ROLEX MIAMI OCR 2010 – part 1

The second event in the World-Cup series has started with the opening ceremony last night: The Rolex Miami OCR 2010.

Sailing Instructions have been published as well including the inevitable
SI-amendment #1. Since this event is part of a the series we can expect that all events have their NOR and SI coordinated and should be pretty much the same – bar local particulars.

Racing starts today 10:00 hours local time for the Match Racing and 13:00 hours for the Fleet Racing and will go on until Saturday 30th with the Medal Races and MR-Finals

The ladies in the Elliot 6’s have a very full program scheduled with seven! stages to determine the winning team. With 24 teams competing not only for the teams a full day’s work, but also for the umpire-team. They need to stay on top the whole time, including Match 2 in Flight 12 at 18.02 hours after 8 hours on the water…. I remember similar circumstances at the Delta Lloyd MR last year and wish them all the best! (Jury (and Umpires) members)

You can find out more about Jury work on and off the water on the on-line notice board on the RMOCR –website.

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(pillow)Case of the Week (4) - 112

A new study case for your pillow this week:

CASE 112

Rule 28.1, Sailing the Course
Rule 61.1(a), Protest Requirements: Informing the Protestee
Definitions, Finish

If one boat makes an error in sailing the course, a second boat may notify the first that she intends to protest when the error is made, or at the first reasonable opportunity after the first boat finishes, or at any time in-between.

Assumed Facts
Boat A leaves the first mark of the course on the wrong side. Then, without correcting her error, she sails the remainder of the course correctly and crosses the finishing line from the direction of the last mark. Another boat, B, sees A leave the first mark on the wrong side and decides to protest her.

Question 1
When does A break rule 28.1?


Answer 1
A makes an error when she leaves the first mark on the wrong side. However, rule 28.1 allows her to correct her error at any time before she finishes, but not thereafter. Therefore, A does not break rule 28.1 until she
finishes.

Question 2
Does A finish when she crosses the finishing line?

Answer 2
A finishes provided that she crosses the finishing line in accordance with the definition Finish, whether or not a string representing her track complies with rule 28.1.

Question 3
When must B inform A of her intention to protest?

Answer 3
Rule 61.1(a) requires a boat intending to protest to inform the other boat ‘at the first reasonable opportunity.’ Normally this is done by hailing ‘Protest’ and, when required, displaying a red flag. Although A does not break rule 28.1 until she finishes (see Answer 1), leaving the mark on the wrong side and continuing to sail the course
without correcting her error provides B with a sufficient reason to decide to protest her. In this situation, therefore, B may notify A of her intention to protest when A leaves the mark on the wrong side, or at the first
reasonable opportunity after A finishes, or at any time in-between.

RYA 2003/4

Fact Finding Friday for die-hards

Sometimes you get lucky. In using a couple of new search words, Google kicked out a couple of nice finds! This post is for all who are studying the Racing Rules of Sailing in depth.

When studying the rules you are always on the look out for new cases, new protests, new material. And you can learn a lot from how Protest-committees have done things in the past in hearings, which rules they applied, which mistakes they made and what was done to correct those. Unfortunately most of that is only written on a piece of paper and not available to the public.

But sometimes a panel at an event gets the opportunity to properly publish their work. By using "request for redress" as a search parameter, I found many interesting pdf's, but the jewel was this site: http://www.kingscup.com/2009results/index.htm

Have a look yourself. Besides the abstracts of each protest you can also find the whole written protest form including Facts found, Rules, Conclusion and Decision.

My compliments to the International Jury of the Phuket King's Cup Regatta 2009. I wish more IJ's had the opportunity to use the internet this way.

2010 Extreme Sailing Series Europe

From the newsletter 2010-01

Series Open for Official Entries:

The Notice of Race for the 2010 Extreme Sailing Series Europe has been issued, effectively opening the official entry period for the European series - closing date for entries is midnight on 15th March. The award-winning circuit, which saw over 200,000 spectators entertained by the ten international skippers and their crews on the dynamic Extreme 40s in 2009, once again promises to deliver a top-level sailing series, across six European destinations, an experiential VIP corporate hospitality experience and an ever-growing entertainment package on water and land for the general public.

