(pillow)Case of the Week (20/12) - 13

(This is an instalment in a series of blogposts about the ISAF Case book 2009-2012 with amendments for 2011. All cases are official interpretations by the ISAF committees on how the Racing Rules of Sailing should be used or interpreted. The cases are copied from the Casebook, only the comments are written by me.)

Case 13

Rule 11, On the Same Tack, Overlapped
Rule 14, Avoiding Contact
Rule 15, Acquiring Right of Way
Rule 16.1, Changing Course
Rule 17, On the Same Tack; Proper Course
Definitions, Proper Course

Before her starting signal, a leeward boat does not break a rule by sailing a course higher than the windward boat’s course.

Summary of the Facts
As the two 14-foot dinghies manoeuvred before the starting signal, they crossed the starting line. While bearing away to return to the pre-start side, L, initially the windward boat, assumed a leeward position by sailing under W’s stern. Immediately after position 4, L luffed to close-hauled and sailed straight for the port end of the line. W meanwhile, with sheets eased, sailed along the line more slowly. At position 5, there was contact, W’s boom touching L’s windward shroud. L protested W under rule 11; W counter-protested under rules 12 and 15.
The protest committee found that L had right of way under rule 11 from the time she assumed a steady course until contact. W had room to keep clear, although she would have had to cross the starting line prematurely to do so. Therefore, it dismissed W’s protest and upheld the protest by L. W appealed, this time citing rule 16.1.

Decision
W’s appeal is dismissed. Between positions 2 and 3 L became overlapped to leeward of W, acquiring right of way under rule 11 but limited by rule 15’s requirement to initially give room to W to keep clear. L met that requirement because L gave W room to keep clear. Just after position 4, when L luffed to a close-hauled course, she was required by rule 16.1 to give W room to keep clear, and she did so. L had been clear astern of W and was within two of her hull lengths of W when she became overlapped to leeward of W. Therefore, she was required by rule 17 to sail no higher than her proper course. However, she had no proper course before the starting signal (see the definition Proper Course) and the starting signal was not made until after the incident. Therefore, L’s luff did not break rule 17 and she was in fact entitled to luff higher than she did, even as high as head to wind, as long as while so doing she complied with rule 16.1.

After L became overlapped to leeward of W, W was required by rule 11 to keep clear of L. She did not do so and accordingly her disqualification under rule 11 is upheld. In addition, W broke rule 14 because she could have avoided the contact with L.
L also broke rule 14 because it would have been easy for her to bear off slightly and avoid the contact. However, she is not penalized because there was no damage or injury.

RYA 1965/10

All match race sailors will recognize this manoeuvre as to trick your opponent in starting prematurely. It is an accepted tactic ‘ hooking’  the other boat and forcing him to get an OCS or tack away to the other end. As in all things, timing is essential.
Too soon and the leeward boat is over the line as well, too late and the gun will have gone before the other boat is over.
This tactic is used if you want to win the pin end of the start line.

In fleet racing this whole scenario is less likely because there are too many boats on the line, but the principle is still valid. A leeward boat, even if they have a rule 17 limitation, can still luff up to head  wind, to force the windward boat over. Before the start the rule is still applicable but because there’s no proper course before the starting signal, it has no limiting effects.

If you luff head to wind to ‘ hook’  a windward boat, please be aware that as soon as the gunn has sounded, you need to bear away to close hauled course. If you do not you do break rule 17.

However, in all cases the windward boat MUST keep clear. If they do not they break rule 11 – and even if the leeward boat is sailing above its proper course, the windward boat cannot be exonerated.

J.

I’m trying to post a little more regularly in coming weeks. Hopefully have some time during the events I’m doing. Currently I am a the O’Neill Worldcup 2012 Kiteboard in Scheveningen.

LTW Readers Q&A (57) : Barging 2 ?

A question on my shelf from Rick. It is a continuation on the previous LTW Q&A (56), as it also involves two boats about to start;

30+ seconds before the start two boats overlapped with the windward boat being slightly forward are being pushed above the committee boat.

As time winds down to the start both boats are behind and to windward of the committee boat when the starting gun goes off. So the question is at this point does the leeward boat have to give room to the windward boat?

Both boats were overlapped and stayed overlapped before entering with-in three boat lengths of the committee boat. This question was presented to three international judges and there conclusion after three days of thinking about it was "good question".

I brought to there attention the 12 metre race start saying that after the gun the committee boat is just another mark of the course and overlap rules apply???

