RULES GOVERNING ALL AREA LIGHTNING CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS

ARTICLE I - PURPOSE
1. These Rules shall govern all area Lightning Class Championship Regattas in accordance with Article XI of the By-Laws.

2. These Rules shall be supplemented by written Sailing Instructions that shall rank as Rules and may alter a Rule by specific reference to it. The Sailing Instructions shall be approved by the I.L.C.A. Executive Committee.

3. The Sailing Instructions shall not alter:
( i) Articles I through VII
(ii) Article VIII, Paragraphs 2, 4, 5, and 9

ARTICLE II - ORGANIZING AUTHORITY
1. Sanctioned Lightning Class Championships shall be organized by the International Lightning Class Association, either with the approval of a National Authority or in conjunction with a Club or Regatta Committee affiliated with a National Authority.

2. The responsibility of arranging for proper facilities, entertainment, awards, etc. shall rest with the Fleet in whose waters the series is held, but in no case can the series be held in a facility where the presence of overhead power lines could constitute a danger to participants.

ARTICLE III - PERPETUAL TROPHY
1. A perpetual award should be provided for each Championship and should be inscribed to include the words "International Lightning Class" before the name of the Championship.

2. Held by the Fleet of the winner until the next Championship, subject to the order and approval of the governing authority.

3. Right, title, and interest in and to perpetual trophies shall always be in the name of the governing authority for such Championship or the donor of the trophy, who may impose any conditions necessary to safeguard same.

ARTICLE IV - TIME AND PLACE
1. Area Championships shall be contested annually.

ARTICLE V - ENTRIES
1. Qualifying races shall be conducted in accordance with these Rules. From any district, the member having the best score among those eligible, willing, and able to represent the district, shall be named their entrant. Those having the next best scores, in sequence, shall likewise be named up to the number to which the district is entitled. A district shall always be entitled to at least one entry.
Qualifying races must be free from discrimination and be open to every active member of the group. Scoring in such races shall be computed exclusively on the basis of eligible entries belonging to the particular group holding the series. No arbitrary selection can be made except in the case where the number of qualified, willing, and able skippers is less than the number of entries to which the group is entitled.

2. Entries must be specifically named on an entry blank with information relative to eligibility at least twenty days prior to the first race or as directed by the governing authority for the Championship. Alternative entries may be submitted prior to this date. Approved Measurement Certificate must be on file in the I.L.C.A. Office for each yacht entered. No entry shall be accepted which does not meet all the eligibility requirements.

3. The Vice President in charge ot area championships shall be given an automatic entry into their respective championships.

ARTICLE Vl - ELIGIBILITY
(Note: Consult carefully the I.L.C.A. Constitution and By-Laws on membership and measurement qualifications and other details affecting eligibility.)

1. Boat must be certified eligible by the Measurement Committee before it can be entered in an area Championship. Boat, sails, spars, and equipment must be made available for measurement and inspection before the area Championship; and any or all yachts or portions thereof may be ordered remeasured by the Measurement or Executive Committees.

2. Boats must hold valid Measurement Certificates, including Mast Certifications, and must display valid membership decal and mast decal. Measurement Certificates must be presented at time of Measurement.
Each boat shall carry a fluke-type anchor weighing at least 4 pounds (1.8 kg) with 50' of line attached for anchoring a Lightning, a compass, a minimum one gallon bucket, a paddle, an approved wearable life preserver for each person on board, a throwable life preserver (cushion), and a whistle unless modified with the approval of the Measurement Committee. Modifications should be included in the Notice of Race. Each yacht must be equipped with a centerboard preventer.

3. 

(a) All sails shall bear an Official Royalty Label as provided for in the I.L.C.A. Specifications, and Mainsail and Spinnaker numbers shall be the same. When sail measurement is required, each sail shall be stamped with an approval stamp by a representative of the Measurement Committee prior to the first race.

(b) Sail Measurement - Only five sails shall be approved for use, consisting of one main, two jibs, and two spinnakers. All sails being measured shall be dry and at room temperature. Sails which do not measure may be returned to the owner for correction if such correction can be made within a reasonable time before the Sail Measurement Committee terminates its measuring of contestants' sails. When said sails are remeasured, the committee may or may not, at their option, recheck all measurement points.

4. Skipper (Helmsman) must be a Life, Active or Associate Member who meets the requirements as defined in the I.L.C.A. Constitution.

