Conditions
1. THE CHAMPIONSHIP
1.1. The Championship of Champions regatta will be held annually
1.2. The regatta will be organized by the Championship of Champions Committee of US SAILING, the Organizing Authority.
1.3. The regatta will be hosted by a US SAILING member club selected by the Championship of Champions Committee.
1.4. The objectives of the regatta are:
(a) to provide the highest quality regatta for the Champions of qualifying One Design Classes,
(b) to promote the host class and the classes represented by the participating champions,
(c) to encourage participation and promote excellence in One Design Class racing,
(d) to showcase the host club, and
(e) to showcase the event sponsors.
2. THE RULES
2.1. The Championship of Champions will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing, the US SAILING Championship Regulations, the Championship of Champions Conditions and Deed of Gift, US SAILING Policies for Race Officers, and the class rules of the boats used except as modified by the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions.
2.2. The Notice of Race will be published by the Organizing Authority in conjunction with the host club and the Chief Judge of the Jury selected for this event.
2.3. The Sailing Instructions will be prepared by the Event’s Principle Race Officer in consultation with the Championship of Champions Committee Chair and Chief Judge.
2.4. The entry fee proposed by the host club shall be approved by the Championship of Champions Committee. It shall be based on a reasonable estimate of the costs, including, but not limited to, race management, participation gifts, trophies, food and beverage, transportation, printing, fees payable to US SAILING, etc.
2.5. Free housing for competitors and invited committee members shall be provided by the host club to the greatest extent possible. The intent of this provision is to minimize expenses for participants and to foster good will and exchange among the host club and participants.
2.6. Host Club shall adhere to all US SAILING guidelines for logos, sponsors and committee qualifications.
3. ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY
3.1. One design class associations, represented by competitors ,must be current members of US SAILING to be eligible for selection.
3.2. Eligible competitors shall be the current US National, North American or World Champion helmsperson of the eligible one design class.
3.3. Eligible competitors shall normally sail in the U.S., be members of US SAILING and be members of a club, class or association affiliated with US SAILING.
For additional information, see US SAILING Regulations 10.1 (B).
3.4. Eligible competitors shall request an invitation and provide the required information. A request for invitation may be made by completing the online entry process, available at http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/Championship_of_Champions.htm
and submitting it prior to the deadline established in the Championship of Champions Notice of Race.
3.5. Racing will be limited to 20 invited competitors plus a “mystery guest”.
4. COMPETITOR SELECTION
4.1. The Championship of Champions Committee will review all requests for invitations and notify applicants of their status (Accepted, Denied or Wait List) no later than ten days after close of entries established in the Notice of Race.
4.2. Close of entries should be established six to eight weeks prior to the event date.
Last minute cancellations whose slot cannot be filled may not receive a refund.
4.3. Criteria for selecting competitors will be subjective considering, but not limited to, qualifying regatta results, past class participation in C of Cs, comparability of C of C host boats, promptness of request, etc.
4.4. The Championship of Champions Committee may invite one competitor of its own choosing to participate as a “mystery guest”. The host club may suggest to the C of C Committee a “mystery guest” to consider. The “mystery guest” may have any qualification. Entry, travel and housing for this competitor will be paid for by the host club.
4.5. The Chairman of the Championship of Champions Committee, in consultation with the host club may extend invitations to competitors after the close of entries in order to fill any remaining berths.
4.6. Selected competitors as defined in Section 3.2 will compete in the C of Cs as the helmsperson. Registered crew must be the same in number and person and must be carried throughout all races in the series. However, individual crew, but not the helmsperson, may be replaced in the case of medical or personal emergencies and only with the approval of the Jury and the US SAILING representative for this event.
5. RACE COMMITTEE AND JURY
5.1. No person may serve as a member of the protest committee or as the principal race officer at an event in which any competitor in the event is a close relative.
See US SAILING ”Race Officials at US SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS” and US SAILING Regulation 10.01 A (2), and 14.02 (A).
5.2. Volunteers in any capacity are expected to subordinate their personal and individual interests to the interests of the event and the sport of sailing.
See US SAILING Regulation 14.04
5.3. Whenever possible, the organizers shall use their best efforts to appoint a majority of US SAILING certified judges to the Jury for this event.
5.4. The Jury shall be composed of at least three members appointed by the Championship of Champions Committee in consultation with the host club. The Chief Judge shall be a US SAILING Certi¬fied Senior Judge. A local judge and a judge in training should also be included, if possible.
