By now you are probably aware that there is a new possible starting system for Hobie Cat racing. The old style 10 minute start with the Yellow, Blue, Red flags is no longer used by ISAF, which is the worldwide body governing sailboat racing. IHCA has decided to allow both the old and new starting system to be used. This page will serve as a guide to how the new starting system works.

The first change in the starting procedure is the use of "Class" Flags. For the purposes of our racing a class flag is a flag that is used to designate all boats in a specific start. A typical regatta will have 2 or more starts. Each start may contain several different types of boats. In this system each start would have a unique class flag. Note that the flag does not represent any particular Fleet or type of boat, it represents the Start. In an effort to standardize which flags will be used for each class, IHCA has decided to use Numerical Pendants corresponding to the start number as Class Flags. A numerical pendant is a flag that represents a number. It is longer and skinnier then a Letter Flag. These are easy to distinguish from Letter flags by shape alone.

So in this case if you show up at a regatta and are told in the skippers meeting or read in the Sailing Instructions (SI's) that you are in the second start, your "Class" Flag would be:

Class Flag #2

The new Sequence is condensed into 5 minutes. It still includes a Warning, Preparatory, One Minute, and Start Signal similar to the old system, however the flags that represent them and actions that accompany them has changed. The warning signal is the Class Flag, as described above.

The Preparatory signal is usually the "P" flag. This replaces the blue flag in the old Sequence.

The "I" flag or The "Black" Flag may be used in place of the P flag. When the "I" flag is used, a boat that is over the starting line with less then 1 minute before the start called (OCS or on the Course side), must sail around either the Pin or Committee boat end of the line before it can start. This is often called the one-minute rule. If the Black flag is used, and a boat is OCS with less than 1 minute to start you are disqualified. If the race is Abandoned or Postponed before the start the boat can resail the race, however if it is abandoned or restarted after starting signal, a boat may not restart if it was OCS.

Signal	Visual Signal	Sound Signal	Time to start
Warning	"Class" Flag is raised or or or	One Horn  or blast	5 minutes
Preparatory	oror  Flag is raised	One Horn  or Blast	4 minutes
One-Minute	oror  Flag is lowered	One horn	1 minute
Start	"Class" Flag is lowered or or or	One Horn  or blast	0 (Start)

If there are multiple starts, The Race Committee (RC) has several options. If they want to do "Rolling Starts" i.e. one start every 5 minutes with no break in between, The RC just has to raise the Class flag of the next flag to start at the same time as they drop the class flag at the start of the previous class. If the RC wants a greater interval between starts, they can delay raising the class flag for the follow on class by whatever interval they want.

 For example, you are in the second start, Your sequence would go something like this.

1.  You hear a gun and see (Class Flag)             You have 5 minutes to start.

 
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4. The final gun goes off, The Class flag is lowered and you are starting

If there is an individual recall, the"X" Flag will be raised at the start and will remain up for 4 minutes or until all the OCS boats have restarted. One short blast will be sounded when it is raised.

If there is a General Recall, the (First Substitute) Flag will be raised at the start. All boats in that start must return to the starting area and wait for the next sequence. With the new sequence, the RC can't do a rolling restart. One minute after the recall flag is lowered, the warning (Class) flag goes back up and the sequence starts over again. Two blasts will sound when the recall flag is raised, one blast when it is lowered.

If the Postponement Flag "AP" is raised the all classes that have not started yet are postponed. The warning signal of the next class will be made 1 minute after the Postponement flag is lowered. Two short blasts will be sounded when it is raised, one blast when it is lowered.

If the Abandon Race "N" Flag is raised, all races that have started are abandoned. Return to the start area. The warning signal of the next class will be made 1 minute after the Abandon Race flag is lowered. Three short blasts will be sounded when it is raised, one blast when it is lowered.

If the RC decides to change the order of the starts, they can do so simply by raising the class flags in whatever order they want. If for instance the Hobie 16's are finishing 20 min after the Larger boats, the start order could be changed and they start first just by raising their class flag first. This allows more flexibility on the part of the RC.

If the RC decides to adjust the start line, they can do it with out a postponement; they just delay the warning signal of any class not yet started.

The Shorten Course "S" Flag can be flown near a rounding or finishing mark. It means the course has been shortened and you should finish between the mark and the boat that the S flag is displayed. There is a sound signal that accompanies the flag, 2 short blasts, sounded every minute or so.

The Change Course "C" Flag can be flown near a mark. It means the position of the next mark is changed. The marks boat may Have a + or _displayed indicating the new mark is farther away or closer then the previous mark. It may also display a compass heading to the next mark if it has been changed laterally. There is a sound signal that accompanies the flag, 1 short blasts, then 3 long blasts, then one short blast sounded every minute or so.

The Missing Mark "M" Flag means that the object displaying the flag replaces a mark that is missing or adrift. Usually flown from a mark's boat that is in approximate position of the missing mark. There is a sound signal that accompanies the flag, 1 short blasts, then 3 long blasts, then one short blast sounded every minute or so.

The Life jacket Flag "Y" may be flown from the Committee Boat. This means everyone must wear Personal Buoyancy (Life Jacket). This flag is usually not flown at Hobie regattas, the Y flag is assumed. I.e. everyone is required to wear personal buoyancy while sailing at the event.

The Blue Flag or blue shape means that the Committee boat is in position at the finish line

The "L" Flag Posted on Shore means that a notice to competitors has been posted on the official board. The L Flag posted on the water means "Come within Hailing Distance" or follow this boat. This is often used when the Committee boat relocates to a new spot between races. One blast is sounded when the L flag is raised.

Click this for a summary of all marine signal flags