Finished? Results of the POLL

In last weeks poll, which ended today, in total 13 people voted, with the following answers:While this is clearly a dare for most visitors to commit to an answer, because only a handful of people voted, I'm having fun with it, so polling will return. Perhaps I should include a grand prize? Anyway, here's my view on the answer of the Poll question: When does the RC Score the boat as finished? If you want to look at the question again first, go to this post, otherwise read on:

If the committee-members on board of the finishing vessel are up to par, this boat will appear twice on the finishing list! Once in position 4 and once in position 10.
Both times she crosses the finishing line in the direction of the course from the last mark. But, you cannot score a boat twice in a race. The definition of finish goes on:.... , either for the first time or after taking a penalty under rule 31.2 or 44.2 or, under rule 28.1, after correcting an error made at the finishing line.
I would not hold it against the committee that they don't know what the boat has done between position 4 and position 10. They are there to finish. In all likely hood a couple of other boats will have finished in between and you can't expect them to follow each boat after they have crossed the line. But you can depend on the fact that if a boat has crossed the line twice, she has done something in between to comply with the last part of the definition. From this particular diagram she's corrected a error under rule 28.1 (sailing the course) made at the finish. So the committee should cross out the finish in position 4 and tell the scorer to record the second finish. In my opinion the correct answer is answer 3 : in position 10.

If I have to input a finish list as a scorer, with twice the same number on it, I always record the second position. If that turns out to be a mistake in writing, I will have one boat left over at the end. I can then check against the second list or ask the finish committee. Or the sailor will claim redress after the result is published. In 90% of the cases however, it is because the boat had to take a penalty or correct a course error.

Have a look at Q&A 2006-003 on this page, which deals with this issue also.