Thanks for thinking about this.

I’ve Emailed Rick to make sure about the situation: We agreed on this picture:

According to Rick’s statement the gun goes off approximately in position 3.

In order to answer Rick’s question I had a look in the Case and Call books – always a good place to start – and found Call UMP 13.

In that Call three situations are pictured with the question:

Blue and Yellow are approaching the committee boat end of the starting line. How do the umpires decide if they are approaching a starting mark to start?

The answer that the call-book provides:

In each of Diagrams a, b, and c the boats may be approaching a starting mark to start. The umpires will use the speed and course of the boats in the prevailing conditions and the time remaining before the starting signal to decide if they are approaching a starting mark to start.

In light of this I would decide that in position 3 both boats are approaching a starting mark to start. In position 2 they are still sailing above the line, but in position 3 they are clearly pointing toward the pre-start side.

Does rule 18 apply?

Looking at the rulebook we find in the preamble of section C:

Section C rules do not apply at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water or at its anchor line from the time boats are approaching them to start until they have passed them. When rule 20 applies, rules 18 and 19 do not.

Whether rule 18 is on or off, does not depend on whether the starting gun has been given or not. Rule 18 (and 19&20) is off until they have passed the starting marks. That happens in position 6.

So, in my opinion, the Leeward Green boat does NOT have to give room to the Windward Blue boat. If Green protested I would DSQ Blue.

Blue is in fact “Barging”

Once she has sailed to position 4 Green cannot luff anymore. That would break 16.1 and probably rule 14. But Blue is not entitled to room – nor under rule 18 or rule 19.

J.

Yesterdays Post Zoomed

Yesterday's post has generated a couple of comments. I've approved them, so you can read for yourself.
Unfortunately the animation is not clear enough, something I already feared.
I've attached a new picture, zoomed in at position 3 and 4. This should give you a HINT what happened.

Please give me your opinion which flag the umpire have to show.
They find as fact that one of the boats in situation 6 is not keeping clear, so Green/White should not be your choice, unless you really do not know.

Please try again.

RF ISAF Nationscup; Gdynia, Poland, Day 3 & End

Yesterday we sailed the final day of the Regional Qualifier in Gdynia with good conditions. Steady increasing breeze and all races done and dusted. Today I’ve travelled back home and am now catching up on my desk computer.

In the Open event the Polish team was first, followed by GBR and NED. In the Woman’s Event first prize went to NED, second to Poland and third to GBR. A good result with close fought matches. All in all a very good event. ISAF informed us and the competitors that the first TWO in each event will go to the Finals in the USA.

During one of the matches we gave a penalty to one of the boats. I’ve been trying to recreate the situation in Boat Scenario, but the program was not designed for this. You need to look very, very closely to figure out what happened. Besides the animation I’ve also uploaded the actual Boat Scenario file: Perhaps if you play it on your on computer, things will be clearer.

This is the animation:

And here is the file: 110723 MR13 Gdynia3.xbs

Please give me your opinion which flag the umpire have to show. They find as fact that one of the boats in situation 6 is not keeping clear, so Green/White should not be your choice, unless you really do not know.

Good luck.

Oooh, I’ll not straight away publish all comments, so people have a change to make up there own minds.

ESS 2011; Act 4: Boston, Race day 1

The setup here in Boston is full on. A huge race village with lots and lots of activities, a big race area in front of Fan Pier and fantastic weather to boot. The only obstacles in the racecourse are the moored boats of the local sailors. Space between the boats is enough for an extreme 40 to go trough, but only one way. No turning or sailing back. Once in, the catamaran will have to sail to the other end of the ‘field’ before getting out again.

At 14:00 hours the races started on schedule. We did seven upwind – downwind races with lots of action and sometimes very difficult wind conditions.

As usual the Yankee flags were most frequent at the marks. The following situation will probably come up in the debrief this morning:

We use the Match Race version of rule 18.3. Blue puts up her Yankee flag in position 6. What should the umpires response be?

SWC Kiel 2011; Day 0

Back to Kiel for another year. This will be my seventh. But since the Sailing World Cup Events have been increasingly ”upgraded” in level, no doubt this one will bring new and interesting rules situations, as well.

First Jury -meeting went smoothly, although some of our group had a hard day. The format had to be changed drastically, since the number of competitors was dramatically low. Instead of the anticipated 24, only eleven!