5.5. The Chief Judge, in conjunction with C of C Committee Chair, may advise and assist with the conduct and administration of any matters not covered by these Conditions, the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions.
5.6. The race officer will be appointed by the host club and shall be a certified US SAILING Regional or National Race Officer.
See US SAILING ”Race Officials at US SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS”
6. VENUE AND BOATS
6.1. The Championship of Champions shall be held in a different location and in a different class each year, as selected by the Championship of Champions Committee.
6.2. Clubs interested in hosting the Championship of Champions shall present a bid based on US SAILING’s Host Organization Bid Guidelines as soon as practical. Bids shall be delivered to the C of C Chair directly, and by copy to US SAILING’s Championship Manager.
6.3. All boats must be supplied to the competitors. A best effort shall be made to provide boats that are new or otherwise equalized to the greatest extent possible.
7. REGATTA SCHEDULE AND FORMAT
7.1. The Championship of Champions shall be a four day event.
7.2. Championship racing will be preceded by one day of registration, a local knowledge and boat familiarization clinic and one or more practice races.
7.3. Championship racing will be conducted on the following three consecutive days. The racing schedule shall include the greatest number of races practicable each day.
7.4. A complete round robin is desired, particularly when equality of the boats in the fleet may be an issue, but a minimum rotation of two boat swaps per day is required.
7.5. The Championship of Champions Committee may alter the racing format, rotation, schedule of races or course configuration in order to provide the best possible racing.
8. COURSES
8.1. The courses provided for the Championship shall be of a configuration and duration to provide the best racing for the selected class boat. Course configuration may be windward-leeward, triangle or some combination thereof.
8.2. Course length should provide for 20 to 40 minute races.
9. SCORING
9.1. The Low Point Scoring System (RRS Appendix A) will be used, except that if only 7 races are completed, no race scores will be excluded. If 8 – 14 races are completed, a boats worst race score will be excluded. If 15 to 21 races are completed, a boats two worst race scores will be excluded.
9.2. A minimum of four completed races are necessary to constitute a series.
10. PRIZES
10.1. US SAILING will provide medals for permanent possession to be awarded to the skipper and crew finishing in the top three positions in the championship.
10.2. The winning team shall receive the Jack Brown Trophy and sign a trophy accountability form. They shall have the trophy appropriately engraved and agree to take or ship the trophy and its case to the following year's championship at their own expense.
11. LIABILITY AND DAMAGE
11.1. Contestants should have or seek their own insurance coverage for personal goods and liability protection. The host club shall provide evidence of borrowed boat insurance.
11.2. US SAILING forms for Medical Consent, Liability, Depiction, and Minors must be completed by all competitors and turned into registration before beginning the first race.
11.3. Host clubs shall not require a competitor to assume any liabilities of the Organizing Authority, race committee, protest committee, host club, sponsor or any other organization or official involved with the event.
See US SAILING RRS 82 and US SAILING Regulation 13.03.
11.4. Any skipper found responsible for a collision that results in serious damage and is disqualified by the Jury will be scored DNE (Do Not Exclude). An additional damage deposit will be required of that competitor to continue in the series.
This modifies RRS 90.3 (b)
11.5. Immediate withdrawal from the race in progress and assistance to any affected parties may mitigate the DNE stipulation in 11.4. NOTE that the intent here is to recognize that while accidents do happen, bad sportsmanship and reckless behavior is a choice that will not be tolerated. Borrowed boats are the sustenance of this event. Every effort to avoid damage to these boats should be exercised by the competitors AT ALL TIMES.
12. POWERLINE HAZARDS
All sailing activities for this championship shall be conducted at a site free of any overhead power line hazards.
See US SAILING Regulation 10.02
13. PFD USE
All competitors, judges and race managers shall wear US Coast Guard or Canadian PFDs on the water, dock-to-dock except for brief periods when removing or adding clothing. This modifies RRS 40.
See US SAILING Regulation Section 10.01 (D)
14. COMPETITOR CONDUCT and COACHING
14.1. No contestant shall use, either on or off the water, any illegal drugs or other controlled substance. This includes the consumption of alcohol by competitors under age 21.
See US SAILING Regulation 10.01 (C)
14.2. No private coaching may be utilized by competitors while on the water during the dates allotted for the competition. Any support personnel for competitors shall ride on spectator boats provided by or as agreed upon by the host club and the Championship of Champions Committee.
Updated December 08