Alpari World Match Racing Tour Rules

I'm currently umpiring at the Alpari World Match Racing Tour in Marseille (France).

This event has been given permission by ISAF to 'tweak' the Match Racing rules (appendix C) to better fit the needs of the event. More close encounters, giving the trailing boat a fighting chance when she catches up, more consistency in umpire decisions, things like that.

It is a lot harder to tweak the rules as they are, than you think. I know everybody has his/or her specific ideas what should be changed (including me) but the consequences are not always directly apparent. You change one or two rules and think you have the situation well under 'control'. Two days later a situation pops up that isn't anticipated and there's a problem. The changes at the AWMRT have been well thought out and seem to work so far.

We have a changed penalty system. One that has been tried out years and years ago, but seems to make a comeback;

Changes to Rule C7.2 All Penalties
Add new C7.2(a) and change current C7.2(d) then renumber all points.
C7.2(a) After being signalled under rule C5.2 or C5.3 and within the limitations of rule C7.3, a penalized boat may elect to take the penalty immediately by crossing behind the stern of the other boat.

In order to take this penalty a boat must cross behind the stern of the other boat:
the hull of the boat taking a penalty must cross completely from one side of the centreline to the opposite side of the centreline of the other boat in the match.

To clarify this, a AWMRT Call has been published. Have a look: AWMRT 2012 CALL 002.pdf


Having done the Round Robin with 66 matches in 17 flights I would have expected to have seen this happen a couple of time. Alas, in the matches I've umpired, none. Nevertheless I think this is worth to keep in. It keeps the boats together and most penalties in match racing are not for big crashes. 'The punishment to fit the crime' as they say.

Because when 'the crime' is more serious, we have another tweak:

C6.5(b) The red-flag penalty in rule C5.3 shall be used when a boat has gained a controlling position as a result of breaking a rule.

In order to be consistent this needs a new definition:

C2.21 Add the definition Control
A boat has control of another boat in her match when she is in a position to be able to impede, affect or change the actions of that boat.

This one is a harder to implement. Sometimes boats can affect each other. For example take a standard windward/leeward situation after the start. Leeward can luff and affect Windward, but cannot pass head to wind without risking not keeping clear. And so Windward can prevent Leeward from going to the other side. Boats affect each other. It also depends on where the boats are on the leg. Windward's control is greater when nearing the lay-line to the top mark…. There's a balance of control. Sometimes all to one boat and sometimes a little more to one but not zero to the other.

With this definition umpires look at the control issue and decide if a boat has gained enough control - the balance is tipped enough to their side - to warrant a red flag penalty. A penalty they have to take immediately. Which might be a crossing penalty.

I'm still trying to get my head round this new definition, but at least we are now consistently thinking about the control balance.



I'll talk about the changes to rule 16 and 17 another time.
J.

(PS: The download link of the AWMRT CALL is on Data Host File; not on the webspace of my provider. So you need to download the file instead of getting it directly. Sorry about that, but I've used up all my space and am looking for additional room..... Do any of you have suggestions?)

Kite boarding in Turkey–part 1

I'm at a PKRA World Cup event (again) this time in Kumkov Burc Beach. It is on the European side of Turkey on the edge of the Black Sea, very near the entrance of the Bosporus. Today was the first day and we had fantastic wind to do the kite boarding. Three upwind downwind races in quick succession and now the freestyle riders are doing their jumps and loops. I’m here as an IJ to chair the Protest committee. So far no work today – no protests.

I talked to the riders and others about the sport and about the rules. And helped with the finish. The biggest problem at the finish in these circumstances is to recognize the number on the riders. They are issued with a pullover with a big black number, but the finish is outside the surf and about a 100 meters from the beach. Even with binoculars it is sometimes impossible to see. The number is on their backs and if the wind angle is towards shore, like here, they face the beach with their back away from you.

I racked my brain how to improve this, but have not found he answer. Everything I suggested was shot down as to disturbing to the kite performance – like putting a sail number on the kite. The material is similar to spinnaker cloth and any stickers would drastically impact the bending. Streamers between the lines just would interfere with looping and might vibrate the lines, as do any other flags or stuff on the lines.

For now we just look at the kite – colour and make – and write those down. When the riders return to the beach we run around sorting out numbers and pray and hope we get it right. Preliminary results have been published and no requests for redress as of yet. There are several similar kites in make and colour, so that is a relief for the finish committee….