We are now going to do a double round robin – every boat sails twenty matches – and then use the best eight to go to quarter finals. Hopefully the weather will cooperate in letting us do the 110 matches.

Our homework from the chief: Rapid Response Call 2010-006.

Situation 1
Yellow is a leeward boat subject to rule 17. She is sailing her proper course, which is nearly 140° from the true wind angle. Blue is keeping clear. From position 1 to position 3, Yellow pulls the boom across the centreline to the starboard side of the boat, and almost immediately pulls the boom back across the centreline to the port side of the boat. The force of the pulling action back to the port side causes the mainsail to completely fill in position 2.

Question 1a: Does Yellow change tack in position 2?
Question 1b: Does Yellow gybe between positions 2 and 3?
Question 1c: Does rule 17 still apply in position 4?

Read the whole call after you’ve answered the questions:
ISAF Rapid Response Match Racing Call 2010/006

J.

(pillow)Case of the Week (50) - 61

(This is an instalment in a series of blogposts about the ISAF Call book 2009-2012 with amendments for 2010. All calls are official interpretations by the ISAF committees on how the Racing Rules of Sailing should be used or interpreted. The calls are copied from the Call book, only the comments are written by me.)

And again, don’t look for Case 62 – it also has been deleted.

CASE 61

Rule 71.4, National Authority Decisions

When the decision of a protest committee is changed or reversed upon appeal, the final standings and the awards must be adjusted accordingly.

Question 

May the organizing authority state in the notice of race or sailing instructions that, while appeal is not denied, final regatta standings and awards will not be affected by any appeal decision?

Answer 

No. Rule 86.1 prohibits changing any part of rule 70 or rule 71 in the sailing instructions. An appeal involves not only the adjudication of a dispute on the meaning of a rule but also, in the event of a change or reversal of the decision of the protest committee, an adjustment of the results of the race and the final standings of the regatta on which the awards are based.

Rule 71.4 states that the decision of the national authority is final, and this decision must be implemented by those bodies subject to rule 85 and governed by the rules: the organizing authority, the race committee and the protest committee.

USSA 1983/252



On average the number of appeals in the Netherlands is about 10 a year.

I was wondering how many a big sailing nation as the USA has each year and if that number has increased since the new US SAILING Prescriptions.

The number of parties in a redress hearing must have grown considerably……

J.

LTW Readers Q&A: Mark-room in ISAF MR Call 2010-004

Dear Jos,

Would you care to publish the following?

Rapid Response Match Racing Call 2010-004 has just been published.



It deals with a boat (Yellow), having rounded the windward mark well ahead and having completed a penalty just outside the zone, now on starboard, approaching Blue who is just finishing rounding the mark on port.
The Call asks and answers the question: ‘Does rule 18 apply between Yellow and Blue?’

Unsurprisingly it answers that rule 18, rule 18.2(a) to be precise, does apply.
I would have thought that this would have been painfully obvious. There are two boats. They are required to leave a mark on the same side. At least one of them is in the zone. None of the exemptions shown in rule 18.1 apply. Of course rule 18 applies.

Of much more interest is what happens when an instant after the last position in the diagram in the Call, when Blue leaves the mark astern and is no longer at the mark.

The instant Blue ceases to be at the mark, she is no longer taking mark-room to which she is entitled (to sail her proper course at the mark), and thus she ceases to be entitled to exoneration for breaking rule 10. Blue instantaneously switches from being a boat entitled to exoneration for breaking rule 10 to being fully obliged to keep clear by rule 10, without even the protection of rule 15.

So, to extend the problem diagrammed in the Call, just after Position 4, Yellow luffs, and makes non-damage contact between Y’s port bow and B’s port quarter.

Yellow Y Flags.

What is the umpire’s decision?



Calls only answer a specific question. This one is no exception.

The situation described is so specific that it will only happen once out of a hundred. But it can happen. As long as Blue is not yet past the mark she needs protection from a starboard boat. She entitled to protection under rule 18 . Like you stated, shortly after that she has passed the mark and she no longer needs protection and now can gybe to keep clear. She must do that as keep clear boat. She already can anticipate having to do this while rounding the mark because she's always keep clear boat.
The same is just before Yellow has turned down below ninety degrees. Then she is still on a beat and so there is no overlap, therefore rule eighteen does not apply. Only in those few moments between Yellow turning downwind and Blue passing the mark, rule 18 is in effect. And that is exactly when she needs it.

