Protest decides final outcome of Farr 40 Worlds in Miami. From Scuttlebutt 2579:
" By all witness accounts, Joe Fly seriously overplayed their hand at the weather mark situation. They were on the port tack layline, with Barking Mad ahead and to leeward, also on port. Barking Mad tacked to starboard on layline, with Mascalzone near but slightly overstanding the mark on starboard. As Joe Fly approached Barking Mad, the Italians delayed their tack to make sure they were on layline, but ended up tacking too close to the Americans, who then luffed hard to avoid collision. Barking Mad didn’t want their protest to decide the Worlds, but offered to witness when Mascalzone did file a protest. The Pro Sight Sailing website has a great audio explanation of the situation by commentator Matt Ciesicki: http://tinyurl.com/4aoqxw "
Can you identify which rules were broken, according to the audio commentary?
There's quite a few rules to choose from here. It seems the incident starts with Mascalzone tacking to starboard on the layline, thus coming on a collision course with Barking Mad. Barking Mad then hail Joe Fly for room to tack under RRS 19 but apparently receive no response. (Assuming the conditions for hailing under 19 are met, Joe Fly is in trouble already now). Barking Mad tacks (or at least passes head to wind, it is unlikely they could complete the tack if the hail was OK). They must then luff to avoid Joe Fly, and Mascalzone apparently also has to take some avoiding action to clear Barking Mad. If Barking Mad completed their tack before they had to take avoiding action, 18.3 can come into play as well. The commentary places all three boats on the port tack layline before the incident, and as the F40s use a three-length zone it is very likely that both Joe Fly and Barking Mad did all or part of their tacking inside the zone. That could also explain the reluctance of Barking Mad to protest, as they might fear getting thrown out for breaking 18.3 against Mascalzone. Having the right to hail for room to tack does not relieve them of their obligations under 18.3.
ReplyDeleteNice one Bam.
ReplyDeleteJos, TSS following by e-mail.
I've taken it that ML completed her tack outside the zone (3BL, thanks Bam), just to avoid rule 18.3 complications.
Evidence was, not all boats started on the Port tack layline, they were stepped with ML to leeward of BM to leeward of JF.
Firstly ML was subject, first to rule 13, then rule 15. She kept clear of BM, so no problem there.
BM gave his rule 19 hail, then 'there was a whole lot of shouting going on' so we can take it that BM gave his 'second more vigorous hail' (Case 54), and he's now in rule 14 avoiding contact territory.
JF has not responded to the rule 19 hail at all, so breaks rule 19.
I agree with Bam that BM probably does not complete her tack onto stbd. Once JF passes HTW, she breaks rule 13 second bit (on the right is in the right), UNLESS, by now, they are in the zone or otherwise about to round or pass, in which case JF, as inside boat, is entitled to rule 18 mark room. (Doesn't get her off breaking rule 19 though).
BM probably breaks rule 13 with respect to ML, but is exonerated (rule 64.1(b)) by JF breaking a rule.
And all this is happening in 40 foot boats doing 8 to 10 knots.
Brass