STYC Ballard Cup III — Monday Night Racing Series
Vessel: R/22 "Patriot X" — Sail #2201
Team: Team Patriot Sailing
Event: STYC Ballard Cup III (6-race series)
Reference: Ballard Cup III NOR/SI, amended 5 Jul 2026; STYC GNOR/SI;
current RRS; USCG VTS Navigation Rules
Time Zone: All times local (America/Los_Angeles)
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1. SITUATION
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a. Area of Operations: Shilshole Bay Marina and adjacent Puget Sound
racing area (see STYC NOR Addendum B — Puget Sound Events — for
venue diagram and mark locations).
b. Friendly Forces: STYC Race Committee, on the water and monitoring
VHF channel 72; fellow competitors racing in PHRF Flying Sails,
PHRF Non-Flying Sails, and ORC divisions.
c. Attachments/Detachments: None. Volunteering Patriot X or crew for
Race Committee boat duty is an option STYC encourages (does not
harm series score — see Coordinating Instructions).
d. Dock Call: 1700, at the dry storage lot on the north end of the
marina. Enter through the gated door between the double cranes
and the bathrooms, behind the "Little Coney" food stand.
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2. MISSION
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Team Patriot Sailing deploys R/22 "Patriot X" (Sail #2201) to compete
in STYC Ballard Cup III, executing a safe, well-drilled start-to-finish
race in order to secure a top-3 class finish while building the crew's
teamwork and boat-handling proficiency.
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3. EXECUTION
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a. Concept of Operations: Race per the current Racing Rules of Sailing
as modified by the STYC General NOR/SI, these Sailing Instructions,
and USCG VTS Navigation Rules. Priority is a clean start, a safe
course around the RC-signaled marks, and a controlled finish — with
crew development as an explicit secondary objective.
b. Schedule of Events:
RACE DATE WARNING SIGNAL EST. START TIME LIMIT (DNF AFTER)
27 Jul 26 1810 ~1815 2030
3 Aug 26 1810 ~1815 2030
10 Aug 26 1810 ~1815 2030
17 Aug 26 1810 ~1815 2030
24 Aug 26 1810 ~1815 2030
31 Aug 26 1810 ~1815 2030
c. Course: Signaled by the RC boat using any combination of marks
N, B, E, M, R, U, W, 2; may also be announced on VHF 72. Confirm
course letters visually and by radio before the warning signal —
full mark descriptions and locations are in NOR Addendum B (not
attached; pull from STYC before race night).
d. Divisions: PHRF Flying Sails, PHRF Non-Flying Sails, and ORC.
Confirm Patriot X's assigned division/class break on styc.org
(posted by 2000 the Sunday before the first race) before racing.
e. Coordinating Instructions:
(1) No skippers' meetings are held for this series — crew is
responsible for checking the STYC Race Notice Board for
changes.
(2) SI changes post by 0900 the day they take effect; schedule
changes post by 1800 the day before. On-water changes are
announced via VHF and signaled with Flag Lima.
(3) Boats without a valid PHRF/ORC certificate stay clear of the
starting area until all classes have started.
(4) Comms failures (RC not transmitting, or crew not hearing a
transmission) are not grounds for redress — treat VHF 72 as
best-effort, not guaranteed, and keep eyes on the RC boat's
visual signals.
(5) Goal per the organizers: run as long a race as possible and
have the last finisher cross before dark — pace and daylight
awareness matter as much as boat speed.
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4. SUSTAINMENT / SERVICE SUPPORT
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a. Parking: Street parking advised; any space not marked with blue
lines is acceptable.
b. Personal Equipment: PFDs and gloves will be provided by the boat.
Crew brings attire appropriate to forecast conditions — a WARNO
will go out before each race night with expected weather.
c. Weather: Await the pre-race WARNO for wind, temperature, and
precipitation expectations; dress and rig accordingly.
d. Post-Race: Awards and social gathering at the Sloop Tavern, 2830
NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107, following racing (pending any
protests). Ballard Cup stickers awarded each race (gold/silver/
bronze); series trophies presented the night of the final race,
31 Aug.
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5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL
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a. Command: Team Skipper — Rick Meldrum. All crew and logistics
questions route through the Skipper first.
b. Signal:
(1) On-water: VHF channel 72 (STYC Race Committee).
(2) Skipper contact — email: meldrum.rick@uspatriotsailing.org
| phone: 808-640-7013.
(3) Race Committee / STYC: race@styc.org.
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NOTE: Items to confirm before race night — Patriot X's division/
class assignment, current NOR Addendum B (mark diagram), and the
pre-race WARNO with weather and any crew task assignments.
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