Second Annual Beetle Cat Boat & Rhodes 19 Challenge Race August 29, 2026 Notice of Race
1. VENUE
The racing will be held on the Providence River, within the area of Edgewood Basin, east of the Edgewood Yacht Club, 3 Shaw Road, Cranston, Rhode Island 02905.
2. RULES
2.1 The race will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing,
2.2 The Edgewood Yacht Club's Tuesday Evenings PHRF & Beetle Racing Sailing Instructions.
3. BOATS
3.1. Beetle Cat Boats that shall comply with the New England Cat Boat Association Racing Rules.
3.2. Privately Owned Rhodes 19s either the full keel or the center board models.
3.3. Edgewood Sailing School owned Rhodes 19s either the full keel or the center board model.
3.4. Non Edgewood Yacht Club member Skippers (guests) may bring their own authentic Beetle Cat Boat or Rhodes 19.
3.4.1. For the purpose of this race each of the named boats in 3.3 will be considered in a class as named in this Notice of Race.
3.4.1(a) Class One (1) Beetle Cat Boat
3.4.1(b) Class Two (2) privately owned Rhodes19 Spinnaker
3.4.1(c) Class Three (3) privately owned Rhodes19 Non-Spinnaker
3.4.1(d) Class Four (4) Edgewood Sailing School Rhodes19 Spinnaker
3.4.1(e) Class five (5) Edgewood Sailing School Rhodes19 Non-Spinnaker
3.5. For a Class to be given a start in this race there must be three (3) boats registered in the class.
3.6. Guests may make arrangements for bringing, launching and hauling their boats by contacting the Edgewood Yacht Club's Beetle Cat Boat & Rhodes 19 Challenge Race Chairpersons (Bill Grenga at billgrenga10091948@verizon.net or Bob Barto at bartror@aol.com.
3.7. Sailors who do not have a boat to use in this race may borrow a Beetle through the EYC Borrow-A-Boat Program or from the Edgewood Sailing School.
3.8. Boat Borrowers must have demonstrated familiarity & ability to sail the Beetle or Rhodes prior to handing in their Race registration forms.
3.8.1. Borrowers of boats must complete & hand in a signed Borrow A Boat Form (available from the
3.8.2. Competitors who are borrowing a boat should inspect the assigned boat for its sea worthiness prior to leaving the mooring.
3.8.2 (a) If a Skipper is not comfortable with the boat initially assigned, they should notify the Chairperson prior to leaving the mooring.
3.8.2.(b) Competitors who are borrowing a boat will not have an option to change boats once they leave the mooring.
4. ELIGIBILITY & ENTRY
4.1. All Sailors who are capable of being a skipper or crew of a Beetle Cat Boat or Rhodes 19 may participate in this race.
4.2. Eligible sailors may enter by completing the attached Skipper's Participation Form and hand it to the Race Chairperson before the scheduled Skippers' Meeting.
5. REGISTRATION
5.1 All required forms must be handed to the Race Chairperson prior to the Skippers' Meeting on the day of the Race.
5.2 Skippers must register into one of the classes designated in 3.4.1 (a through e).
6. FEE
6.1. The fee to participate in this race is $25.00 per sailor (skipper or crew).
7. SCHEDULE
7.2. Race Date: Saturday, August 29, 2026
7.3. Alternative dates are September 5,19,26 2026 if the race is postponed.
7.4. The Skippers' Meeting is scheduled to start at 0900 hours (9:00 am).
7.5. The scheduled time of the Warning signal for the race will be thirty (30)minutes after the Skippers' Meeting.
7.6 The time limit for the race is 2 hours after the last class starts.
7.6.1 The Race Committee PRO will be the official time keeper.
7.7 If one boat sails the course within the time limit, the race shall be considered completed, and all boats shall be scored.
7.8 If no boat sails the course before the race time limit, that race shall be abandoned and no boat will be scored.
7.9 If one boat sails the course, any boat that does not finish within 15 minutes of the first boat in it class to finish shall be scored as Did Not Finish (DNF), and given a score of the number of boat in the class +1.
8. NUMBER OF RACES
8.1 There is one race scheduled for each class that starts.
9. STARTING SYSTEM
9.1 Each Class will have its own starting sequence.
9.2 Before each class's Starting Sequence the Race committee will give a series of short quick sounds followed by an announcement (with the Bullhorn) of the Class number to start.
9.3. Audible-Signal Racing System (Appendix U) will be used (page 150 in The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2025-2028 US Sailing publication).
9.4 Individual or general recalls will be orally announced using the bullhorn and hoisting flag X for individual recall or the First Substitute for general recall.
10. RACING AREA & COURSES
10.1 The starting area will either be off the east end of the "T" dock, or East & outside of the EYC Mooring field.
10.1.1 When starting and finishing off the east end of the "T" dock, the starting & finishing line is between a buoy anchored close to the dock and a buoy anchored farther away from the dock.
10..1.2. When the racing area is outside (East) of the EYC mooring field, the starting & finishing line is between the orange flag on the committee boat (the Gee Flat) and the yellow tetrahedron at the pin end of the line.
10.2. Each Class will have its own course as shown on a chart to be handed out at the skippers meeting.
10.2.1 The courses will not be the typical triangle or windward-leeward design.
10.2.2. The courses to be sailed will be bound by set marks (yellow or orange tetrahedrons) & government aids to navigation.
10.2.3. The race committee may not change the courses prior to the skippers meeting.
11. RADIO COMMUNICATION
11.1 Except in an emergency, a boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats. This restriction also applies to mobile telephones.
11.2 The Race Committee will monitor Channel 73 during the regatta.
11.3 The Edgewood Yacht Club launch, Jubilee, monitors Channel 14.
12. PROTESTS
12.1 The host organization shall provide a Protest Committee and conduct any protest hearings according to The Racing Rules of Sailing
13. PRIZES
13.1 The first place finishing boat in each class will have their names listed on the perpetual trophy which will be kept in the Edgewood Yacht Club, as well as receive a winners keepers award.
14. INSURANCE
14.1 Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance as per the Edgewood Yacht Club marina & mooring contract.
15. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
15.1 Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See rule 3, Decision to Race, of The Racing Rules of Sailing.
15.2 The organizing authority or race committee will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the regatta.
16. POST RACING SOCIAL
16.1 All competitors, Race Committee, support personnel, & spectators are welcome to enjoy the post racing party. Free of charge.
17. FURTHER INFORMATION
17.1 Because this is a fund raising event for the EYC BEETLE Fleet & the Edgewood Sailing School donations of any size given by sailors, race committee members, spectators, or friends are welcomed
17.2 Please contact the Edgewood Yacht Club's Beetle & Rhodes 19 Race Committee PRO at racecommittee@edgewoodyachtclub.com or The Edgewood Yacht Club's co-Chairpersons, Bill Grenga at email: billgrenga10091948@verizon.net or Bob Bartro at email bartror@aol.com