5. Crew must be Active, Life, Crew, or Associate Members of the I.L.C.A. and shall be designated distinctly as Crew. They shall serve as such, only touching the tiller for brief temporary relief. Such periods may include the time required to set, jibe, or douse a spinnaker or repair damage to rigging, but no longer.

ARTICLE Vll - SUBSTITUTION
1. There will be no substitution of Skipper.
2. Once the Area Championship has begun, yacht and crew must sail throughout, except in the case of proven accident or illness. Prior to a given Championship series permission may be granted for the use of a specified alternate crew for a specified race or races. Permission for substitution in such cases may be obtained from the Organizing Authority directly responsible if the Executive Committee is not available to render a decision. Such permission must be denied if unfair advantage is gained thereby or if not absolutely necessary.

ARTICLE VIII - RACING CONDITIONS
1. The number of scheduled races shall be six or more as determined by the Governing Authority. If the number of completed races is five or less, all will be scored; if six or more, one race will be discarded.

2. The International Lightning Class Association adopts Category C in accordance with RRS Appendix 1, Regulation 20, with the restriction that advertising is permitted on hulls only. However, club or invitational events may be restricted to Category A, as provided under Regulation 20.4.4 of the Advertising Code, with the approval of the National Authority of the organizing club. (April 2003) 

3. Time limit shall be three and one-half (3-1/2) hours. If one finishes within this limit, all must be timed. If no yacht completes four legs (or three legs in the case of a windward-leeward course) within two hours and ten minutes (2:10), the race shall be abandoned and, if possible, resailed.

4. Scoring -

(a) Abbreviations for scoring shall be in accordance with RRS or Racing Rules of Sailing.

(b) Each boat finishing in a race and not thereafter retiring or being disqualified will be scored points equal to her finishing place, as follows: first yacht scores 1 point, second yacht scores 2 points, and so on. "DNC", "DNS", "DNF", and "RAF" score points equal to one more, and "OCS", "DNE, "BFD", and "DSQ" score points equal to two more than the greatest number of yachts eligible to start in any race of the series (in any flight of the series, when it involves the Qualifying Series of the North American Championship). "RDG" scores points equal to the finishing position awarded her after a hearing for request for redress.

(c) Each boat's total score will be the sum of her scores for all races, excluding her worst score if so provided in the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions. The boat with the lowest total scores wins.

(d) The Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions shall include paragraphs 4 a,b,c, and d, the last paragraph modified to note the provision for exclusion of the worst score, if applicable.

5. Ties -

(a) Boats which tie in a single race shall score points equal to the best position involved. The position(s) immediately after shall remain vacant (if two yachts tie for first place, both are scored I point, and the next yacht to finish scores 3 points). This paragraph modifies RRS or Racing Rules of Sailing.

(b) When there is a tie on total points between two or more boats at the end of a series, the tie will be broken in favor of the yacht or yachts with the most first places, and, when a tie remains, the most second places, and so on.
When a tie still remains, it shall be broken in favor of the boat which beats the other(s) in the last untied race of the series. All races, including those possibly excluded in calculating total scores in accordance with paragraph 4 d shall be considered for the purpose of breaking ties. This paragraph modifies RRS or Racing Rules of Sailing. 

(c) The Notice of Race shall reference and Sailing Instructions shall include paragraphs 5. (a) and (b).

6. The total of those races comprising the championship must be started or abandoned by the day and hour set forth in the Sailing Instructions. In case a race or races are abandoned, the final scoring shall be based upon all the completed races.

7. The right of appeal shall be denied and the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions shall so state.

8. The act of deliberately sacrificing one's own chances of position in a series,  thereby materially affecting the position of other competitors, is prohibited and shall be grounds for disqualification. Covering or luffing, providing the yacht is sailing within the racing rules and in a manner consistent with maintaining or bettering her position in the race or series, shall not be deemed team racing tactics. In flagrant cases affecting the point score of the leaders the Race Committee shall have the power, with or without protest, to order the race resailed, bar the offender from the resailed and remaining races and recommend his or her suspension from the Association to the Board of Governors.

9. The two turns penalty as provided in RRS or Racing Rules of Sailing will apply with the additional provision that when an infringing yacht has its spinnaker drawing at the time of the infringement, drops it completely while taking her penalty, and resets it immediately and has it drawing after the penalty, the penalty is one full turn as provide in RRS or Racing Rules of Sailing. The Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions shall include this provision.

