BENSON CUP

Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions

A race around Waldron Island on Saturday, October 3, 2026

Orcas Island Yacht Club is pleased to invite you to the 2026 edition of our annual Benson Cup on Saturday, October 3rd, 2026. This is our club's end-of-season race, and we welcome our friends from other clubs to join us. As is traditionally done, net proceeds will be donated to the Orcas Island Children's House non-profit, which provides a dynamic play-based curriculum that prepares children for kindergarten and life. Children's House is committed to giving every child a chance to come to school, regardless of their family's ability to pay.

1. Rules

1.1The race will be governed by The Racing Rules of Sailing (2025–2028) and the prescriptions of the U.S. Sailing Association.

1.2The rules of PHRF-NW shall apply. All boats must have a valid 2026 PHRF certificate or be listed on the current PHRF-NW roster. The current PHRF-NW Class Rules and active-member roster are available at phrf-nw.org.

1.3RRS Appendix T and Rule V1 in Appendix V will apply.

1.4U.S. Sailing Safety Equipment Requirements (SER) for “Nearshore” shall apply to all boats. The current Nearshore SER document is available from US Sailing at ussailing.org.

1.5RRS 52, Manual Power, is amended to include: Boats sailing single- or double-handed are allowed to use autopilot mechanisms for sail changes and other situations where having one crew member assigned to steering the yacht may compromise the safety of crew and craft.

1.6A boat rated by her handicap class in consideration of water ballast may use water ballast as rated. This changes RRS 51.

1.7[DP] RRS 40.1 applies. Each competitor shall wear a personal flotation device at all times while racing, except briefly while changing or adjusting clothing or personal equipment.

2. Registration

2.1The entry fee is $30.00 with online registration required before the race starts. Proceeds net of payment fees go to Orcas Island Children's House. Any additional gift to the OICH can be made voluntarily at the time of registration.

3. Classes

3.1The fleet may be split into multiple classes. Class breaks will be published 24 hours prior to the race on the event website.

4. Communications

4.1Updates to this NOR and SIs will be posted on the event website.

4.2The race committee will monitor VHF channel 68 and use this channel for the starting sequence.

4.3Notices to competitors may be made on VHF channel 68. Failure to do so, the failure to hear the communication, or any other issues regarding the communication shall not constitute grounds for redress. This changes RRS 61.4(b)(1).

4.4On the water, the PRO may make oral changes to the sailing instructions on VHF 68 before the warning signal. The race committee will obtain acknowledgement of the change from each boat. (See RRS 90.2(c).)

5. Course

5.1The start will be off the northeast corner of Jones Island in Spring Passage, between the permanent marker at 48° 37.217' N / 123° 02.562' W and the orange flag on the committee boat. The pin end area of the line is an obstruction, so watch the depth. If the race committee cannot set the line as described, it may move into the cove and instruct the fleet on VHF radio as to how the new line will work. The starting direction will be from south to north.

5.2A race committee member may attempt to notify OCS boats by VHF radio. Failure to notify will not be grounds for a request for redress. This changes RRS 61.4(b)(1).

5.3The course is around Waldron Island, in either direction.

5.4The finish will be at the same location as the start. The finishing direction will be from north to south.

5.5The full course will be scored using the time-on-distance formula, with a course distance of 15 nautical miles. If the alternate short course (see 13.2) is used, scoring will instead be done using time-on-time (see 13.3).

6. Schedule

6.1The warning signal is scheduled for 1055. The starting signal is scheduled for 1100. The race committee may delay the starting sequence. All classes will start together, using RRS 26.

6.2All boats MUST check in with the race committee before the scheduled start time. The race committee will acknowledge a check-in with the boat's name and/or sail number. It is the responsibility of each boat to ensure that the race committee acknowledges her check-in.

6.3The time limit for the race is 1700. If no boat sails the course within that time, the race will be abandoned (see RRS 35).

7. Social/Moorage

7.1After the finish there will be a gathering at the public dock on Jones Island to eat, drink, and tell stories at the end of the day. This is a BYOB.

8. Protests

8.1Protests will be heard at the conclusion of the race at the Jones Island State Park dock, or via phone or video conference if parties are not present. Forms will not be provided.

8.2RRS 60.2(a)(1) is changed by adding: A boat intending to protest shall also inform the race committee by VHF 68 or in person as soon as reasonably possible after finishing or retiring.

8.3The protest time limit will be 30 minutes from the time of the last boat to finish, or 1730, whichever is earlier.

9. Safety

9.1Each boat must have a VHF radio and charts of the race area.

9.2A boat retiring from the race is required to notify the race committee before leaving the race area or as soon as possible thereafter. The race committee will monitor VHF channel 68. You may also call or text 360-317-4053.

9.3The race committee reserves the right to cancel or postpone due to unsafe conditions. However, the fact that the race committee has not canceled a race, nor the fact that other boats are still racing, should not be interpreted to mean that conditions are necessarily safe for all vessels. It is the responsibility of the individual yacht to decide when conditions are unsafe for their vessel and to take appropriate safety measures.

9.4Vessels may not approach within 1000 yards of a southern resident killer whale. This includes positioning a vessel so that the prevailing wind or water current carries the vessel into the path of the whale at any point located within 1000 yards of the whale. Boaters are obligated to disengage the transmission (move away) of a vessel that is within 1000 yards of a southern resident whale.

10. Awards

10.1If two or more classes are designated by the race committee and published on the event website, as provided in 3.1, there will be class scoring in addition to overall scoring. If only one class is published on the website, there will be overall scoring only.

10.2Awards will be provided for first, second, and third in each class based on corrected time. The first overall finisher based on corrected time will also be memorialized on the perpetual event trophy.

11. Insurance

11.1The owner must have third-party liability insurance for their boat, applicable for sailboat racing, having a minimum coverage of $500,000. Insurance must specifically cover racing and allow for “permissive use” if a skipper other than the owner is the person in charge.

12. Liability

12.1Sailing is an activity that has an inherent risk of damage and injury. Competitors in this event are participating entirely at their own risk. See RRS 3, Decision to Race. The race organizers (Orcas Island Yacht Club, organizing authority, race committee, protest committee, sponsors, OIYC Board members, or any other organization or official) 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. 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.

13. Alternate Short Course

13.1In the event that the wind looks to be too light to make it all the way around Waldron Island, an alternate short course may be used. The course will use the same starting line as previously described. START, then leave Flat Top Island to PORT and then leave Jones Island to PORT. FINISH by crossing the same line as the start of the race while sailing NORTH, leaving the permanent marker at 48° 37.217' N / 123° 02.562' W to PORT and the committee boat to STARBOARD.

13.2Before the start, the race committee will decide, based on a survey of the fleet, whether the alternate short course will be used, and if so, whether it will be sailed once or twice. This decision will not be changed once the fleet has started.

13.3If the alternate short course is used, scoring will be done using time-on-time.

13.4The decision under 13.2 will be communicated to the fleet on VHF channel 68 before the starting sequence begins.

Contact information: fleetcaptainsail@oiyc.org