Regata del Sol al Sol

2012 Notice of Race

XLIV Regata del Sol al Sol -April 27, 2012

Preliminary Notice of Race – Revised January 3, 2012

1. ORGANIZING AUTHORITY

The St. Petersburg Yacht Club, jointly with the Club de Yates de Isla Mujeres, is the Organizing Authority.

2. RULES

2.1 The event will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2009-2012, including the US Sailing Prescriptions for Monohulls (or Multihulls), and the 2012-2013 ISAF Offshore Special Regulations Category 2, amended to read that each boat shall have sufficient fuel on board, at the start, for running 150 miles. (Except as any of these are changed by this NOR and the Sailing Instructions)

2.2 Between the hours of local sunset and local sunrise, Part 2 of the Racing Rules of Sailing will be replaced by Part B, the Steering and Sailing Rules, of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), otherwise known as The Navigation Rules.

2.3 The organizing committee may perform random inspections for compliance of the equipment.

3. ADVERTISING

Boats may be requested to display advertising chosen and supplied by the organizing authority.

Advertising shall be restricted to ISAF Advertising Code 20.2.2, 20.2.3.

4. ELIGIBILITY

4.1 The race is open to boats at least 30 feet in length, with a current West Florida PHRF (WFPHRF) Rating. The skipper shall be a current member of a yacht club or sailing organization, and the boat shall have a crew of at least four persons. The skipper and navigator shall be Group 1 competitors as defined in ISAF 22.2.1.

4.2 The skipper is the person in charge of the boat and crew while the boat is racing. Unless otherwise designated on the entry form, the owner will be considered the skipper.

4.3 The skipper shall complete and return documentation forms for his boat and crew prior to the skippers’ meeting on April 26, 2012. The required forms will be sent to each registered skipper.

4.4 Passports are required for all participants.

4.5 A valid e-mail address is required for entry.

4.6 Entries will be limited to 50 boats.

5. CLASSES

5.1 There will be five classes of boats:

Multihull

Spinnaker

Non-Spinnaker

Cruising

Racer/Cruisers

5.2 Classes may be divided into two or more divisions. If a class does not have enough entrants, these boats will be placed in the appropriate WFPHRF Class/Division by the organizing authority.

5.3 Cruising spinnakers are permitted for the Cruising Class.

5.4 All Cruiser and Racer/Cruiser entrants shall declare their intent to use a spinnaker and the spinnaker type by April 23, 2012.

5.5 If a spinnaker type has not been declared by the above deadline, the boat will be scored with a spinnaker rating in the Racer/Cruiser Class, and as Non-Spinnaker for the Cruiser Class.

6. ENTRY FEES

6.1 A deposit of $150.00 will hold a position in the regatta and guarantee the early entry fee until January 31, 2012. Deposit will be charged on receipt of completed forms. Balance will be charged on January 31, 2012. Deposit Deadline January 1, 2012. After January 31, entry fee needs to be enclosed with entry form.

6.2 Entry fees are as follows:

$ 800 for entries postmarked or filed online by January 31, 2012

$ 900 for entries postmarked or filed online between Feb 1 and March 9, 2012

$1000 for entries postmarked or filed online after March 10, 2012 to April 7, 2012 the Final Entry Deadline.

6.3 Entry fees include $275.00 Mexican government fees and customs charges (subject to change), a transponder rental fee, six regatta shirts and six regatta event tickets. (For regatta event information see the last page of this NOR.)

6.4 An additional $30(subject to change) Immigration Tourist Visa Fee per crew member must be paid for each person entering Mexico by boat. More information will follow.

6.5 Eligible boats may enter in advance by completing the Entry Form. See www.regatadelsolalsol.org The Entry Form, a current copy of the WFPHRF Certificate and a check made payable to “SPYC/Mexico Race” should be mailed to Joy Wissing, Treasurer, SPYC/Mexico Race, 11 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Fl, 33701. If boats elect to enter electronically using a credit card, a copy of the WFPHRF Certificate must be e-mailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

6.6 Entries will not be accepted after April 7, 2012.

6.7 Extra Island Event armbands maybe purchased for $75.00 per person

7. DOCKAGE

7.1 At SPYC: All reservations for dockage before the event must be made with the SPYC Dockmaster (727- 822-3227) or e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   Reservation information will follow.

7.2 At Isla Mujeres: all reservations for dockage must be requested on the entry form and will be handled by the organizing authority. Dockage is limited and will be assigned in order of entry form receipt.

8. SCHEDULE

April 26, 2012      1000-1700           Registration and Documentation-SPYC

April 26, 2012      1800-1830           Skippers’ Meeting-SPYC - Each boat shall be represented by the skipper and navigator

April 27, 2012      1000                  First Warning for Start of Race -Tampa Bay

May 4, 2012        1130                  Regata Amigos - Isla Mujeres

May 4, 2012        TBA                   Awards Dinner- Isla Mujeres

9. SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Preliminary sailing Instructions when available will be posted on the website at www.regatadelsolalsol.org

Final sailing instructions will be available at registration.

