Venue & Dates

The 2019 Hobie^® Cat 16 World Championships will be held 1st November – 16th November 2019 and sailed at Captiva Island, Florida, USA in three (3) world championship disciplines: Women’s, Youth and Open with three (3) additional non-world championship disciplines Master’s Cup, Grand Master’s Cup and Great Grand Master’s Cup.

Organizing Authority

The Organizing Authority (OA) is the International Hobie Class Association (IHCA) under the authority of US Sailing.

Rules

The 2019 Hobie Cat 16 World Championships will be governed by World Sailing Racing Rules of Sailing, the International Hobie Class Rules, and this Notice of Race except as any of these is altered by the Sailing Instructions. Rule 44.1 is changed so that the Two-Turns Penalty is replaced by the One-Turn Penalty. The use of VHF radios by competitors and coaches is strictly forbidden. Both “athlete” and “competitor” mean a person competing or intending to compete in the event. The term “support team” means coaches, team leaders and other support persons. Discretionary Penalty, [DP] denotes a rule for which the penalty is at the discretion of the Jury. This changes RRS 64.1. Standard Penalty, [SP] denotes a rule for which a standard penalty may be applied by the Race Committee without a hearing. This changes RRS 63.1, Appendix A4 and Appendix A5. Not Protestable, [NP] denotes a rule that shall not be grounds for protests by a boat. This changes RRS 60.1(a). The English text of this Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions will prevail.

Eligibility

The World Sailing Competitors’ Eligibility Code applies, this also applies to the qualifying crews selection. All competing skippers and crew members shall be paid-up members of a National Hobie Class Association or Hobie Fleet in good standing with the IHCA. Any competitor in the championship must be a national of the country of the Member National Authority which is entering him/her or which he/she represents. Each competitor shall present proof when requested by the OA.

[DP][NP]Advertising Category

The boats shall display advertising of the event sponsor(s) as required by the Organising Committee. Individual sponsorship conflicting with the event sponsor’s business category shall not be allowed. For more information, please contact the organisers. Competitors maybe be required to carry cameras from the OA; see Boats.

Entries

On-line entries will closed at 5 PM (17:00), 7th October 2019, Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).

Don’t worry, you can still enter on site at the South Seas Island Resort, and there are still opportunities to come and be part of the Hobie racing and fun.

Pre-Registration – Early Entry

Entries and non-refundable registration fees shall be received by 1st September 2019. An early entry discount applies. Dates and times are Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) and Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) when applicable; see Fees. Late entries may be accepted at the discretion of the Organising Authority.

Quotas

There will be three rounds in the Open Worlds:

1. Qualifier
2. Semi-Finals
3. Finals

Quotas for the seeded teams for the Semi-Finals are as follows:

IHCA Wild Cards must be requested from the IHCA Executive Director no later than 1 June 2019. Entries for the Semi- Final Regional Quotas will be forwarded by the IHCA Regional Chairman 25^th January 2019. The selection process for each region is:

Africa

Contact Regional Chairman

Europe

Contact Regional Chairman

North America

5 from the 2017 North American Championships
10 from the 2018 North American Championships
5 from the North American Ranking
Other positions selected by the HCANA Committee from high performers in their country.
Contact Regional Chairman

North Pacific

Hobie Asian Championships
Hong Kong 20 September – 1st October 2018
http://www.hobieclub.org.hk

South America

BrasCat 27 October 2018 Ilhabela/SP, Brazil
http://www.abchc.com.br

South Pacific

2 – 5 Jan 2019
Australian Championships, North Haven, South Australia
https://hobiecatnationals.com.au

Qualifier Series

The Qualifier Series is limited to 56 entries. Each of the six IHCA Regions will be given nine spots. The IHCA shall release two Qualifying reserved spots and any unused Regional spots to a first come after the 1^st March 2019. Competitor’s entering must supply evidence of competing in a minimum of three Hobie Class events from 1^stMarch 2017. This shall be verified from results and confirmation from the Regional Chairman of the IHCA in your region. Failure to comply will have your entry forfeited. Entries will be confirmed after 1st February 2019.