"We continue negotiations with various potential main partners to support our long term plans for both the European and Asian series," commented Mark Turner, CEO of OC Group. "However, securing new partners before the European season kicks off is not absolutely necessary and won't affect our plans for 2010 - this year will be another spectacular season of Extreme 40 racing, racing that continues to change the way sailing is seen. We are keen to grow our original brand - Extreme Sailing Series - regardless of developments on the sponsor front as we go through the year," he concluded.
Six existing teams from Europe and the Middle East, have already expressed strong commitment to rejoin the circuit for 2010, with several new teams anticipated to step-up to the start line in May 2010. The expectation and objective is once again to have 8 to 10 international, top level teams. OC Events, organiser of the circuit since its inception in 2007, is planning an official launch week commencing 15 May 2010 when the teams and their skippers will be presented officially for the first time.

The 2010 series will be a five, possibly six event series, racing in iconic venues and cities in locations including the UK, France, Germany and Spain:
Event 1: 27-30 May location tbc
Exhibition Event: 19 June: J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race
Event 2: 14-18 July or 31 July to 5 August UK
Event 3: 26-29 August Germany
Event 4: 9-12 September location tbc
Event 5: 23-26 September location tbc
Event 6: 9-12 October, Almería, Spain
Final venues will be announced one by one over the coming weeks.

The four day format of racing will remain unchanged, except that the opening day's races on the 'Media Day' will in 2010 count towards the overall score. At each event, the teams will have the opportunity to take part in 'corporate sailing' in the morning to entertain their VIP guests, while racing will take place in the afternoon.
With up to eight races per afternoon, the events are extremely physical for the skippers and crews. Each race lasts approximately 15 minutes on the short, tight racecourses the series has become renowned for. However the Race Committee is currently looking at other options to challenge the teams.
Tim Hancock, once again Principal Race Officer, commented, "We tested the strategy and tactics of the teams last year in some of the tightest racecourses I've ever seen, from the traditional windward-leeward, to downwind starts and triangular courses. This year we will also be exploring possibilities of speed runs, slalom-courses and other 'tradition-breaking' ideas. The high, professional standard of racing will never be compromised, but we also want to provide thrilling, and easy to understand racing: racing that will continue to entertain the crowds. The Media Day, held before the public village opens, will allow us to include some more conventional and longer courses as well, maintaining an excellent overall balance in the format," he concluded.

Every Extreme 40 will continue to race with a 'fifth-man' onboard, a VIP guest, cameraman, photographer or reporter - an opportunity for them to be right in the heart of the action during actual racing.
OC Events will also continue to provide a full PR and Media programme throughout 2010 including a host broadcaster service, TV news and a TV series for global broadcast media. The 2009 series delivered a media value for just the six territories the series visited, of over EUR5 million (despite a 10-15% drop in equivalent advertising rates) and the 6-part TV series was aired in 130 countries across 29 international networks resulting in 38 hours of TV programming in one month.
The Extreme 40 fleet will be even more colourful this year as the sail branding rules have been amended one step further for the season, as planned when the 2009 50% branding rule was introduced. "Looking back through the photographs and TV footage from 2009, it was clear that the boats with their sails 100% branded were the most dynamic and stood out amongst the fleet, therefore we have introduced a new rule for 2010 that all boats' mainsails shall be 100% branded, so that there is no penalty on the teams already doing this," explained Race Director Gilles Chiorri.

Off the water, the teams, sponsors, media and VIP guests will be hosted and entertained in bespoke hospitality facilities offering teams the opportunity to mingle with their guests before and after sailing in a choice of settings, from general access to made-to-measure private corporate entertainment suites.
All teams entered into the 2010 series will be invited to a briefing at OC Events' offices at East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK on Tuesday 30 March covering the race management, media and hospitality aspects of the event.
The closing date for entries to the 2010 series is 15 March 2010.
Extreme Sailing Series Europe

From the dates in the preliminary list there are already several I will not be able to attend – if I’m asked to umpire again, that is. But I would not say no to a week in Spain in cold October.….

Redress about amended AC33- NOR and SI?

From the Alinghi website; www.alinghi.com

SNG letter issuing SIs and amended NOR

33rd America's Cup Sailing Instructions_100119

Amended 33rd America's Cup Notice of Race_100119

From the Golden Gate Yacht club website; www.ggyc.com

Statement by Tom Ehman, GGYC Spokesperson:

Valencia (January 19, 2010) – The America’s Cup defender, Société Nautique de Genève, issued today a revised Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions for the 33rd America’s Cup Match set to begin on February 8th in the waters off Valencia, Spain.

