Three Green Flags

The Team Heiner Match Race Winter Series had it’s final day on the water yesterday. Together with two trainee National Umpires I followed the two Max Fun 35’s for 15 matches.
In one of the matches we decided answered the calls with three green flags in short order. This was the situation:

First windward mark rounding, Match 2

Yellow an Blue approach the windward mark above the layline, overlapped.
Yellow luffs because she does not want Blue to gain mark-room as inside boat.
Blue displays the Yankee flag, shouting that boats are already in the zone.

Ump: Green flag.

Yellow breaks away and is able to sail clear ahead. Blue also is able to accelerate and before Yellow is at the mark gains again a windward overlap. Yellow does not give any room and Blue luffs to avoid hitting Yellow and/or the Mark and displays the Yankee flag again.

Ump: Green flag.

Blue is turning sharply and straight into a tack, while Yellow rounds the mark.
Blue looses a lot of speed in that maneuver and bears off to go round the mark. Yellow has now rounded the mark and, instead of going downwind straight away, points to Blue. Yellow has to bear of to avoid hitting Blue and calls foul with a Yankee flag.

Ump: Green flag.

These situations happen in very short succession. We discussed these calls and decisions in the debrief afterwards, to find out if we got it right and the different perspectives from the sailors.

The first green was because none of the boats were in the zone and Blue had not (yet) gained mark-room. She had to keep clear under R11 which she did. No foul.

On the second green there was a discussion if Blue was able to get the inside overlap before or after Yellow entered the zone. Facts established – confirmed by the sailors themselves – Yellow was clear ahead at one time after the luffing and subsequent bear away. Blue did have an inside overlap half a boat length before the mark. The Umpires based there green flag on the fact that they were not sure the overlap was established in time and therefore they assumed it was not – in effect going back to their last point of certainty. Blue had no right to mark-room, was still subject to rule 11 to keep clear and she did that. Again, no foul.

The last green. In its haste to get back to round the mark Blue in all effect almost stopped. When Yellow rounded the mark and then established the collision course she was the boat with right of way – subject to rule 16.1 – because her pointing was not her proper course to round the mark and therefore not to be exonerated under rule 18.5(b). She had to give Blue room to keep clear. Blue could do little because of her lack of speed and so Yellow had to bear away, complying with her limitation to give room. No foul, Green flag.

Specially the final green was very hard to decide. Was Yellow still sailing her proper course or not? We could have easily gone the other way and penalized Blue.

SailReport: http://www.sailreport.nl/nieuws/team-feitsma-wint-matchrace-finale-lelystad

Next time: The finish mark trap.