[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 158 (Friday, August 15, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43641-43642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-21809]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 100

[CGD07-97-031]
RIN 2115-AE46


Special Local Regulations: Hurricane Offshore Classic, St. 
Petersburg, FL

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing permanent special local 
regulations for the Hurricane Offshore Classic. This event will be held 
annually during the third Saturday and Sunday of August, between 11 
a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). There will be 
approximately 400 participants and spectator craft. The resulting 
congestion of navigable channels creates an extra or unusual hazard in 
the navigable waters. These regulations are necessary to provide for 
the safety of life on navigable waters during the event.

DATES: August 15, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LTJG B.V. Howard, Coast Guard Group, 
St. Petersburg, FL at (813) 824-7533.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Regulatory History

    In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553, the final rule will be made 
effective in less than 30 days from the date of publication in the 
Federal Register. Following normal rulemaking procedures would be 
impracticable and contrary to the public interest. A notice of proposed 
rulemaking was published on 16 July 1997 (62 FR 38042) with a twenty 
day comment period. The final rule will be made effective in less than 
thirty days in order to hold the event. No comments were received 
during the comment period.

Discussion of Regulations

    The regulations are needed to provide for the safety of life during 
the Hurricane Offshore Classic. These regulations are intended to 
promote safe navigation on the waters off St. Petersburg during the 
races by controlling the traffic entering, exiting, and traveling 
within these waters. The anticipated concentration of spectator and 
participant vessels associated with the Hurricane Offshore Classic 
poses a safety concern, which is addressed in these special local 
regulations. No anchoring will be permitted west of turns 1 and 4 nor 
west of turns 2 and 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT.
    Approximately 300 spectator craft will be permitted near the race 
area, but will be required to stay clear of the race lanes. The 
proposed regulations would also permit anchoring for spectators north 
of the northern straightaway and south of the southern straightaway, 
but only in the designated spectator area defined in 2.(b)(2) below.
    All vessel traffic, not involved in the Hurricane Offshore Classic, 
entering or exiting the Vinoy Basin between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. EDT must 
transit around the racecourse, taking action to avoid a close-quarters 
situation until finally past and clear of the racecourse. All vessel 
traffic, not involved with the Hurricane Offshore Classic, transiting 
the area off Coffeepot Bayou, The Pier, and Bayboro Harbor should 
exercise extra caution and take action to avoid a close-quarters 
situation until finally past and clear of the racecourse.

Regulatory Evaluation

    This rule is not a significant regulatory action under Section 3(f) 
of the Executive Order 12866 and does not require an assessment of the 
potential costs and benefits under Section 6(a)(3) of that Order. It 
has been exempted from review by the Office of Management and Budget 
under that order. It is not significant under the regulatory policies 
and procedures of the Department of Transportation (DOT) (44 FR 11040; 
February 26, 1979).
    The Coast Guard expects the economic impact of this proposed rule 
to be so minimal that a full Regulatory Evaluation under paragraph 10e 
of the regulatory policies and procedures of DOT is unnecessary. This 
regulation will last for approximately 8 hours each day for two days.

Small Entities

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the 
Coast Guard considers whether this rulemaking will have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. ``Small 
entities'' include small businesses, not-for-profit organizations that 
are independently owned and operated and are not dominant in their 
fields, and governmental jurisdictions with populations of less than 
50,000.
    Therefore, the Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605 (b) that 
this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities as the regulation will be in effect for 
approximately eight hours in a limited area only two days each year.

Collection of Information

    These regulations contain no collection of information requirements 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Federalism

    This action has been analyzed in accordance with the principles and 
criteria contained in Executive Order 12612, and it has been determined 
that the rulemaking does not have sufficient Federalism implications to 
warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

Environmental Assessment

    The Coast Guard has considered the environmental impact of this 
proposal consistent with Section 2.B.2. of Commandant Instruction 
M16475.1B. In accordance with that section, this action has been 
environmentally assessed (EA completed), and the Coast Guard has 
concluded that it will not significantly affect the quality of the 
human environment. An Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No 
Significant Impact have been prepared and are available in the docket 
for inspection and copying.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 100

    Marine Safety, Navigation (water), Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Waterways.

Final Regulations

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Coast Guard amends Part 100 
of Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:
    1. The authority citation for Part 100 continues to read as 
follows:

PART 100--[AMENDED]

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1233; 49 CFR 1.46, 33 CFR 100.35.

    2. A new section 100.728 is added to read as follows:


Sec. 100.728  Special Local Regulations; Hurricane Offshore Classic, 
St. Petersburg, FL.

    (a) Regulated area. The regulated area is formed by a line drawn 
from position 27 deg.46.9'N, 082 deg.37.45'W (onshore at North Shore 
Park) east southeast to position 27 deg.46.39'N, 082 deg.32.65'W; 
thence due south to position 27 deg.44.67'N, 082 deg.32.65'W; thence 
due west to position 27 deg.44.67'N, 082 deg.37.45'W (onshore just 
south of

[[Page 43642]]

Lassing Park). All coordinates referenced use Datum: NAD 83.
    (b) Special local regulations. (1) Entry into the regulated area by 
other than event participants is prohibited unless authorized by the 
patrol commander designated by Coast Guard Group St. Petersburg, 
Florida.
    (2) Spectator craft will be permitted near the race area, but will 
be required to stay clear of the race lanes. Anchoring for spectator 
craft is permitted north of the northern straightaway and south of the 
southern straightaway, but only in the designated spectator area 
between 27 deg.46.62N, 082 deg.37.00W to 27 deg.46.80N, 082 deg.34.72W 
and 27 deg.46.52N, 082 deg.37.00W to 27 deg.46.70N, 082 deg.34.72W for 
the northern area and 27 deg.46.25N, 082 deg.37.00W to 27 deg.45.90N, 
082 deg.34.72W and 27 deg.46.15N, 082 deg.37.00W to 27 deg.45.80N, 
082 deg.34.72W for the southern area. All coordinates referenced use 
Datum: NAD 83. No anchoring will be permitted west of turns 1 and 4 nor 
west of turns 2 and 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT.
    (3) All vessel traffic, not involved in the Hurricane Offshore 
Classic, entering or exiting the Vinoy Basin between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. 
EDT must transit around the racecourse, taking action to avoid a close-
quarters situation until finally past and clear of the racecourse. All 
vessel traffic, not involved with the Hurricane Offshore Classic, 
transiting the area off Coffeepot Bayou, The Pier, and Bayboro Harbor 
should exercise extra caution and take action to avoid a close-quarters 
situation until finally past and clear of the racecourse.
    (4) Entry into the regulated area shall be in accordance with this 
section. Spectator vessels will at all times stay in the spectator 
areas defined in paragraph (b)(2) of this section.
    (c) Effective Dates: This regulation is effective annually at 10 
a.m. and terminates at 6 p.m. EDT on the third Saturday and Sunday of 
August.

    Dated: August 7, 1997.
N.T. Saunders,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Seventh Coast Guard 
District.
[FR Doc. 97-21809 Filed 8-13-97; 1:03 pm]
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