10. STARTING. The Executive Committee shall approve the starting sequence.

11. END OF RACING. The end of racing shall be governed as follows: RRS or Racing Rules of Sailing (1) shall be modified as follows: the Race Committee or Organizing Authority shall not abandon (or cancel) a scheduled race, or races, before the starting signal without approval of the Class Governing Authority.

12. PROPULSION.
Modifying RRS or Racing Rules of Sailing (2), "On a free leg of the course, when surfing (rapid accelerating down the leeward side of a wave) or planing is possible, the boat's crew may, in order to initiate surfing or planing, pump the sheet, but not the guy controlling any sail, but only once for each wave or gust of wind. When the mainsail is pumped, only that part of the sheet between the crew member handling the sheet and the first block on the boom shall be used."

13. PROTEST TIME LIMIT - The question of legality of sailors or equipment must be challenged within the time limit (for filing protests) prescribed in the race circular for the regatta in question. (Oct. 66) (Executive Committee Ruling, ratified by Governing Board). (incorporated into Rules April 2003)

14. DRY SAILING - In the absence of any limitations imposed by the local committee due to inadequate facilities, boats at all sanctioned regattas may moor in the water or haul out between races according to the wishes of the skipper. (May 67) (Executive & Measurement Committee Ruling). (incorporated into Rules April 2003)

15. SUPPORT BOATS: Team leaders, coaches, and other support personnel shall stay outside the racing area (defined as 100 meters outside the lay lines of the course including the start area) from the start of the first race to the finish of the last race of the regatta unless otherwise designated in the Sailing Instructions. Individual competitors may not use support boats at any time during the regatta unless such support is available to all competitors or is authorized by the organizing authority. The penalty for failure to comply with any of these requirements may be disqualification of all yachts associated with the infringing support
personnel. (incorporated into Rules April 2003)

ARTICLES IX - NOTICES
1. Official notices of hearings, decisions, procedures, and instructions shall be served upon all parties by posting on a designated "official bulletin board." Such notices would apply particularly to changes in the Sailing Instructions, time and place of races and such other important details as may be required. Responsibility for seeing such notices rests with each contestant.

RULES WHICH APPLY SPECIFICALLY TO THE NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP

ARTICLE X - TROPHY
1. The trophy may be retired by any Skipper winning it for the third time, if permitted by the Deed of Gift.

ARTICLE XI - TIME AND PLACE
1. The North American Championship shall be awarded to a club or organization meeting the following criteria

(a) A formal bid is submitted to the ILCA Office and the Vice President of North American Championships.

(b) The Championship cannot be held in a District if the North American Championship has been held there in the last three years.

(c) The Championship shall not be held in waters which are not satisfactory nor where physical facilities or hosting capacities are unsatisfactory for conducting such an event.

(d) The Championship shall not be held where the best interests of the Class might be jeopardized.

(e) The bid shall include accommodations to host or co-host the North American Women's, Masters and Juniors Championships.

2. The Executive Committee shall choose the location for the Championship from bids obtained and solicited by the Class Office and the Vice President of North American Championships.

3. The Championship shall begin no earlier than the first Saturday in August.

4. The exact time and location of the Championship shall be determined by the Executive Committee, who may deny the privilege to any Fleet who, in their estimation, does not have the physical facilities and capabilities to conduct such a regatta. Such time and place shall be announced at least one year in advance of the date set.

ARTICLE XII - ENTRIES
1. Approximately 110 boats shall be entitled to enter the North American Championship Regattas. The exact number of entries from each District shall be determined each year by the Executive Committee as a percentage of each District's Active and Life Members so as to attain an entry list of approximately 110 boats. Such percentage shall be announced no later than March 15th and will be applied to the number in good standing as of thirty days prior to the first race of the North American Championship Regattas. Each District shall be entitled to one additional boat for every three boats that qualify for the North American Championship Blue Fleet the previous year. All members of the Executive Committee, the reigning Champion and the reigning World Champion do not have to qualify for the North American Championships and shall not count toward a District's Quota. The Host District shall have its North American quota doubled.

2. The Executive Committee may permit Skippers from outside North America to compete, but no such Skipper shall be eligible for a qualifying berth from North America to the World Championships.

3. From the I.L.C.A. Junior, Women's and Masters Championships one or more Skippers, not previously qualified through their District, shall be entitled to enter the North American Championship Regattas in accordance with the following formula: One Skipper qualifies if the Fleet consisted of 1 to 10 boats; two qualify if 11 to 20 boats; three qualify if 21 to 30 boats, etc.