If any of you have suggestions how to improve the identification, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

J.

Does Rule 17 apply?

During a Medal Race at the Delta Lloyd Regatta a three boat situation near the finish developed involving rule 17. Let me start by the 'classic' situation where the middle boat has a rule 17 limitation and the leeward boat has not.

Two boats overlapped with red as leeward boat encounter a third (grey) boat. Purple establishes an overlap to leeward of Grey within two boat lengths and has a rule 17 limitation. Red however does not have the same limitation. She has an overlap with Grey (because Purple in the middle has an overlap with both), but not within two boat lengths, so Red does not have a rule 17 limitation.
Grey must keep clear as windward boat, but Purple may not sail above her proper course. Because Purple has to keep clear of Red her proper course is to luff when Red luffs. She does not sail above her proper course, because she would have done the same, if Grey wasn't there and she must keep clear of Red.

With me so far?

Now almost the same situation.

In this the overlap was long standing on the downwind, without a rule 17 limitation. Red is within two boat lengths of Grey. Grey manages to get clear ahead and breaks the overlap. A few seconds later the overlap is re-establish.

My question to you: does Red have to Gybe immediately? In other words, does rule 17 now apply for Red?

And what if we added a fourth boat overlapped to leeward of Red?

J.

Kitesurf Rules! Appendix BB explained

For kiteboarding there is a separate appendix, just like for surfing, match racing and team racing. Since kiteboarding has been developing pretty rapidly in the last years, the rules also have been updated and brought into line with the 'normal'  racing rules of sailing.

The current Appendix BB has been changed on January 4th 2012. That is the version we are using here at the Worldcup in Scheveningen.

To determine 'Clear Ahead, Clear Astern and Overlap' the kite does count!

 The picture suggests that boards have to avoid the kite, but the distance between rider and kite is about 33 meters. And kiteboarders can control the height above the water pretty accurately, so usually one is just going over or under the other.

In order to get more speed the riders want to keep the kite lower rather then higher. Flying over an opponent is quite normal. And bringing your kite up to prevent the windward kite from passing is not changing direction and therefor not limited by rule 16! You can effectually prevent someone of passing you.

Oooh, in case you are wondering, looping is done when you are sailing downwind. In order to get more power the kite is turned clockwise or counterclockwise fast. That generates more flow and thus more power.

Download the complete rules on the ISAF Website:
Appendix BB Experimental Kiteboarding Competition Rules

O'Neill 2012 Worldcup Kite Boarding

I'm currently at the O'Neill 2012 Worldcup Kite Boarding event in The Hague as chairman of the PC.

Since kite-boarding has been part of the ISAF 'Family' there has to be at least one IJ at high level events.When I was invited I told the organizers that I knew nothing about kite-boarding and the rules involved.That was not a problem, they told me, the other judges would be knowledgeable. If I could be the chairman and help them with procedural issues.
I agreed and promised to study up on Appendix BB (recently changed on 4 January 2012).

I've been watching the freestyle competition and learned a couple new things.

Did you know:

- There are no metal or carbon parts stiffening a kite? It is all done by pumping air into tubes running along the front of a kite and as spokes in the wing.

- That the board has no stern? Both ends are the same and are alternately used as front or back.

- That there are four fins under a board? A pair on both ends, i.e. in all four corners.

- That the kite is controlled by three lines? One in the middle splitting out in the two going to the front of the wing, splitting out in four each divided along the length. It connects through the bar to the harness of the sailor. The two in the back going to each end of the bar the sailor handles. If he pulls the bar straight down along the center line, both back-lines are pulled and the kite-shape changes. The wing is pulled down in the back. If he pulls left or right, only one end is pulled and the kite changes direction.

- That a kite doesn't 'tack'. When changing from SB to P the kite is looped up and down the other side and the board starts sailing the other way. (I have to ask about this - tacking is still in App. BB)

We have not been racing yet - only freestyle. The wind direction is not suited for racing- being on shore at almost at a right angle. But nice and strong for jumping - which freestyle basically is.

I'm learning......

