Book Report: 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes

Not long ago I ordered a copy of Dave Perry's 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes.

I had heard of this book some time ago and wanted to have a copy to see if it was any good. Well, it is. Dave Perry has done a very good job in getting a lot of issues about the rules crammed into 100 quizzes.

As an example I've copied a couple of pages:

QUIZ 71:

Shortly before finishing, Boats PW (a windward boat ) and PL (a leeward boat) are sailing close-hauled on port tack. As they approach the finishing line, PW hails PL for room to pass astern of boat S (on starboard tack). PL passes astern of S and finishes. PW, believing she was not given sufficient room, tacks onto starboard tack to leeward of S, gybes onto port tack, luffs up to a close-hauled course, tacks to starboard tack once again to finish then hails "Protest!" to PL.

At the hearing, PL claims the hail was not made "at the first reasonable opportunity." You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this?

picture Quiz 71 from Dave Perry's 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes.

ANSWER:

Under rule 63.5, Hearings: Validity of the Protest or Request for Redress, the hearing is closed because PWs protest is not valid. Rule 61.1(a), Protest Requirements: Informing the Protestee, requires PW to hail "Protest" at the first reasonable opportunity after the incident, "First reasonable opportunity" means as soon as practicable, not as soon as convenient.

The maneuvers performed by PW after the incident and before hailing clearly demonstrate that her hail is not made at the first reasonable opportunity. Rule 63.5 requires that at the beginning of the hearing the protest committee decide whether all the requirements for the protest have been met. If not, the hearing must be closed. See US SAILING Appeal 61.

You can order your own copy of this book trough US Sailing Store or on Amazon.

Dave Perry has recently been in the news for making the US Appeals book available for all members of US Sailing. I think that is a great initiative and would alone for that, if I was living in de the US of A, join US Sailing,