Race Registration

Ensuring Fair and Competitive Racing

Racers close up heading for a mark rounding

All boats participating in NSC or BYC-hosted events must complete a Race Registration form, possess valid insurance, and hold a current PHRF certificate if required.

PHRF racers are required to pay a certificate fee of $44.25 + HST ($50.00 total). Additionally, owners must maintain a minimum level of liability insurance. By registering for the NSC racing program, the skipper and crew accept responsibility for fulfilling race committee duties. If you are unable to use the online portal, you can download a generic Race Registration form (pdf or MS Word format), sign it, and submit it along with your mooring payment to the office. If payment is made online, you may scan and email the form to Race-Registration. Racers who have not fulfilled their Race Committee commitments in previous years must sign up for RC duty before registering. Please note that regular crew members are expected to be club members.

Important Reminder: Race with the Sail Number You Register With

Racers should be aware that the Sailing Instructions, they must race using the sail number with which they registered. Using different numbers can cause significant issues for the Race Committee and can only be temporarily accepted.

Answering Frequently Asked Questions

Occasionally, a question arises regarding the inability to sail on Tuesday nights with my JAM handicap, even without a spinnaker. The following text aims to address this inquiry comprehensively.

Understanding PHRF Handicaps

To comprehend the restrictions, it’s crucial to understand how PHRF handicaps are determined and the relationship between Flying Sail (FS) handicaps and Non-Flying Sail (NFS) handicaps. Most applicants receive an NFS handicap for JAM racing, while FS handicaps are only assigned to boats with spinnakers, verified through measurement and inclusion on their PHRF-LO certificate. Typically, FS handicaps are approximately 18 seconds/mile faster than NFS handicaps, but this difference varies.

FS and NFS handicaps are determined and adjusted independently. FS boats are compared only with other FS boats, and NFS boats are compared solely with other NFS boats. There is no analysis of FS boats racing against NFS boats. PHRF-Lake Ontario recommends that FS and NFS boats should not race together to maintain accurate race data for analysis purposes. NSC receives a discount of $5 per boat for submitting race data for PHRF-LO’s analysis.

Reasons for Not Mixing FS and NFS Boats

Mixing FS and NFS boats presents several challenges. Boats sailing with spinnakers follow different angles downwind than JAM boats. A boat without a spinnaker can sail as high as they want, potentially creating an unfair situation by luffing an overtaking spinnaker-equipped boat. Furthermore, JAM boats are typically slower, and if the fleet spreads out too much, it limits the Race Committee’s ability to change the course and delays result in announcements.

The above was published on 2009-05-25, reflecting what, at that time, had been club protocol for years. This protocol has been consistently applied ever since.

Joining Without Registering: Not Permissible

The answer is no. While NSC welcomes new racers, it is crucial to register before participating. Even if you only have time for a few races, registration ensures compliance with insurance requirements and equal adherence to racing rules. Your presence, regardless of the number of races, is as significant as any other registered participant. However, joining a race “just for practice” is not an option.

Early May Race Registration Status

To check who has already registered in early May, please visit this page. It provides an updated list of registered participants, allowing everyone to confirm their registration status.

Late Registration and the “NR” Code

Some inquiries arise regarding the “NR” code, which stands for “Not Registered.” This section aims to clarify its application and origin.

Competitors who have not completed all registration requirements will be scored as NR and will not appear in the results. The conditions for registration include completing and signing the race registration form, submitting a PHRF application (for most keelboat racing), paying the associated PHRF fee, and signing up for volunteer RC duty. Failure to fulfill these requirements will result in the boat not being registered, as outlined in the Sailing Instructions.

The NR code was introduced to notify competitors that their presence was noted, but they weren’t scored due to incomplete registration. The NR code simplifies the process of identifying and resolving the issue for both competitors and the Scoring Inquiry Coordinator.

NR Code and Retroactive Changes

Once scored as NR, a boat’s finishes for races sailed prior to registration completion will not be re-scored retroactively. The only exception occurs if it is determined that the boat had completed registration appropriately, and any error or omission was due to the organizing authority’s mistake.

The NR code serves as a necessary deterrent, encouraging timely registration and ensuring a smooth system. Processing a registration received after the sailing season’s start usually takes 1-2 weeks. It’s important to note that approximately 90% of NSC boats complete registration before the end of April.

Registration Process for Boats from Le centre de voile Grande-Rivière (CVGR)

Boats from CVGR can register for Interclub racing through either BYC or NSC.

CVGR boats intending to race in Interclub events should first pay CVGR for their PHRF certificate and coordinate with the CVGR Handicapper for certificate renewal or issuance. Boats registering through NSC should download the generic Race Registration form (PDF or MS Word format), complete it, sign it, and scan/email it to Race Registration by mid-April. Late registrations are also accepted but expect a processing time of about one week, assuming a valid PHRF certificate is already held.

CVGR boats are welcome to participate in NSC’s volunteer Race Committee program, although it is not a registration requirement. Signing up for RC duty is a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow competitors.

Reminder: Sail with the Registered Sail Number

To avoid complications for the Race Committee, racers must adhere to the requirement in the Sailing Instructions to race with the sail number they registered with. Temporary acceptance of different numbers is not recommended.

For more information, email Race-Registration.

2015
05 May: HM: Added this update log. (Previous update 2014-12-20.) Original version of this page dates to 2006-01-13.
Changed “Pre-printed Race Registration forms will be sent to all boat owners with their mooring invoices in early February” to “…are sent … each year.”
15 Jun: HM: Added link to https://nsc.wmtest.ca/an/racing/race-registration/racing-without-registering/.
28 Jun: HM: In 4th para, added link to race-crew-memberships page.
2016
16 Jan: HM: Updated the “Page updated” date, to indicate that information remains current, but no other changes made.
24 Jan: HM: Changed link to Word version of registration form from “.doc” to “.docx”.
14 May: DS: link to new “why can’t I” wordpress page.
19 Jul: HM: Updated link to “why can’t I”.
12 Nov: HM: Added link to https://nsc.wmtest.ca/an/racing/phrf/mid-season-handicap-changes/.
2017
24 May: HM: Updated link to lists of registered boats.
24 Jun: HM: Changed mailto link to Race-registration@nsc.ca instead of Handicapper@nsc.ca.
2018
14 Jan: HM: Updated with 2018 PHRF fees ($36 & $33, + HST). Changed references from “Pre-printed” to “Pre-filled”.
2019:
02 Feb: HM: Updated with 2019 PHRF fees ($40 & $36, + HST). Changed reference to point to Northstar registration “form”, with associated changes and links.
11 Jul: HM: Added link at bottom to new CVGR Registration page. Deleted “http://nsc.ca” in hyperlinks. I.e. made hyperlinks relative links.
2020
11 Jan: HM: Updated wording for 2020.

2021-05-25, HM: Added “not yet valid for 2021” for the online portal.
2021-05-28, HM: Added link to Northstar for 2021.
2021-06-01, HM: Added last line, “For more information, send an email to Race-Registration at nsc.ca.

2022-03-24, HM: Updated link to Northstar for 2022. Updated fees to $44/$40+HST.
2022-03-27, HM: Changed deadline for discount from April 1 to April 24.
2022-06-10, HM: Moved something in update log that was out of order.

NOTE: Update the publish date and time when updating page.