ISAF Executive Statement: RRS 69.2(a) Ainslie: CLOSED

ISAF Executive Statement:
International Sailing Federation

16/03/2012

 

The ISAF Executive Committee has met to consider the reports from the International Jury of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships and the RYA Tribunal. The role of ISAF under Racing Rule of Sailing 69.2(a) is to first determine whether or not it is appropriate to conduct a further hearing into the reports received.

 

The Executive Committee has reviewed the decisions of the International Jury and the RYA Tribunal, the video evidence of the incident, other relevant documentation from Perth and has taken legal advice. Mr Ainslie was asked to comment and did so.

The Executive Committee supports the decision and the report of the International Jury and the report of the RYA Tribunal that found that Mr Ainslie committed Gross Misconduct and believes that the penalties imposed to date are appropriate. Accordingly, ISAF does not regard it as appropriate to conduct a further hearing into the incident and no further action will therefore be taken.

The issue of Media Boats is a separate matter from the decision issued today. The ISAF Media policies were clear and the issue of adherence will be considered separately.

All three parties in rule 69.1(c) have now investigated this matter according to rule 69.2(a):

69.2 Action by a National Authority or Initial Action by the ISAF

(a) When a national authority or the ISAF receives a report alleging a gross breach of a rule, good manners or sportsmanship, a report alleging conduct that has brought the sport into disrepute, or a report required by rule 69.1(c) or 69.1(e), it may conduct an investigation and, when appropriate, shall conduct a hearing. It may then take any disciplinary action within its jurisdiction it considers appropriate against the competitor or boat, or other person involved, including suspending eligibility, permanently or for a specified period of time, to compete in any event held within its jurisdiction, and suspending ISAF eligibility under ISAF Regulation 19.

The MNA of the sailor, (the owner of the boat) and the location, and now the ISAF have issued a statement. There will be no further action. This matter is now CLOSED. Yachting Australia and ISAF didn't find it was appropriate to conduct a hearing. The statement of the RYA does not specify if it did or did not conduct a hearing, but in any case, the RYA tribunal concluded that no further penalty was appropriate.

I'm a bit unsure about the difference between an investigation and a hearing, when for instance the person involved is asked to give comments, but rest the statement by ISAF makes it clear that they still regarded that as an investigation.

Perhaps the definition of a hearing is that all parties involved are physically brought together in one meeting, like in a protest hearing?

Ben Ainslie can now prepare, without this 'Damocles sword' hanging over his participation in the OG.

RYA Tribunal Decision: RRS 69.2(a) Ainslie

Press release:

RYA Tribunal proceedings relating to Ben Ainslie conclude:


The RYA Tribunal met on 9 February 2012 to consider a report dated 14 December 2011 received pursuant to the Racing Rules of Sailing Rule 69.1(c) from the International Jury at the ISAF Sailing World Championships held in Perth in December 2011.

The Tribunal agreed with the decision of the International Jury that the behaviour of Mr Ben Ainslie amounted to a gross breach of good manners and conduct that brought the sport into disrepute.

Having considered all the evidence put before it, the Tribunal was satisfied that it would not be appropriate for the Tribunal to impose a penalty over and above that imposed by the International Jury at the event.

In reaching its decision the Tribunal acknowledged that the effect of the penalty imposed by the International Jury was to deny Mr Ainslie the possibility of taking part in the medal race for the event.  
The Tribunal also recognised that there was an apparent lack of active management of media boats at this and previous events leading to repeated infringements of the provisions of the event media boat guidelines. In addition, formal rights of redress against official boats were not available to competitors.

The Tribunal noted that it had had an opportunity to view evidence that was not available to the International Jury during the hearing at the event.

The RYA, as the ISAF Member National Authority for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, has jurisdiction under Rule 69.2 to take action in response to reports made to it under Rule 69.1 relating to British sailors and the Council of the RYA has delegated its authority in such matters to the RYA Tribunal. 

Article Published: February 10, 2012 15:01

It is now up to ISAF (and Yachting Australia) to decide if they want to pursue this matter. It is remarkably hard to find any jurisprudence in rule 69 matters. Most MNA's and ISAF do not publish records on these [sensitive] issues.

ITO for 2012 Olympic Games

On the ISAF website the names of the International Technical Delegates (TD, Measurers, Race Officers, Jury and Umpires) for the 2012 Olympic Games were published. : 2012 London Olympic Games Sailing Competition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jury is reduced from 26 in 2008 to 23 in 2012, but than there are now 10 umpires for the match racing added, bringing the total to 33 from 29 different nations.