4. For Masters' North American Championship: Minimum age of skipper is 55 years; minimum total crew age is 130 years. The skipper and crew meet the minimum age requirements if the age(s) is reached during the calendar year of the Championship. (incorporated into Rules April 2003)

ARTICLE XIII - RACING CONDITION

A-ELIMINATION RACES
1. All boats entitled to enter the North American Championship Regattas shall be divided into equal flights and shall sail a Qualifying Series. Boats shall be rotated between flights so that each Skipper will have an opportunity to sail against as many different Skippers as possible.
Four elimination races shall be scheduled, to be sailed the first two days. If all are sailed, three will be scored. If less than four are sailed, all will be scored. If, by the end of the second day, at least three races have been sailed, the Qualifying Series will be terminated.
If less than three races have been sailed in the first two days, the Qualifying Series will continue on the third day. As soon as a total of three races have been sailed (including those sailed previously) the series will be terminated and yachts scored on the basis of the races sailed.
If, after three days, only one race has been completed, the Qualifying Series will continue until two races have been completed.

2. The right of appeal shall be denied and the notice of Race and Sailing Instructions shall so state.

3. The 33 Skippers receiving the lowest number of points in the races plus the reigning North American Champion and all Skippers tied for 33rd place shall be entitled to sail the final series to determine the North American Champion. However, if the reigning Champion chooses and so notifies I.L.C.A. at least thirty days ahead of the first elimination race, he may sail in the Qualifying Series. If he qualifies for the final series to determine the North American Champion the Fleet will be increased to 34 and all Skippers tied for 34th place. The remaining Skippers shall sail for the Presidents' Cup, except that where more than 35 remain after selection of the Championship group, a Governors' Cup series will be conducted. In such case the remaining Skippers shall be divided equally between the two series with those totaling the most points sailing in the Presidents' Cup series. Skippers tied for the last qualifying position in the Presidents' Cup series shall be entitled to sail in that series as shall the odd Skipper should the number to be divided be unequal.

B-FINAL SERIES
1. The number of races scheduled in each of the final series, Championship, Presidents' Cup and Governors' Cup, shall be six, five of which will be scored. If, at the end of scheduled racing, two races or less have been completed, the final results of the Qualifying Series (including ties) will be counted as one race in the Championship Series, Presidents' Cup and Governors' Cup.
In case the defending North American Champion chooses not to sail in the Qualifying Series, his or her average points for the race(s) sailed in the Championship Series will be counted as one race.

ARTICLE XIV - QUALIFICATION FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Qualification for the World Championship shall be determined by the order of finish in the North American Championship selected by the Executive Committee as being reasonably far in advance of the World Championship to permit planning by the Skippers and crews entitled to attend. Such selection shall be announced no later than the announcement of the time and place of the selected North American Championship. North American Championship Skippers shall have preference, followed by Presidents' Cup Skippers, and then Governors' Cup Skippers. Should this procedure fail to produce the number of qualifers to which the Area is entitled, the entry list shall be closed without further consideration.

RULES WHICH APPLY SPECIFICALLY TO THE EUROPEAN, SOUTH AMERICAN, AND OTHER AREA CHAMPIONSHIPS

ARTICLE XV - TROPHY
1. The trophy may be retired by any Skipper winning it for the third time.

ARTICLE XVI - TIME AND PLACE
1. The Championship shall be held in the home waters of the Fleet having last won the event, except:

(a) It cannot be held by the same Fleet two consecutive years.

(b) It cannot be held for more than two consecutive years in the same District.

(c) It shall not be held in waters which are not satisfactory nor where physical facilities of hosting capacities are unsatisfactory for conducting such an event.

(d) It shall not be held where the best interest of the Class might be jeopardized.

2. The Championship shall be held at a time suitable to the climate of the area.

3. The exact time and location of the next Championship shall be determined by the governing authority of the Area, who may deny the privilege to any Fleet who in their estimation does not have the physical facilities and capabilities to conduct such a regatta. Such time and place shall be announced as early as possible.

ARTICLE XVII - ENTRIES
1. Entries may be limited, if necessary, by the governing authority of the Area.

2. Skippers from outside the area may be allowed to compete, but no such Skipper shall be eligible for a qualifying berth from that Area to the World Championship.

ARTICLE XVIII - QUALIFICATION FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1.  Qualification for the World Championship shall be determined as provided in Article V, Rules Governing all Lightning Class World Championships.

(1) RRS 27.3
(2) RRS 42.3 (C)