FTBD (25)

I've been very unproductive this month. Not so much due to the fact that writing a post takes that much time, more to finding time to read on the www for a suitable subject. Coupled to the fact that it's winter in the Low Lands - and therefore almost no events - and a busy time for the holiday's at work, has resulted in a very low post count. I have a couple of day's off next two weeks, perhaps I can do better.

Flog the Blog Day 25 - two years plus one month. It will take another ten months to reach a thousand posts. I'll try to reach that before the third year is full.

If you have any comments, want to suggest a post (-series), have anything about the rules to contribute or just want to share a photo, don't hesitate to send an Email. I will get to them (eventually) all.

To satisfy your hunger for rules, here's the link to a new UK-Halsey rules-quiz:


This quiz (#28) is based on US Sailing Appeal 45 and deals with three rules:

• Rule 13 While Tacking
• Rule 14 Avoiding Contact
• Rule 20.1 Room to Tack at an Obstruction

Click here to see the animated situation. For the answer, go to their website at www.ukhalsey.com and sign up.

Until next time.
J.

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Sail Melbourne Protests

This week the first of the new ISAF Sailing World Cup is held in Melbourne, Australia. It's high summer down under and - looking out the window at 25 centimeter of snow - I'm only a little bit green....

I've been looking at the website and found the link where information about the protest is published:
got to: http://www.yachting.org.au/sa/protest/default.aspx?ID=24420

Only seven protests so far, of which four by the RC and one by the Jury.
If you click on the links in the Protest Details column, additional information is displayed.
P3 is the most interesting one. SIN 2 failed to sail the course and was DSQed. But because the RC made an error by not correctly laying a mark, redress was granted and SIN was awarded 2nd place - I presume the place she actually sailed in that race.

Another ISAF Q&A – 2009-041

Q&A 2009-041; Published: 16 December 2009
Question:

Will the Q&A Panel confirm or correct decisions made by international juries?

Answer:

No. The role of the Q&A Panel is to promote an understanding of the rules and the use of correct procedures. The Race Officials Committee and the Racing Rules Committee have both concluded that serving as the equivalent of an appeals committee to confirm or otherwise correct* a jury's decision is neither desirable nor appropriate and neither the ISAF Regulations nor the Racing Rules of Sailing provide for the Panel to carry out that function.

 

You could say this is in line with rule 70.4.

And, if the answer would have been yes, an international jury would no longer be non-appealable!

*NB: I added one word, presumed missing.

Protest by the Protest Committee?

ISAF Q&A 2009-039 deals with a protest by the PC under rule 60.3(a)(2):

A protest committee may (a) protest a boat, (2) if during the hearing of a valid protest it learns that the boat, although not a party to the hearing, was involved in the incident and may have broken a rule;

What the Q&A is stating, is that although the PC may have not complied with all the validity requirements, its decision in the protest is still valid. As long as the PC does not change its decision, either by acting under rule 66, realising that it had made an error about the validity of the protest, or until the decision has been reversed or changed on appeal.

This is on of the reasons sometimes sailors get very frustrated. They feel that they have a legitimate claim that an error has been made, but still the PC will not 'budge'.

One of the reasons I think that it is very important to always at least listen to the sailor bringing the argument. PCees should not be afraid to use rule 66 and at the very minimum investigate that they may have made an error. It might be that the error is not something that changes the outcome and even after admitting that they made that error, the decision can stand. But if there's an error that has influenced the scoring, it should be corrected.

Rule 66 is very one sided: The PC MAY reopen a hearing.
Even if the mistake is obvious, the PC still has the power not to re-open. Then the sailor has no other recourse then to appeal. Something not everybody is willing to do.
Something to consider the next time a sailor asks you for a re-opening...

Three more Q&A's have been published on the ISAF Website:
ISAF Q&A 2009-037; Questions about rule 42 when rules 49 to 54 do not apply. This is for the AC33
ISAF Q&A 2009-038; Using a lead trapeze harness strap buckle (that is a dive weight) and rule 43.1(a).
ISAF Q&A 2009-040; About denial of appeal and national prescriptions.

Tactical Sailing Situations Update 2.6B

Henri has updated TSS. You can find the latest release here: Version 2.6B.

Latest additions (including from earlier releases in 2009):

• Bug fix: Error while saving a diagram as a picture
• Bug fix: Error while clicking on 'Cancel' on an empty commentges are:

• Nicer drawings
• Undo facilities
• Gate area
• Multiple diagrams can be opened simultaneously in one execution
• A new installer (compatible Windows 64 bits)

• Bug Fix: Error while deleting an object

• Bug Fix: 'Access violation' popup when deleting a balloon or a comment

• Bug fix: Wrong 'Rigth Of Way' boat when rule 13 applies

• Default circle radius around marks and obstruction is 3 boat lengths
• Support of PNG image format.

I've been busy with work and have not posted in a long time. Hope to improve. J.