10. THE COURSE

10.1 *    From the starting line in the vicinity of the St. Petersburg Pier, southerly to the "C" Cut             Lower Range tower (Iso R 6s 56ft PA- (N 27° 39.81' W 82° 37.18') leaving it to starboard;

      *   southwesterly through the three center span piers and associated fenders of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge;

      *   out Southwest Pass, leaving flashing buoy "1" (FL 2.5 sec) bell to port;

*    to the finish line off Isla Mujeres, maintaining a distance of at least 15 miles off the coast of Cuba at all times.

10.2 The course will not be shortened after the start and the finishing line will not be moved.

This changes RRS 32.1. The location of the finish line will be within ½ mile of this position: N 21’ 16.707” N -- W 86’ 45.329”.

10.3 Mexican authorities require all boats, which are planning to enter Mexico, to cross the finish line in order to record the time of their entry into the country, even if they have withdrawn from the race.

10.4 The rated distance for this race will be 456 miles. This distance is not subject to protests or requests for redress. This changes RRS 62.1.

11. PENALTY SYSTEM

The Scoring Penalty, RRS 44.3 will apply. The penalty will be the number of places nearest to 20% of the number of boats entered in a class, or in a division if the class has been divided.

12. SAFETY

The safety of a boat and its crew is the sole and inescapable responsibility of the Skipper, who must
insure that the boat is fully sound, thoroughly seaworthy and manned by experienced crew who are physically fit. The Skipper of the boat must be satisfied as to the soundness of the hull, spars, rigging, sails and all gear, and must ensure all equipment is properly maintained and stowed, and that all aboard know where it is kept and how it is used.

13. COMMUNICATIONS

13.1 All boats shall carry transponders. The rental fee for the transponders is included in the entry fee. Information about the

$495.00 refundable damage deposit for the transponder and obtaining and returning the units will be sent to the skippers upon receipt of their entry form.

13.2 From the time of their preparatory signal until they have finished or withdrawn from the race, competitors may not receive weather, current, or navigational information except from a publicized source available to all competitors free of charge. This restriction also applies to boat-to-boat transmissions for routing purposes.

13.3 Subscription, password protected or restricted access web pages are considered private information and may not be used for the transmission or reception of specialized weather and Gulf of Mexico current information. General use of the Internet and publicly available web sites to obtain weather and Gulf of Mexico current information including National Weather Service data is permitted. Weather routing data developed specifically for the race may not be received will racing.

13.4 Protests, alleging infringement of NOR Part 13, shall only be initiated by the race committee. This changes RRS 60.1.

14. Scoring:

Low Point Scoring System, RRS Appendix A, will apply. Corrected times will be based on the boat's WFPHRF rating and using a course distance of 456 nautical miles.                                                                                         

15. Perpetual Trophies:

Overall Winner: Casco Miguel Aleman Trophy (All Classes)

First to Finish: Secretaria de Marina Trophy

1^st Spinnaker Class: Consejo de Clubs de Florida Trophy

2^nd Spinnaker Class: Club De Yates de St. Petersburgo Trophy

3^rd Spinnaker Class: Ciudad de San Petersburgo Trophy

1^st Non-Spinnaker Class: Gobierno de Quintana Roo Trophy

2^nd Non-Spinnaker Class: Club de Yates de Isla Mujeres Trophy

3^rd Non-Spinnaker Class: Gobernador de Yucatan Trophy

1^st Cruising Class: Secretaria de Turismo Trophy

2^nd Cruising Class: Mapa Mundi Con Zodiaco Trophy

3^rd Cruising Class: Ross Trophy

1^st Multihull Class Lic. Pedro Joaquin Coldwell Trophy

1^st Racer/Cruiser Class: Trofeo de Arte Mayan

Most Participation: Lita Trophy

Best Finish-First Time Entry The Christopher Nelson Trophy-(Not winning any other perpetual trophy)

1^st Regata Amigos: Bruce Watters Nuestro Amigo Trophy

2^nd Regata Amigos: Don Fernando Ponce G. Canton Trophy

Friendship Trophy: Lic. Jose de Jesus Lima Trophy

Sportsmanship Trophy: Enrique Lima Commodore’s Trophy 

Prizes will also be awarded as deemed necessary by the organizing authorities.

Perpetual Trophies are the property of the St. Petersburg and Isla Mujeres Yacht Club. After the awards presentation has been completed all trophies must be returned to the trophy table.

16. Disclaimer of Liability:

Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See RRS 4, Decision to Race. Neither the organizing authorities nor the host organization will accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with, or prior to, during, or after the regatta.

17.        Additional information:

17.1       To obtain information contact: Beth Pennington at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or

            Phyllis Eades, Sailing Secretary-St. Petersburg Yacht Club, 11 Central Avenue , St. Petersburg, FL 33701

            Tel: 727-822-3873 Fax: 727-895-4779

            Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

17.2      SPYC requests everyone to get a Guest Card at the Front Desk using a Visa or Mastercard credit card. You will be a guest of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club and be able to charge on the guest card during the regatta. Cash cards will also be available.

17.3      For Hotel-Motel Accommodations near SPYC go the SPYC website at www.spyc.org Click on Regattas, then Local Attractions and Accommodations on the left hand side of this page and when the window opens, click on Accommodations.

Preliminary Regatta Event Information
(These Events, Dates, and Times are subject to change)

Final Schedule will be sent with Skippers Packets and posted on the website

SPYC Events-Included in Entry Fee