to any person or property by any River Cruiser registered with the RCC.