Fees

Registration fees are non-refundable and will be paid in US dollars. Entry fees include 6% Florida sales tax. The registration fees are payable to the Organizing Authority by Paypal only.

Payments shall be received by 1st September 2019 (close of entries) and shall include the details of entry. Late entries, if accepted, shall pay a non-refundable late entry fee. Regatta t-shirts may not be given to late entries.

 

Boats

Hobie Cat Company will supply boats to all teams. No other boats, sails or battens may be used during the event.

A refundable boat deposit of USD $500.00 will be required on site by every team. Damage deposits must be paid in cash in USD (US dollars). No other Currencies will be accepted.

No credit card payments will be accepted for damage deposits. Any damage to the boat will be the responsibility of the team using the boat unless otherwise determined by the decision of a jury in a protest hearing. In the event of damage to the boat the official beach crew will evaluate the damage and determine the cost to repair or replace damaged goods. The competitor’s damage deposit will be debited to cover the damage to the boat. If damage is more than the USD $500 damage deposit it will be the responsibility of the team that caused the damage to pay any additional charges over the USD $500 damage deposit and their damage deposit will be debited to pay for the damage.

In addition, to continue sailing in the event any damage deposit that has been debited will need to be paid up so that USD $500 remains with the Hobie Cat Company beach committee. In the event that damage is the result of a collision and there is a protest decision; the team that is held responsible for the collision is responsible for paying any damage as a result of the collision to the other boat.

Any damage deposit unused at the end of the event will be returned to the competitor.

The only allowable equipment additions to the boats shall be:

• additional non-permanent tell tails
• wind indicators
• compass
• class legal tiller extension

The factory supplied tiller extension yoke on the tiller crossbar shall not be removed. The OA may ask some competitors to carry cameras which will be mounted by the OA. Competitors are not allowed to add their own camera or mount to their boat. Competitors shall supply their own life jackets and trapeze harnesses.

On all racing days the first start of the day will be 1000 hours (10:00 am), local time (wind permitting).

Scoring System

The low point scoring system will apply. World Sailing RRS Appendix A.

Women’s World Championship

Skipper and crew shall be female.

Youth World Championship

To qualify for the Youth World Championship all members of the crew shall be under the age of 21 years of age on 31 December 2019.

Master’s International Cup

To qualify for the Master’s International division, the skipper shall be 45 years or over on 31 December 2019. (Subject to a minimum participation of 12 teams to grant International Cup status.)

Grand Master’s International Cup

To qualify for the Grand Master’s division, the skipper shall be 55 years or over on 31 December 2019. The age of crew members in Grand Master series is open. (Subject to a minimum participation of 8 teams to grant International Cup status.)

Great Grand Master’s International Cup

To qualify for the Grand Master’s division, the skipper shall be 65 years or over on 31 December 2019. The age of crew members in Great Grand Master series is open. (Subject to a minimum participation of 8 teams to grant International Cup status.)

International Jury

An International Jury shall be appointed by the IHCA for the Open, Women’s and Youth championships, and may be appointed for the, Master’s, Grand Master’s and Great Grand Master’s events. The decisions of the International Jury shall be final RRS 70.5

Sailing Instructions

The sailing instructions will be made available at registration.

Prizes

All finalists will receive awards. The first 3 teams in the Youth, Women’s, Master’s, Grand Master’s, and Great Grand Master’s will receive trophies; the first 10 teams in the Open event will receive special awards. The overall winner in the Open event will be declared the 2019 Hobie Cat 16 World Champion.

[DP][NP] Competitor’s Insurance

Each “person in charge” (see RRS46) shall have current third-party liability insurance with a minimum coverage of not less than $300,000 USD. Proof of this insurance must be presented at registration.

HOBIE 16 WORLDS LIABILITY INSURANCE UPDATE OCTOBER 11 2019

$300,000 Liability insurance and what does this mean?

The official Notice of Race lists the following:

[DP][NP] Competitor’s Insurance
Each “person in charge” (see RRS46) shall have current third-party liability insurance with a minimum coverage, of not less, than $300,000 USD. Proof of this insurance must be presented at registration.

