Scoring

LMSC races are scored on the Low Point Scoring System described in Appendix A of the Rules, except that 0.75 points is awarded for first place. Saturday and Wednesday races (including Champagne and Fall Series) are scored by finishing order within the respective fleets. Holiday races are scored on corrected time (elapsed time multiplied by the Portsmouth Handicap performance factor for a boat of its class). Mixed-class fleets (Multihull and One Design) are scored on corrected (Portsmouth) time. Participation by two or more boats constitutes a race.

A boat which sails about near the starting line between the preparatory and starting signals for its class shall be scored as a starter. Boats which do not start (DNS), do not finish (DNF) or which are disqualified (DSQ), or are sailing “not-scored” (SNS) score as follows:

DNF - Points for one more place than the last boat of the class to finish.

DNS - DNF plus one point.

DSQ - Same as DNS

SNS - Same as DNS

Each series is scored on the basis of a boat’s average points for the races completed by that fleet. For a series that allows exclusions (throw outs), a boat’s series score is the average of all her scores that were not excluded. For any series, such exclusions may include DNF, DNS, or SNS scores. A score of DSQ may not be excluded from a series.

Saturday Series

Average points for the Saturday Series are computed as follows:

a. If 0-10 races are completed by the fleet, the two worst scores are excluded.

b. If 11+ races are completed by the fleet, the four worst  scores in the series are excluded.

Wednesday Series

a. If 0-6 races are completed by the fleet, a boat may not exclude any scores.

b. If 7+ races are completed by the fleet, a boat’s worst score in the series is excluded.

Champagne and Fall Series

A boat may not exclude any scores from the Champagne or Fall series.

Chase Boat Scoring / Credit - The boat of a member who serves as Judge or on a chase boat for a given race is deemed to have participated in that race for the purpose of meeting the participation requirement for pier assignments, but the member’s boat is not scored for that race. The purpose of this provision is to remove any scoring disadvantage to judge or chase boat service. Credit for a chase boat service is deemed to have been earned by checking-in with the Judge prior to the start of the race and continuing to assist the judge until released by the judge.

Protests and Penalties

Protests are dealt with as provided in Part 5 of the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) with the following specifications and modifications:

• a)       The RRS require that a boat intending to protest shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity by hailing ‘Protest’ (See RRS 61.1 for details); and
• b)      A boat six meters [19.7 ft] or longer is required by the RRS to display a red flag to indicate her intention to protest, but any red material may be substituted; and
• c)       A boat intending to protest shall inform the judge immediately after the race; and
• d)      A boat intending to protest shall submit the protest in writing to the Race Committee Chairman within 24 hours of the finish.
• e)       A protest may be withdrawn at any time prior to a protest hearing.

Protests are heard at the time and place designated by the Race Committee Chairman.

 

Penalties While Racing - Penalties at the time of the incident

The RRS allow competitors to take penalties while racing (see RRS 44.1 and 44.2 for details). That is, a boat may take a Two-Turns Penalty (720) when she may have broken one or more rules of Part 2 (“When Boats Meet”) in an incident while racing. She may take a One-Turn Penalty (360) when she may have broken Rule 31 (“Touching a Mark”). Penalty turns must be taken after getting well clear of other boats and as soon as possible after the incident.

Post-Race Penalties – Voluntary penalties taken after a race

After a race, a boat that may have broken a rule of Part 2 or rule 31 while racing may elect to take a Post-Race Penalty for the incident.  A boat takes a Post-Race Penalty by informing the Race Committee Chairman in writing within 24 hours of the finish and identifying the race and when and where the incident occurred. A voluntary post-race penalty shall be a Scoring Penalty of 30%. If, however, a written protest has been lodged for the same incident (and is not subsequently withdrawn) a protest hearing will proceed and any penalty assessed by the Protest Committee shall take precedence. In such a case, the voluntary taking of a post-race penalty shall not be admissible or introduced in any way into the Protest Committee proceedings.

Post-Race Penalties – Penalties following a Protest Committee hearing

Protest hearings are conducted in accordance with Part 5 of the RRS. The Protest Committee may impose a percentage Scoring Penalty of 20%, 50%, DNF, or DSQ, at its discretion taking into consideration the prevailing conditions, the seriousness of the infraction, damage done, if any, and advantage gained by the infringing boat and disadvantage to other boats.

Percentage scoring penalties shall be calculated in the manner described in rule 44.3(c) (rules 44.1(a) and (b) apply): The race score for a boat that takes a Scoring Penalty shall be the score she would have received without the penalty made worse by the number of boats that started multiplied by the percentage penalty and then rounded to the nearest whole number (rounding up 0.5 if necessary).