Rule Changes
Important Changes are adopted for the 2006 R/CU season Some important rule and policy changes, which effect all R/CU racers, were adopted at the March Contest Board meeting, held on March 26th, at the Palace Restaurant. The changes are all being implemented in an effort to offer membership and racing fans a safer, more enjoyable experience. All R/CU racers are expected to review and understand these changes to insure effective implementation. A complete description of the ruling and other Contest Board decisions are available to all members in the R/CU Contest Board meeting Minutes, posted in the Members section of the R/CU website.
Noise Rule Will Be Enforced
In past years, we have been a bit lax about enforcing the noise rule.
This year, it will be enforced. Any boat registering over 90db, as measured by the R/CU Inspector, will be cited with a one race warning. Failure to reduce emitted noise to below 90 db by the next race will result in disqualification from racing. The decibel rule was designed to help us keep race sites by addressing the main public complaint against our visits. This year, we will be enforcing the rule in an effort to engender the good will of new and old racing sites.
Buoy Cutting During the Mill
This year, boats that cut a buoy during the mill will get a break.
The new rule is as follows: “Any boat that cuts a corner buoy between the three minute gun and the 30 second notification can avoid the mandatory one lap penalty by completing the mill without cutting the course again. A second buoy cutting infraction will result in an automatic one lap penalty.“
Testing Day Flag System Adopted
This year, during testing and/or qualifying days, a flag system will be employed to indicate to all racers whether the course is open or closed. When the green flag is posted, the course is open for testing. When the red flag is raised, there is a dead boat on the course and no more boats can be launched. All boats still out on the course must return to the pits before completing another two laps.
Drivers Meetings
All drivers will be expected to leave their individual pits and come to the drivers stand for the drivers meeting. Racers will be expected to give the meeting their full attention.
Safety Inspections at the First Race
Board members, led by Inspector Lee Robertson, will be asking all racers to open up their hatches and cowlings for a pre-season safety inspection this year. Of particular interest are the couplings and linkages to your rudder, antenna hookups, and other key components governing the safe running of your boat. If you do not have a solid, stainless steel, all-thread push rod, epoxied into a carbon fiber tube, with a metal output arm on your heavy duty rudder servo and a very substantial clevis link to your rudder, now is the time to improve your system for safe operation! Nylon clevises and plastic output arms, rudder connections which rely upon a single set screw, and shaky antenna hookups will be black flagged in the name os safety.
5 Boat Heats
To make the racing, well, more race like, we are going to try to modify the boat draw system so that all heats contain either five or six boats and never four or less. this change may take some time to implement, but we expect it to happen this season.
MOST IMPORTANT: Time To Re-read Your R/CU Rulebook!
Of course, this is the perfect time of year to re-read your R./CU rule book. the rules are easy to forget, complex, and critical to the success of any race. we all are expected to officiate, which is only right and proper. Be prepared this season to do the best officiating job possible by re-reading your R/CU rule book. what? You can’t find yours? Just email
Troy or
Chet to get your new copy right away!
Below is a list of some additional rule book info:
Section VI continued (Page 13 update)
3. No boat shall enter the race course prior to the three-minute mark.
4. Immediately following a boats launch, the boat must round the left turn. The intent of this rule is to force a launched boat to enter the main straightaway parallel rather than perpendicular to the flow of straightaway traffic. Any boat violating this rule shall be required to complete a “full-mill” till the start of the heat..(see Section VI, F-11 “Full-mill” penalty below) If the violation occurs during the :30 second period, a one lap penalty will be assessed.
5. Milling boats may “cut” the course only from the front stretch (between the exit buoy of turn four and the entrance buoy of turn one) and can enter the back stretch only between the exit buoy of turn two and the entrance buoy of turn three. Any boat violating this rule shall be required to complete a “full-mill” penalty. Following the five-second mark, no boat may enter the infield of the course. Any boat violating this rule shall be assessed a one-lap penalty.
6. If a provisional or “trailer” boat is used in a final heat, it may enter the course prior to the thirty-second mark during the countdown. The “trailer” will use the exit buoy of turn four as its start line unless moved to another location by officials. If all heat entrants are not on the course moving forward with their engines running at the thirty-second mark, the “trailer” automatically becomes a final heat entrant and may start at the primary start line.
7.The alternate boat (if applicable) for the final heat may enter the course prior to the thirty-second mark during the countdown. If all heat entrants are not on the course moving forward with their engines running at the thirty-second mark, the alternate automatically becomes a final heat entrant and may start the heat. Otherwise, the alternate must pull to the infield and shut down or return to, or remain within the pit area.
8. Any boat not on the course, moving forward with it’s engine running at the thirty-second mark shall automatically pull to the infield and shut down, or return to, or remain in the pits. Any entrant not conforming to this rule shall be automatically disqualified from the heat and be subject to further disciplinary action.
9. To make a legal start, a boat must round all buoys of the turn preceding the starting line and then cross the starting line no sooner than the start of the race (zero-second mark). The starting buoy and each of the aforementioned turn buoys must be kept to the right of the boat. (The "no changing lanes from the exit to the start buoy" has been dropped.)
10. Any boat which crosses the starting line during the period between the five second mark and race start (zero-second mark) shall be declared an illegal starter and be assessed a one-lap penalty.
11. Any boat that cuts a buoy during the mill period between the 3 minute mark to the :30 second mark shall receive a “full-mill” penalty. A full-mill penalty requires that a boat must continue full laps around the course and is not allowed to cut through the infield until the beginning of the heat. If, during the same period, a boat commits a “right-of-way” infraction or causes a collision with another boat, it will receive a one-lap penalty. All infractions that occur during the period from the :30 second mark to the start will incur a one-lap penalty. A full-mill penalty will not count as one of the three one-lap penalties that lead to the disqualification of a boat.