Both documents are riddled with errors, and continue SNG’s practice of interpreting rules – or creating new ones – solely to favor Alinghi and harm the chances of the Challenger.

The Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions are heavily biased in favor of the Defender and its yacht despite input from GGYC and ISAF, the sport’s world governing body, during last week’s meeting in Singapore and a meeting in late December in Sydney. Therefore, today GGYC has made an application for redress to the International Jury, asking that the Jury be convened as soon as possible to negate or revise the biased provisions before the Match.

Specifically, SNG has:

• Effectively re-inserted Racing Rule 53 (“Skin Friction”) after obtaining a New York Supreme Court ruling to delete it.
  
• Set the starting time for the races despite the Deed of Gift’s requirement that this be agreed by mutual consent.
• Set wind and wave limits to favor its own yacht.
  
• Changed the latest draft of the Notice of Race to ban certain wind detection equipment now being used by BOR that, previously, was permitted under all earlier drafts of the NOR.
• Re-arranged the hierarchy of the applicable rules so that SNG’s Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions would, in the case of conflict, overrule the Racing Rules; this is highly irregular and contrary to normal practice in yacht racing.

It is clearer than ever that SNG is hell-bent on making the America’s Cup the Alinghi Cup.
We now look to the International Jury to reinstate the correct and proper rules and procedures.


Rule 61.1: A request for redress ... shall be based on a claim or possibility that a boat's score in a race or series has, through no fault of her own, been made significantly worse by
(a) an improper action or omission of the ... organizing authority....

Past tense: "been made"
Shouldn't there be a race, to have a result, before a score can been made significantly worse?


I can understand one party wanting to fix issues in the NOR or SI, it perceives as bias. Normally if you think the conditions in the NOR are not fair, you just don't enter in the race. But in the AC this is very difficult, as one party is also the OA and gets to write all the race documents.

But a request for redress is perhaps not appropriate in this regard. What is, I don't know.
Do you have any ideas?

Sporcle Sailing Rules Quiz

Can you name the rule numbers after seeing the rule names?
http://www.sporcle.com/games/SailingRulezzz/sailing_rules_reverse

Post your remaining time in comments....

ISAF Q&A 2010 - 004

ISAF Racing Rules Question and Answer Service

Q&A 2010-004

Published: 19 January 2010
Situation:
The definition of racing says "A boat is racing from her preparatory signal until she finishes and clears the finishing line and marks or retires, etc"
Rule 31 says, "While racing, a boat shall not touch a starting mark before starting. A mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg of the course on which she is sailing, or a finishing mark after finishing.’
Question: If she finishes under the definition of racing, that is, she has finished, and cleared the line, and then touches the mark, does she break rule 31?

Answer: No. Rule 31 does not apply because if a boat has finished and cleared the finishing line and marks, the boat is no longer racing.
See also Q&A 2006-002
I checked my files and this is what is written in Q&A 2006-002:

Q&A 06-002

Published: 15 March 2006
Question: With respect to the definition Racing, when has a boat "cleared" the finishing line and marks?
Answer A boat clears the finishing line and marks when no part of her hull, crew or equipment is on the line and when neither mark is influencing her course.
A boat that clears the finishing line close-hauled and continues to sail toward the finishing line pin end mark, where current sets her into the mark, is still racing and has broken 31.1. A boat that crosses the finishing line, sails away from the line and marks, and then later hits the finishing line mark, does not break rule 31.1 as she is no longer racing.

Expiry: 1 February 2007

With reading 2006-002, I think 2010-004 is a totally unnecessary Q&A.

LTW Readers Q&A | 034; Balking?