What does this mean?

Each “person in charge” must have third party liability insurance in order to participate and this insurance must be valid in the USA.

For USA residents, we strongly suggest you make arrangements with whoever your usual liability insurance provider is to ensure you have $300,000 in liability coverage. Examples are a boat owner’s policy, a home owner’s policy, renter’s policy or an umbrella policy. You must provide a copy of the declaration page of your insurance policy as proof of coverage at registration.

For international competitors, the above-described options may also be available to you. You may also have options through your national sailing association. For example Australian Sailing has options to purchase insurance on their web site. You must show us documentation (in English) confirming your coverage and the amount must be shown.

GOOD NEWS FROM THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE

For those who do not have liability insurance, or do not have liability insurance, that is valid in the USA, the organizing authority has arranged for a policy that will fulfil your requirement to have third-party coverage. You can purchase this coverage from us at a cost of $100 USD before October 30, 2019, via the event web site link, or $125 USD on-site during registration. This coverage will be applied to the entire event and you only pay once even if you are sailing in multiple events. $100 is a flat fee and not prorated for the number of days you are sailing. We are offering this to assist competitors who have no other option.

To be absolutely clear, if you have insurance through your personal insurance provider showing the required coverage amount during registration, you do not need to pay this additional fee. You only need to show documentation confirming your $300,000 of personal liability coverage. ALL COMPETITORS MUST HAVE A CONFIRMED INSURANCE POLICY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EVENT.

On behalf of the Organising Committee

BUY NOW

[DP][NP] Private Boats & Exclusion Zone

Private Hobie 16s will not be permitted to sail on or near the course area during competition days 1-16 November 2019 inclusive. No coach boats will be allowed in the exclusion zone during this period. Failure to comply may have the entry or team removed from the competition.

Accommodation

The host hotel is the South Seas Island Resort. If you’re NOT staying at the South Seas Island Resort a compulsory daily resort fee will need to be paid to the host hotel to enter the hotel grounds were the boats are stored and racing from. Accommodation information and booking available from /about-resort/.

[DP][NP] MEDIA RIGHTS

By participating in the event competitors automatically grant to the Organizing Authority, Hobie Cat Worldwide and their sponsors, the right in perpetuity to make, use and show, from time to time at their discretion, any motion pictures and live, taped or filmed television and other reproductions of the athlete during the period of the competition without compensation. See our Liability Waiver and Model Release for full details.

Risk Statement

Competitors and support team participate in the series entirely at their own risk and they are reminded of the provisions of RRS 4, Decision to Race. Sailing is by its nature an unpredictable sport and therefore involves an element of risk. By taking part in the event, each competitor agrees and acknowledges that:

1. They are aware of the inherent element of risk involved in the sport and accept responsibility for the exposure of themselves, their crew and their boat to such inherent risk whilst taking part in the event;
2. They are responsible for the safety of themselves, their crew, their boat and their other property whether afloat or ashore;
3. They accept responsibility for any injury, damage or loss to the extent caused by their own actions or omissions;
4. By participating in any race, they are satisfied that their boat is in good order, equipped to sail in the event and they are fit to participate;
5. The provision of a race management team, patrol boats, and other officials and volunteers by the organizer does not relieve them of their own responsibilities;
6. The provision of patrol boat cover is limited to such assistance, particularly in extreme weather conditions, as can be practically provided in the circumstances.
7. It is their responsibility to familiarize themselves with any risks specific to this venue or this event drawn to their attention in any rules and information produced for the venue or event and to attend any safety briefing held for the event.

Weather information

Average maximum air temperature 83˚F/ 28˚ C
Average minimum air temperature 61˚F/ 18˚ C

For AIR FARES/TRANSPORTATION

• Fort Myers, FL (RSW / KRSW) is the closest international and domestic airport. It is approximately 35 miles/56 kilometres to Captiva Island, Florida.

Other International Airports

• Tampa International airport is approximately 170 miles (270 Kilometres)
• Orlando International Airport (Home of Disney World) is approximately 200 miles (320 Kilometres)

CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION

david.brookes@hobieclass.com /