Information & Sailing Instructions
About the Invitationals Series:
The Invitationals Series is an extension of the annual Nordic Championship. The format is similar to the finals of these Championships.
The Invitationals were born afer the Nordic Championship in February 2008, with the 20 finalists and some other skippers who were able to sail under the ISAF rules. The finalists of the following years' Nordic Championships have received invitations to join, creating a fleet of a high standard.
Principal Arrangements:
The Invitationals Series is a monthly event, held on two consecutive days. Out side the 'main season', some months have no Series due to holiday and other commitments.There are four races per series (two on a Tuesday and two on a Wednesday, starting 21:30 CET). Four maps are chosen for each series from the Invitational Races Pack and Nordic Champoinship Pack, which are available to download on the site.
Ranking:
A simple low point system is used. The final race is a medal race (with double points). Ties in the ranking will be broken using the following ISAF rule:
A8.2 If a tie remains between two or more boats, they shall be ranked in order of their scores in the last race. Any remaining ties shall be broken by using the tied boats’ scores in the next-to-last race and so on until all ties are broken.
There is a ranking for each Series and also for the consolidated results for the whole year.
Invitations are sent by mail to all the skippers about 10 days before, and the first 25 skippers who respond positively will be registered.
Conditions of participation:
The main season of the Invitationals Series is defined as = "February, March & April" + "September, October & November”.
Throughout the year, the skippers are requested to participate in a number of races equalling at least 50% of the events of the main season (ie at least 3 series) to stay on the list of skippers of the Invitational Series.
** New Sailing Instructions: **
1. Only request a penalty cancellation if you are sure that the penalty you got was wrong.
2. Approve all requests for penalty cancellations unless you are absolutely sure that a penalty was right.
A boat approving a penalty cancellation is not running any risk of post race sanctions for agreeing the cancellartion.
There are only 3 kinds of situations about which you can protest:
1. On a boat who got a correct penalty cancelled.
2. On a boat who refused to cancel an incorrect penalty.
3. On a boat who has broken ISAF RRS Rule 2 (fair sailing).
There is no need to hail protest on the water for the validity of the protest. All protests will be reviewed by the Protest Committee, who will also have the right to review penalty cancellations and all other situations in the race.
Protests - Procedure:
To make a valid protest, a post in the forum & email must be made within 2 hours of the finish of the last race each day.
1. Post the protest in the 'Protests' section in the Invitationals Forum.
2. Send email to invitationals@vskspace.com with the following ...
* Download & use the Protest Form here
* The replay of the whole race must be attached to the email.
* The protest facts:
(a) a clear description of the facts
(b) the exact time, minutes and seconds, when incident occurred, where 'time' is referred at replay timer, not at race timer
(c) What rules infringement is claimed
(d) Whether VSK gives a pen? yes or no.
Rule 2:
This rule regulates fair, honest and sportive sailing. Basically we can divide it into 3 parts:
1. You should not deliberately break a rule. A typical example is a windward boat at the startline or as port boat at the windward mark. Instead of breaking a rule, you have to accept now and then to be early over the startline, or to pass behind the entire fleet at the top mark. Screwing up others race is not an option!
2. If you know you have broken a rule (or should have known...), then you should voluntarily take a penalty. Even if VSK does not give a penalty to you. For example when port hits starboard with the mast, which VSK ignores consistently. Remember that when there is contact between two boats, then at least one of them has broken a rule.
3. Choose your words carefully in the heat of the action. Insults directed at a particular skipper is broadcasted to everybody in the race...
So if you have deliberately broken a rule, not volunteered to take a penalty when you clearly should have, or have abused the race chat, then you have broken Rule 2.