Received a question from Michael Maurier about hailing “Starboard” and holding course:
Hi,
The other day in a local club race, I was on port tack and a starboard tack boat hailed me "Starboard tack!"
I tacked promptly letting the other 3 boats to windward and astern know I was going to do so. They all tacked to starboard as well.
The starboard tacker did not hold her course and tacked off to port before she would have crossed my course as it was when she hailed me.
In years gone by, there was a rule against hailing 'Starboard tack’ and then failing to complete the cross. It was referred to as 'balking.'
Does this rule still exist in some form?
Best,
Michael

In the RRS 2009-2012 there is nothing preventing the starboard boat from hailing and then changing course – as it suits her – provided she complies with rule 16. It might be perceived as not very considered of her, but it is not against the rules.
It is the first time I have heard of the word ‘balking’.
I asked a friend who’s knowledge of rules “gone by” far exceeds my own. He answered:
Jos,
The wording of the old rule 35 was:

35 Limitations on Altering Course

When one yacht is required to keep clear of another, the right-of-way yacht shall not alter course so as to prevent the other yacht from keeping clear, or so as to obstruct her while she is keeping clear, except:

(a) when luffing as permitted by rule 39.2; or
(b) when assuming a proper course either:
      (i) to start, when  she is on the starboard tack and the other
      yacht is on the port tack; or
      (ii) when rounding a mark.

This is from the 1993-1996 International Yacht Racing Rules (IYRR).
Even within this wording there is room for the starboard boat to tack away, as long as she does not prevent the port boat, in the process of keeping clear, from keeping clear.
Regards, 
Leo Pieter.

Perhaps there’s a LTW-reader who can shed more light on this issue?
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FTBD (26)

Another month has gone by and therefore it is time for Flog the Blog Day again!
(For those who've never heard of this, please use "FTBD" as a label and have a look at the previuos 25 instalments of this post.) Now you (everybody) know(s) what to do.

Well, I haven't given you much to "b" about, have I?

That may be the case but you can still suggest new avenues or new ideas.
I'm planning to go through previous "to-do lists" and see what I can salvage.....

I must make my apologies to readers who've send an E-mail with question(s). Some of them already a couple of months! back. I'm still planning to get back to those, honest!

To make up for my lack of commitment I'm publishing a photo of me from a long time ago, so you can have a go at me:
In 1980 I was still very active as a sailing-instructor and we were starting up a new program with centreboard-dinghy's. Optimists to be precise. After a weekend with a group of enthusiast I's at our national sailing institute, we got to sail in these "bathtubs" ourselves. I remember being already to big for them in those days. Tacking only succeeded when I pulled the centreboard. This photo is me finaaaaaaly succeeding.....

For the LTW-readers who were involved with "Tante Vinea" go to: Vinea Alumni, netwerk van en voor oud-Vineasten

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(pillow)Case of the Week (3) -113

When learning the RRS my mentor use to say: Keep the rule-book under your pillow and read one rule before going to sleep. Really read it and try to understand what it states. That way it is only a short but intensive study-moment and you will most likely remember it.

Because of that (sound) advice - long ago, LTW will start a new series:

"The (pillow)Case of the Week"

I'll go through the ISAF Casebook 2009-2012 (including changes effective 1 January 2010) starting not at the beginning but at the end and work my way forward. I'll try to publish on Monday or Tuesday, so you'll have a whole week to keep it under you pillow and read it before the Sandman comes.

CASE 113

Rule 20.1, Room to Tack at an Obstruction: Hailing and Responding
When a boat hails under rule 20.1 for room to tack, all boats that hear her hail and that will have to respond to give her that room must do so.

Assumed Facts
L, M and W are sailing close-hauled on starboard tack. They are approaching an obstruction and safety requires them to make a substantial course change to avoid it. The obstruction is not a mark. When the boats are in the positions shown in the diagram, L hails ‘Room to tack’ loudly
enough to be heard by both M and W. When L hails, it is clear that M and W must both tack in order to give room to L, and M does not have room to tack and avoid W.


Question 1
Does rule 20.1 require W to respond to L’s hail?

Answer 1
Yes. When a boat that is not adjacent to the hailing boat has heard the hail, and will have to respond before the hailing boat is able to tack, she is a ‘hailed boat’ in the context of rule 20.1 and she shall respond accordingly.

Question 2
Is M required to hail W for room to tack immediately after she hears L’s hail?

Answer 2
Yes, if W is not already responding to L’s hail. Because replying ‘You tack’ is not an option for M in this case, M is required by rule 20.1(b) to respond to L's hail by tacking as soon as possible. Therefore, if M cannot tack because of the presence of W, she must immediately hail W for room
to tack. If she fails to do this, and as a result is unable to tack as soon as possible, she breaks rule 20.1(b).