To answer your call, after Blue has passed the mark and there’s contact

• If Blue did everything to keep clear, Yellow broke 16.1; Penalize Yellow
• If Blue did nothing or not enough to keep clear, she broke rule 10; Penelize Blue.

Umpire dilemma

Many events are using a system with coloured windward marks. So the RO can quickly change the direction of the beat. In shifty conditions that might even be often.

With the preparatory signal a corresponding coloured flag is hoisted to indicate which windward mark has to be rounded. But, things being as they are, sometimes the sailors forget which mark to round – because it’s late in the day, because the beat was slow and long, because they were late entering and concentrating on that, instead on which colour was shown… take your pick. Once in a while boats sail to the wrong mark.

As an umpire I also sometimes forget – that’s why I added a couple of coloured clothespins to my kit. At the same time as the flag is hoisted at the entry, I stick one on a visible place (for us – not for the sailors) so I have a reference.

Anyway, sailors going to the wrong mark. As discussed in earlier posts just recently – that mark can be touched, it has no zone, it has no side to which it has to be rounded – it’s not a mark under the rules, at best it’s an obstruction.

But the boats behave as if it is a regular mark, with all the rights and obligations. Rule 18, rule 31.1, everything.

I’ll make my first question a simple one: The Blue boat, clear ahead, touches that wrong mark. The Yellow boat, not far behind, sees this and you see it also. Furthermore the crew of the Yellow boat see you at a place that it’s impossible not to see the touch by Blue.

Yellow shows her Yankee flag, you answer with a green/white flag (In Match Racing a boat cannot protest for rule 31.1).

And then?

What do you do?

If you do nothing you are telling the boats that they can touch (what they think is) a mark. From that they can deduce that this windward mark might be the wrong one….. Is that outside help?

Okay, you say, give them a penalty……

But, what rule have they infringed? On what do you base this penalty?

 

It’s even more complicated if the boats think that rule 18 is in play. You are umpiring solely under the right of way rules (perhaps, if needed, rule 19), but the boats behave as if there’s a zone, mark-room and everything.

Any call by the sailors MUST be umpired according to the rules – and that is usually as if that mark was not there.

Up until now I’ve solved this dilemma by sticking rigorously to the rules – what else can I do – but I’m not particularly happy with it…….

 

I’m posting this prepared blogpost from my B&B in Trapani, after a long day travelling. I’m here to umpire an extreme sailing series event.

Umpire case from European Championship 2010

Currently I’m umpiring at the Eurosaf Open&Woman European Match Racing Championships in Hard, Austria. A very small part of the Bodensee has a border with Austria and there the Hard Yacht Club is organising this event.
With a course on the ‘Innenbecken’ and one outside at the lower part of the Bodensee.
We’ve been at it for three day’s in less then ideal circumstances – lots of rain and cold – but luckily almost on schedule. Tomorrow the final day we’ll do the last part ending of course with Finals and Petit Finals.
From today I have a case for you consideration. In the picture below you see two prestart boats about 20 seconds before the start. Blue (clear ahead) gybes and then luffs very hard.

For the first infringement (not keeping clear while gybing (RRS 13.2)) she gets a red flag penalty. She was not in control, the trailing boat was, but by gybing she gains control. Breaking a rule to do that, earns you a red flag penalty.
After that she luffs so hard that there’s contact. Yellow was not able to keep clear due to Blue’s lack of room to do so. Infringing rule 16 she get’s another penalty.
After the start she takes a penalty, by slowing down a little and then bearing away behind Yellow. My question to you is: Should she take two penalties or only one?
Please give me your reasoning with the answer.

Evidence to consider - You make the Call

On the Sailgroove website Patrick Rynne has put up a couple of videos where you can be the protest-committee and the umpire.
See the action on the water and decide for yourselves.

He's done this by filming two Optimist in different situations:
You make the Call - Episode 1 is about a windward mark rounding
You make the Call - Episode 2 is about a classic slam dunk situation.

In the first situation the 'testimony' of the sailors is included. As if you see this video in the protest-room, because one of them has brought it with them. So in that one you are allowed to see the video as many times as you please, getting to what actually happened. Please remember the restrictions a camera has - specially in depth perception.

In the second situation you have to take the decision as an umpire, on the spot. Well okay, you can see the video twice and then make a decision.

Good practice, but also a reminder that videos will never replace on the spot observation.

