Eight case in our series. You know what to do.
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CASE 106
Rule 28.1, Sailing the Course
When a boat’s ‘string’ lies on the required sides of finishing marks or gate marks, it is not relevant that the string representing her track, when drawn taut, also passes one of those marks on the non-required side.
Assumed Facts
As boats approach a downwind finishing line, a tidal current takes one of them outside one of the finishing marks. She sails beyond the entire finishing line, rounds the other finishing mark, and then crosses the finishing line from the direction of the last course mark.
Question
Has the boat complied with rule 28.1?
Answer
Yes. When the course requires boats to pass between two marks at a finishing line or at a gate, a boat complies with rule 28.1 if the string representing her track when drawn taut passes between the marks from the direction of the previous mark. She complies with rule 28.1 even if the string also passes one mark of the finishing line or gate on the non-required side. In this case the boat passed the buoy serving as a mark of the finishing line on the non-required side before passing it on the required side.
See Case 90 for a discussion of a similar incident at a starting line.
RYA 2004/4
Does the same answer apply if the gate is not at the finish line, but it is an intermediate gate?
ReplyDelete@Anyfile. Yes it does.
ReplyDeleteCould be interesting in Match Racing. In the last louis Luitton there was a glimpse but it did not work. On the last run carrying a penalty go well past the committee boat. Then gybe go and round the pin and finish. The other boat may have to tack back to the committee boat which would be slower. Something to watch for, has anyone seen it?
ReplyDeleteMike Butterfield
But what about the bit in 28.1 that says the marks shall be left on the required side IN THE CORRECT ORDER (my emphasis) surely the pin end of the fish line has not been left on the correct side the first time so it has not been passed in the correct order!.
ReplyDeleteThe string rule is only part of the requirments isn't it?
Anon,
ReplyDeleteSI usually only designate the Finishing Line as a whole as having a place in the sequence: the marks, if any, bounding a finishing line are not usually designated as having any particular place in the sequence.
Brass
ReplyDeleteMost Si's I have seen describe the finish line as 'mast displaying orange flag at starboard end (port end if downwind finish) and the port end (or starboard end) finish mark.' Therefore the marks should be left on the required side in the correct order. I am still a bit confused by this!
def of finish :
ReplyDeleteFinish A boat finishes when any part of her hull, or crew or equipment in
normal position, crosses the finishing line in the direction of the course from the last mark, either for the first time or after taking a penalty under rule 44.2 or, after correcting an error made at the finishing line, under rule 28.1.