(ISAF 2009)

Sunday Rules Snap; Rule 49

Luigi send me the following snap (together with his best wishes for 2010):

and asks in his mail: "Is this an infringement of rule 49?"

Dear Luigi,
I hope your year may be eventful and happy as well and I'll let the LTW_readers come up with the answer to your query. Thanks for sending it in!
Cheers, Jos

ISAF Q&A's 2010 -001, 002 & 003

Three new ISAF Q&A's, published 14 january 2010.

The first one is about rule 19.2(b) with three port tack boats (A, B and C) passing astern of a starboard tack boat (S). By not giving enough room to both windward boats to pass the obstruction, the most leeward boat is DSQ-ed.
ISAF Q&A 2010 - 001

The second one is about 49.2. Boats equipped with an upper and lower lifeline cannot use lifelines made out of rope, if they want the crew to sit on deck facing outboard with their waist inside the lower and their upper body-part outside the upper lifeline
ISAF Q&A 2010 - 002

The third one is a "what if" case. In the Q&A a couple of facts are assumed, to pose an hypothetical situation.
In short, a boat may be exonerated for breaking a rule, if the PC can find as fact that she was forced to do so, even if that boat is never identified - let alone protested.
ISAF Q&A 2010 - 003

For those of you who want to catch up with all the Q&A's: Q&A Booklet 14 January 2010.pdf

Order in Rule 18.2 Giving Mark-Room

During the preparation for one of the winter presentations I've given, some thought went into rule 18.2 Giving Mark-Room. Specifically on the order it is used.

From the view-point of the sailor the way this rules is used is different then the order it is written in the rule book. Most sailors start with 18.2(b): What is my position when I or my opponent reach the zone.
Am I inside boat? Then I have mark-room.
Am I clear ahead? Again, then I have mark-room.
That are the first questions asked approaching a mark.

If there's doubt on that position most sailors (should) use 18.2(d) and determine their rights according to how that doubt is resolved. I.e. was the overlap long standing and only (doubtfully) broken at the very last minute or vice versa.

Then they use 18.2(c). It tells them what to do even when the overlap is broken or a new overlap begins.

Only if these first three are not applicable sailors go to rule 18.2(a). That's the basic principle stating that an outside overlapped boat shall give mark-room. For the rule-makers/writers it is the first (most important) rule, but not for the sailors.

And finally they have to use 18.2(e). If - from the moment the overlap began - they are unable to give mark-room, they are not required to give it.

From 18.2 (b) to 18.2 (d) and 18.2 (c)
Then 18.2 (a) and finally 18.2 (e)

Is this difference in use, something rule-makers should consider when revising rule 18.2 in the future?

Casebook 2009-2012 with 2010 changes

A new casebook on the ISAF website with the changes from the supplement RRS 2010. You can go to the ISAF download page to save your copy.

I did a search on 18.2(c) and did read a couple of pages, but haven't had time to go through all cases to find the changes. If you do, don't hesitate to tell us in a comment.

To summarize: rule changes have been made in rule 18.2(c) and two definitions: Obstruction & Party.

Tactical Sailing Solutions | Update V 2.6D available

Version 2.6D is available !(January 8, 2010)

• New animation with continuous move of boats
• New welcome panel to help creating or opening a diagram
• Bug fix: Incorrect spinnaker with manual trimming and boat by the lee
• Search panel improvement
• Setup panel location improvement 

>> download now





If anybody wants to comment on the improvements, please tell us.

Happy New Year!

First of all, I wish everybody all the best for 2010!
Specially those of you who have send me a card by post or by Email. May all your wishes come true. Hopefully you will have some fun on the water and some interesting rules issues ashore in the room.

Despite my best intentions, I've been doing anything but the blog this last weeks, and am still very busy with preparations for a couple of presentations I'm giving in coming days.

My club is looking into organizing a ice sailing regatta, it is very much winter here. Unfortunately the snow that has been falling a few days back, is preventing the ice to grow sufficiently. The ice measures are saying it will perhaps take another week.

For the rules go to: http://www.icesailing.org/rules/rules_en.htm
or http://www.icesailing.org/idniyra/nia.htm

J.

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