Heads UP: New rules videos on Sailgroove

Just a heads up -- Matt Knowles just posted three new videos on Sailgroove about the latest calls for 2010:

• Team Race Call E10, 
• Rapid Response Team Race Call 2010/001 and
• Rapid Response Match Race Call 2010/001

Or have a look at: New Rules Calls for 2010 at Sailgroove.org.

Particularly the last one - about what is sailing "to the mark" and being "at the mark" is also of interest for Fleet and Team racers.

If you want to read the official text of the publications go to new Team Race Call Book for E10, the RR Team Call 2010/001 and the RR Match Race Call 2010/001 on the ISAF Site.

The only thing I wish - as being an umpire/judge active in all disciplines - that what is applicable for one is also applicable for the other. For instance: the situation in RRTR Call 2010/001 is NOT applicable in Match Racing because of the new rule C2.12. which states that if the outside boat is not able to give mark room she does not have to.

But then again if sailing wasn't complicated - it wouldn't be half the fun it is now.

Oooh, thanks Chris, for your heads up!

LTW Readers Q&A | 029 Overlap?

Last Monday I received the following questions from a LTW-reader. Since there is still the possibility this might go to an appeal, I'll restrict my answers to his questions.

RE: Overlap, Luffing Rights, necessary contact, etc.

Situation:  two boats at the start 15-10 seconds before the start on the verge of being overlapped.  Leeward Boat (L) has ~ 45º rake in bow. Windward Boat (W) has a  45º reverse transom and wide flat step in transom.

L has more speed than W.

L claims "overlap," W responds with "no-overlap."

L luffs and makes contact near center of transom causing damage to W.

L protests under Rule 11 - believing that they were clearly overlapped at the time. Claimed contact was necessary to prove overlap.

W protests under Rule 12 and 14 - believing that the instance the point of contact occurred L was clear astern and made no attempt to avoid contact.

Q1: is there an imaginary vertical plane that two boats cannot intersect?  I.e. if the bow swings over a transom, but does not touch is that considered contact? A spinnaker pole or boom over another boats side with out physical contact, etc.

Q2:  Since this incident occurred by two boats approaching the starting line from a point to leeward of the lay-line of the starboard or committee boat end of the line, is there any way this can be construed as "Barging."

In answer to your first question I've looked at CALL UMP 7:

That vertical plane does exist to determine the overlap, but even when there is an overlap, like in the call above and one of the boats changes course to pass behind the other, the keep clear boat is keeping clear.

The test if a boat is keeping clear is always done according to the definition:

• Can the row boat sail her course with no need to take avoiding action?
• And if on the same tack & overlapped: Can the leeward boat change course in both directions without immediately making contact with the windward boat.

Both test-questions are answered positive, even when the bow (or bowsprit) swings over the transom.

 

I'm not an expert in language but in my understanding "barging" is something only a windward boat can do. That boat is sailing lower then a leeward boat and does not want to luff in fear of crossing the line too early or not being able to pass the mark on the correct side. By barging he forces the leeward boat to bear away, in compliance with rule 14 - to avoid contact. A barging boat ALWAYS breaks rule 11 and possibly rule 2.

In the situation you describe the leeward boat luffs. I would not consider this barging by the windward boat. Not on the lay-line to the starboard-end of the start-line and not if it happened leeward of that lay-line.

J.

DAIL UP; USMRC | 02

I've send an Email to Kirk Brown asking him about the issue discussed in this post:
DAIL UP; USMRC Newsletter Vol2, Issue 1

It was about this situation:He has written back:

I have sent a RRC on this. I am aware that there are others as well. The proposed call I sent shows Blue closing the door and a collision. The question is: may Blue close the door?
I am coming to believe that the second sentence of rule 18.2b allows Blue to close the door and Yellow must continue to give Blue room to sail 'to' the mark, even though Yellow initially gave Blue room to do just that.

I spent the better part of a weekend last month setting this up on our Catalina 37s. The tactic I used as Yellow was to follow Blue, and when Blue gybed back to the RC boat, then continue on starboard over the top of Blue, falling off when Yellow can clear Blue's transom, or if Blue gybes underneath, then Yellow gybes and Blue will never be able to get to Yellow.

Yellow merely needs to follow Blue and not get trapped and the boats will drift across the finish line. The strategy for Yellow is to get inside the "H" by driving Blue to that point. Once Yellow does that, she cannot lose.

In conclusion, I think the RRC can leave the 'mark trap' in the game, but Yellow has a winning strategy as long as she doesn't get trapped and can drive Blue inside the "H".

