Failure to meet a Category 3 requirement is not subject to protest by another boat; this modifies R.R.S. 60.1.  The Race Committee may investigate a report of flagrant disregard of the Category 3 requirements and may file a protest based on its investigation.

The rules will be modified to allow for arbitration of protests.

The rules will be modified to allow for a 10 minute starting sequence.

R.R.S. 60.1 will be modified to eliminate a boat’s ability to enforce “luffing” rights between sunset to sunrise.

The rules will be modified to allow immediate disqualification of any competitor interfering with commercial traffic.

The rules will be modified to allow immediate disqualification if a boat is unavailable for inspection by the Race Committee after finishing but prior to the awards, unless prior arrangements have been made with the Principal Race Officer

Entry is not complete until the Organizing Authority receives a signed waiver and release from each skipper and crew member.  All waivers shall be turned in at registration at the Skippers’ Meeting.  In the event of a crew member substitution or addition after the Skippers’ Meeting, the new crew member must provide a signed waiver of liability prior to racing for that boat’s entry to remain valid.

Each boat entering an ORC Club fleet shall provide a copy of her current ORC Club certificate or current IMS certificate.  Boats may obtain ORC Club ratings by contacting the ORC Club Fleet Administrator at atodaro@sbcglobal.net.

Each boat entering a cruising fleet shall fill out the on line handicapping form or provide a copy of her current PHRF-GB certificate or ORC Club certificate

Primary berthing and event facilities will be located at Lakewood Yacht Club before the race and at Port Aransas City Marina and Island Moorings Yacht Club and Marina after the race.  The Sailing Instructions and the Harvest Moon Regatta Web site at www.harvestmoonregatta.com will contain additional information regarding the marina facilities.

The race will start at Galveston, Texas.  Boats will race to Port Aransas, Texas, leaving the Freeport outer buoy (RW “FP” Mo (A) WHIS), the Matagorda outer buoy (RW “MB” Mo (A) WHIS), and the Aransas Pass Ship Channel buoy (R”6” Fl R 4s BELL) to starboard.  The race will finish inside the jetties at Port Aransas, Texas.  The approximate course length is 153 miles.

The ORC Club spinnaker fleet will use performance line OFFSHORE scoring.  Information on ORC Club handicapping, and performance line scoring, can be found on the Offshore Racing Congress Web site at www.orc.org.  The cruising fleets will be scored based on PHRF time-on-distance scoring. The scoring method for the multi-hull fleet will be determined by the Texas Offshore Multihull Association.

Paragraph 9 is amended as follows:

The ORC Club Spinnaker fleet will be scored using the computerized Performance Curve Scoring System, which is based on the curves generated for each boat by a velocity prediction program. Actual course distance and configuration will be used. Information on ORC Club handicapping, and Performance Curve scoring, can be found on the Offshore Racing Congress Web site at www.orc.org. The cruising fleets will be scored based on PHRF time-on-distance scoring. The scoring method for the multi-hull fleet will be determined by the Texas Offshore Multihull Association.

The Port Aransas City Marina will be the primary regatta facility, with dockage on a first come, first served basis. Boats docking at City Marina may be required to raft up. Docking will also be available at Island Moorings Yacht Club and Marina where slip reservations will be taken.  Docking information will be updated when available on the regatta Web site: www.harvestmoonregatta.com.

Sailing is an activity that has an inherent risk of damage and injury. Competitors in this event are participating entirely at their own risk. See R.R.S. 4, Decision to Race. The Race Organizers (including Lakewood Yacht Club, Bay Access, Inc., the Race Committee, the Harvest Moon Regatta Committee, the sponsors of the Harvest Moon Regatta, the Protest Committee, and/or their respective members, officers, board of directors, staff or representatives) will not be responsible for damage to any boat or other property or the injury to any competitor, including death, sustained as a result of participation in this event, regardless of the fact that such damage may be, in whole or in part, due to negligence. By participating in this event, each competitor agrees to release the Race Organizers from any and all liability associated with such competitor’s participation in this event to the fullest extent permitted by law, whether caused in whole or in part by negligence. Neither the adoption of Category 3 requirements, their use and modification by the Organizing Authority, nor the inspection of a boat in any way reduces the complete and unlimited responsibility of the skipper. It is the sole and exclusive responsibility of the skipper and crew of a boat to decide whether or not to start or continue in a sailing event.

Until the start of the race, the Official Notice Board will be online at www.harvestmoonregatta.com. Amendments to the Notice of Race or to the Sailing Instructions will be posted there, and will also be made available at the Lakewood Yacht Club office. After the race start, the Official Notice Board will be located in the City Marina Pavilion in Port Aransas, Texas.