Situation
The sailing instructions at an event contain the following statements:
x. When flag AP is displayed ashore, ‘1 minute’ is replaced with ‘not less than 30 minutes’ in the race signal AP.
y. Flag D with one sound means ‘The warning signal will be made not less than 30 minutes’ after flag D is displayed. Boats shall not leave the harbour until this signal is made.
z. The warning signal will be at 1 2.00.
With no wind foreseen in near future, AP over Numeral Pennant 3 is displayed ashore.
Question 1
Does sailing instruction ‘x’ apply to an AP over a numeral pennant?
Answer 1
Yes. At an event with such sailing instruction, that instruction applies to any AP displayed ashore, whether or not in combination with a numeral pennant.
Question 2
How long should AP over 3 be displayed?
Answer 2
AP should be removed not less than the number of minutes before the warning signal stated in the sailing instruction. In this case, the new warning signal will be at 15.00, so AP over 3 should be lowered no later than 14.30. For events including sailing instruction ‘y’, the sailors would expect to see flag D (or another signal) being displayed at the same time or shortly after AP is being removed.
Question 3
What signal (if any) should be displayed on the race committee signal vessel prior to the new warning signal?
Answer 3
Once the signal has been given that the boats may leave the harbour, it will be a good service to the sailors to display AP on the race committee signal vessel. Without an AP on the water, the warning signal should be given as per Race Signals, AP over a numeral pennant.
Question 4
If AP over 3 has been displayed ashore and race committee realizes that the wind will fill in even later, how can it signal this ashore?
Answer 4
The race committee may remove AP over 3 at any time (preferably as soon as possible), and soon after, display either AP, or AP over numeral pennant 4, 5 or 6 if it wants to specify a new postponement period. Any AP over a numeral pennant always relates to the original scheduled time for the warning signal (in this case 12.00).
Regardless of when the race committee removes AP over 3, the warning signal cannot be made before 15.00.
Note that all signals in this Q&A require the appropriate sound signal.