But, we'll see.
Best, Kirk

DAIL UP; USMRC Newsletter Vol2, Issue 1

In the latest USMRC Newsletter “DAIL UP” an umpire call is being discussed, which I thought might interest you. It is written by Kirk Brown, an IU from the USA:

NEW RULES NEW WRINKLES

With new rule come new wrinkles. Congressional Cup 2009 provided an incident that continues to be discussed.

In the diagram below, the boats are coming to the finish with Blue owing a penalty. Neither boat has a spinnaker or jib up and are slow. Blue arrives at the zone clear ahead turning on rule 18.2(b), second sentence. Yellow must give Blue mark-room, which is room to sail to the mark. At position 2 and 3, Blue is not sailing to the mark, but away from the mark. At position 4, Blue is sailing above the finish line flag on the RC boat. At position 5, Blue cannot get to Yellow and both boats ‘Y’ flag. What rules apply and what is the call?

Rule 10 applies in this case, and Blue must keep clear (preamble to Section A). Rule 18.2(b) applies and Yellow must give Blue mark-room. As Blue always had room, neither boat broke a rule, Green and white flag. Look for a Rapid response Call to see if Blue can close the door.

My initial thought is that Blue must keep clear if Blue does not sail to the mark and gybes to port, since she is a port tack boat that has been given mark room but has opted not to take it. Stay tuned.

 

I’m interested to hear your thoughts about this call. A few of mine:

• Is Blue sailing to the mark in position 4?
• Has Blue finished?
• In position 2 Blue is RoW boat and can sail as wide as she pleases….
• Is Blue sailing her proper course – if you consider her AT the mark – in absence of Yellow , considering she still has to take a penalty?
• If yes, what about C2.2?
• Is 18.5(b) applicable considering this is a “passing” mark rather then a rounding mark?

To view the whole issue go to: http://usmrc.info/ml/dl.php?id=29
N.B.: there are no answers (yet)

.

MR Criterium, Calpe; Spain |003

Today we started doing the actual matches. First flight at 11:00 hours provided the wind would fill in… Well, it was around 11:30 before we could go.
Since the wind kept increasing steadily we ended up going from 12 knots around one o'clock to 18-20 knots later in the afternoon. The wing boat - to which I was assigned for the first four flights - had trouble coping with the waves. Not enough horsepower was our conclusion. But beside that it was also on the small side and therefore very very wet in the big swell.
Uncharacteristicly cold in the afternoon for "sunny" Spain, I was not at all sorry to see the wind rapidly decreasing and Ewan deciding that with the decrease in pressure, boats couldn't sail in the continuing waves any more. We went in around five.

Oh, I didn't do any actual umpiring, at all. For the flight 5 I was Ump2 with David, but because of a breakdown of one of the boats - the main sheet traveller went bust - we had blank start and after that our own umpire boat had trouble. Later the mechanic told us it was the fuel delivery that caused engine failure.
After motoring in at half speed and discussing alternatives, we were just about to do some umpiring in the local police boat - yes, siren and lights and all - when AP over A went up.

As a case I've made a diagram of a mark-rounding situation:

What should the Umpires signal in response to this Yankee flag from Blue?

For umpires it's essential to determine if the inside boat is "AT" the mark. If she continues straight on, she's breaking RRS 11. Because she's no longer sailing her proper course. She has only markroom to sail TO the mark and when AT the mark room to sail her proper course. If she does anything else she must keep clear under the RoW rules….

In the group discussion we came up with this description: A boat is AT the mark when she first can turn to round it. Something umpires should establish and agree on.

Scoring problem with one boat finishing

Some time ago I received an Email with a question from Wolfgang. I've been trying to find an answer, but no luck so far.
Perhaps one of LTW-readers can help?

Is there a protest, Q&A, case or call about the scoring problem with only one boat finishing in time?
And subsequently giving answers if that boat has finished normally or with OCS or with a Black Flag penalty?

New Call-Books for Match & Team Racing

New on the ISAF Site:

CALL Book for Match Racing 2009-2012

CALL Book for Team Racing 2009-2012

Both have been 'upgraded' to the new rules. I haven't had time to read them, let alone compare them to the previous versions. So, if you do and find interesting or enlightening insights, don't hesitate to send in a post!

I'm away from home this weekend, attending a Match Race event in Italy: Christmas Races at Circolo della Vela in Brindisi. I'm hoping for some warmer hours outdoors - it's just above freezing in Friesland.