Thursday 15 September 2011

Penalty Box at ESS Act 6 Trapani ?

I wonder if I should go to events in Italy anymore…

ping-ping ------ “We will offload your baggage”

Long time readers perhaps remember the adventures I had,  – or rather the adventures of my bag - flying to this warm and sunny country. I wrote a story about doing an event without any clothes, other than the ones I had on:
http://rrsstudy.blogspot.com/2008/11/ams-roma-milan-brindisi-brindisi.html
And yes, they managed to do it again.
My bag got lost and never arrived in Palermo. Now, 36 hours later, they still don’t know where it is…. Between telephoning to airports and buying some toiletries and spare underwear AND doing the umpiring at the first day at this ESS-event in Trapani, there was no time in writing a post anymore. There still isn’t.
I wrote this yesterday-evening before going to bed, but am posting it this morning after getting WIFI access at the venue.
Another effing thing they are very good at over here: No mobile service – so no internet connection other than at the event. My iPhone is draining it’s battery searching for a carrier. And it doesn’t do any good to my patience either when, after wading trough several non-English speakers and half an hour of telephone-music, the carrier decides it’s time to quit …. Perhaps it is to hot?

image Rule 14

As for the rules I have one titbit which might interest you. We are experimenting with an alternative penalty for rule 14. Not a DSQ or a points penalty, but a starting penalty. The boat breaking rule 14 is put in the ‘penalty’ box during the start and shall not cross the line 30 seconds after the starting signal has been given. While in the penalty box she must keep clear of all other boats.
The chances of her getting 11 points (finishing last) in that race are pretty high, but she is in the race. And she might get lucky and catch up a couple of boats. I’ll let you know how this ends. First we must have a rule 14 issue. That is more likely on Friday, Saturday or Sunday when racing will be in the harbour close to shore.
J.

8 comments:

  1. Jos, I don´t understand this penalty. When there is an issue of rule 14 after the start, say at the windward mark, how can you put that boat into a penalty box during the start. Do you mean the start of the next race?

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Hermann
    Yes, the penalty is applied in the next race after a on-the-water hearing if necessary.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jos, what are you doing if the rule 14 issue is in the last race?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Is this in conjunction with the measured-distance-forfeit penalty alternative to Turns Penalty? Not that it really matters I guess.

    I take it that it is beyond doubt that under normal rule 44, where a boat fails to keep clear and contacts the right of way boat (without injury, serious damage or significant advantage) that ONE rule 44 penalty covers both the right of way and the rule 14 rule breaches.

    So, under the ordinary rule 44 approach, a boat only deserves an extra penalty for contact if there is injury, serious damage or significant advantage.

    Do these limitations still apply in your regatta, or do you have more stringent no-contact rules, like ANY contact cannot be covered by a rule 44/distance forfeit penalty?

    Is this a mechanism thing:

    * boat breaking the rule is going too fast to know whether there is injury or serious damage: this can only be determined later, possibly after finishing, but that is too late for the boat to retire (TV desire to avoid RAF?);
    * the boat breaking the rule may be quite happy to take an extra penalty if there is injury or serious damage;
    * there is a desire to avoid a protest hearing when the 'protestee' would be happy to take an extra penalty, depending on clear-cut factual conditions.

    I still can't see the rationale for penalty start in next race instead of dsq in the original race.

    It seems to be nothing but dumbing down for the sake of TV.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Brass
    In a way it is to satisfy the spectators and television. There were a lot of difficulties in Cowes with the last race. Several points penalties were scored incorrectly.

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Hermann
    If the boat breaks rule 14 in the last race the penalty is to be taken in the first race of the next Act.

    ReplyDelete
  7. If you guys want to have a formula one approach to sailing, like the AC is trying to do, then why are you worried. just let them all run into each other and sort themselves out like the cars do. It is not a sailing game anymore, just providing entertainment for the non sailing public.
    The law of the jungle will sort out the teams that do not play the game right

    ReplyDelete
  8. Certainly an approach that would appeal to the organizers, but I'm not sure the sailors are there yet....

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...