Fleet Racing, in the SI the alternative penalty was changed to a single "360" turn.
Yacht B infringes Yacht A, on pre-start side of the line, after Prep but before Starting signal. Yacht B is then OCS.
Yacht B bears away and gybes around the pin, and then starts by tacking to cross the line
Yacht B claims that not only does this maneuver return her to pre-course side of the line, but also that it counts as her "360" alternative penalty.
- I believe that a yacht must start before taking alternative penalty… is this true ?
- If a yacht can take an alternative penalty before starting, can this single maneuver to return to pre start side of the line also serve as alternative penalty ?
Thought some more info might be useful:
With 30 seconds before start signal,
- Yacht A was approx 3 lengths behind the line, some 2 lengths "above" the pin; Holding position, waiting for right moment to accelerate towards start, making 1 to 1.5 kts
- Yacht B was some two lengths to windward of Yacht A
- Yacht C was further two lengths to windward of Yacht B
- All yachts on Starboard tack
- Yacht B bore away and passed astern of Yacht A
- Yacht B then luffed, becoming right of way (leeward) yacht, immediately demanding that yacht A had been given room and opportunity, and that Yacht A as windward boat must keep clear
- Yacht B now moving significantly faster than Yacht A. Yacht A still holding station, 1 to 1.5 knots
- Yacht B made contact with Yacht A, on Yacht A's leeward side
- Yacht B continued past Yacht A, and crossed the start line early
- Yacht B bore away, and gybed around the pin, returning to pre-start side of the line
- Yacht A started correctly
- Yacht B continued up the start line on port tack, bringing in her main, in preparation for tacking on to Starboard
- Yacht B tacked on to Starboard
- Yacht A saw that Yacht B was on Starboard tack, a boat length to windward of Yacht C
- Yacht B fouled Yacht A (not giving room to keep clear),
- Yacht B was OCS,
- Yacht B returned to course side correctly,
- Yacht B did not complete alternative penalty correctly, as she sailed up the line pulling on her mainsail in preparation for tack onto Starboard; her 360 was not a continuous motion
I realize that you can't put a picture of your diagram in the comments box. Please send them to the mail address (see sidebar widget CONTACT) and I'll post them together.
OK, we've seen Alastair's evidence.
ReplyDeleteI have a few questions to clarify some things?
Questions
Do we have a valid protest here? Did Alastair hail protest and display a red flag? When?
Did the contact cause damage or injury? Was any damage serioious? Was any damage obvioius?
Alastair's evidence was:
Yacht B then luffed, becoming right of way (leeward) yacht, immediately demanding that yacht A had been given room and opportunity, and that Yacht A as windward boat must keep clear
Yacht B now moving significantly faster than Yacht A. Yacht A still holding station, 1 to 1.5 knots
Yacht B made contact with Yacht A, on Yacht A's leeward side
How far from A was B when B became overlapped to leeward?
At what point did B cease to change course towards the wind?
Between when B became overlapped to leeward and when the contact occurred what changes to course or speed did A make?
Alastair's evidence later is that, after gybing round the pin, B continued up the start line on port tack ...
How far did B sail on Port tack?
Maybe Alastair could quickly post answers here?
Brass
Received by E-mail (jms)
ReplyDeleteI can’t find the side bar widget, so I thought I would reply in the normal way. I hope it gets out!
1. Penalties can be taken before the start (except in match racing) and must be as they have to be taken as soon as possible after the incident.
2. They can be taken by going round the pin and thus two birds can be killed with one stone.
3. From the description of the incident, I don’t think B broke a rule, except rule 14. As soon as she established a leeward overlap, A had to take action to keep clear. From the description she did nothing. She should either have sheeted in (even if it meant her being OCS) luffed or tacked or something. From the description she did nothing.
4. B should not have had contact; she should have got pretty close, born away and protested.
5. Because she had contact, she broke rule 14, but she was probably within 14 (b) and should not have been penalised. If there was damage or injury, she was right to do a 360. It is a question of fact whether she tacked on to starboard quickly enough. However, if she needed to get way on to complete the tack, she is entitled to sail far enough to do that but absolutely no further. I suppose it depends how close C was when she completed her gybe and rounded up.
It seems to me that B wasted a lot of good racing time, and A should be DSQd if it went to protest.
David Lees
I think that David is pretty right, based on Alastair's evidence to date, but there are a few chances that B was in the wrong: that's what my questions were directed at.
ReplyDeleteI agree with David that, based on his evidence to date Alastair looks like he has made no attempt to keep clear and is in RRS 11 and RRS 14 trouble himself.
Assuming that the flags, hails etc all happened (which I suspect is a big assumption: surely if Alastair had hailed Protest and displayed his flag he would have said so?)
Possible other issues are as follows.
When B became overlapped to leeward was it a tight hook-up, 20cm from A's quarter, in which case B broke RRS 15.
Did B just come 'swinging round the curve' changing course all the way until she hit A? in which case B broke RRS 16.1.
Assuming no damage, I agree with David that B can't be penalised for the contact.
Whether she needed to or not, did B take a penalty turn properly? Leaving aside whether it was a 'one-turn penalty' or a '360 penalty' which would depend on the SI, it would be a pretty unusual soft day on Sydney Harbour where it was necessary for a boat to straighten out onto a beam reach before hardening on and tacking to complete her penalty. Sure we don't require a continuous revoulution, but on the evidence we've seen, I think that B did not complete a penalty turn properly.
We see no evidence that B protested A, so if, as I suspected, A didn't protest, then no protest hearing can happen and A can't be DSQ for breaking RRS 11 or 14.
Brass