Of those 26 jury members in 2008, 17 people return either as jury member or as an umpire. That leaves 12 ‘new’ persons on the jury and 4 ‘new’ in the umpire team.

I can’t tell you the ‘old-new’ statistics for Measurers or RO’s, because I didn’t save that particular record four years ago. There will be 9 Measurers and 17 people in the Race Management Team for the 2012 OG. And 2 Technical Delegates.

These were chosen out of a group of 99 persons, who were either at the WPIR (Test Event) or in Perth at the Worlds. (+ 2 who were at neither)

During the last Olympic I did some interviews with newcomers. I will try to get in touch with a few again, this time.

In the mean time, good luck to all.

J.

MATCH RACE 360 - First Issue: August 2011

31 August 2011 – London, UK: The World Match Racing Tour today launches a new digital multimedia magazine devoted solely to the discipline of match racing.

The e-zine, called Match Racing 360°, is a digest of match racing events from all round the world, and of all grades from world-status to club level. The concept of Match Racing 360° will reach out to and bring together the international match racing community through its attractive and accessible digital platform. There are thousands of match racing events out there – Match Racing 360° wants to give them a voice.

Issue 01 | August 2011

The quarterly interactive e-zine offers a mix of the latest news from events around the globe, in-depth features and comment and analysis from some of the biggest names in match racing, enhanced by embedded videos and links.

The launch issue includes reflections on the America’s Cup World Series from one of the sport’s biggest stars Brad Butterworth, match racing legend Magnus Holmberg on the importance of educating youngsters in match racing, an insight into the world of blind match racing and a spotlight focus on the Swedish match racing mecca of Marstrand.

Match Racing 360° will be available as a browser version for those who want to read it on a PC or laptop, with a mobile application for download through the World Match Racing Tour’s iTunes channel currently in development.

Jim O’Toole, CEO of the World Match Racing Tour, said: “Rather than being a just a communication tool for the World Match Racing Tour, we want Match Racing 360° to be about connecting match racers of all levels around the world and providing them with relative and engaging content. Match Racing 360° is as much about the countless lower-profile match racing events that go on around the world as it is the high-profile ones. It’s a platform for the match racing fan, whatever level they race at.

Check out the first edition of Match Racing 360° by clicking here.

Delta Lloyd Regatta 2011; Day 0

Arrived in Medemblik fairly early today. Around 11, with a fellow umpire in my own car, stowed with probably more stuff then I need…

This will be my 10th Regatta here in Medemblik – started in the Jury as a trainee in 2002. This will be my third DLR in the Umpire team. Because this is a ‘Home’ match for me, I’m usually asked to do all the local stuff. Things to do with the local Race Committee for material and on the water conditions.


So, together with Frank, I prepared the five ‘canary’-yellow umpire boats, checked flags, made arrangements for our radios, including enough channels and so forth. The pre-day for any event is always hectic and full of surprises. The trick is to stay calm and work with what is possible. To demand everybody to jump when you ask is not realistic – much better to offer to help and thereby make sure things are arranged as you wanted in the first place.

Later we will start the meetings with competitors and with the complete Jury. The total number of members is 23.

Right, it’s now past midnight, I’m almost going to hit the sack. We had our meetings and after that, a drink at the local watering hole ‘Brakeboer’

The most interesting in the out of tonight's preparations was new form for accepting a discretionary penalty.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, a DPI is a penalty for breaking a specific SI or provision in the NOR. It’s often less than DSQ. We have a policy paper on the harshness of the actual penalty. This new form enables sailors to acknowledge they have broken a ‘DPI’-rule and then we can almost automatically determine the penalty.

More on procedures in post later this week.

Championnat Du Monde de Voile

First stage in the Match Racing World Tour in Marseille, France
I’ve arrived in Marseille after a short flight. The weather is nice and warm and hopefully the thermal wind will provide enough breeze to start racing tomorrow.

Reading the SI, I came across an instruction I haven’t seen before:

“3.5 Spinnaker Pole restrictions.
After the warning signal, the bowsprit shall not be extended until the boat is on a downwind course and shall be retracted at the first reasonable opportunity when not in use. A breach of this rule is not open to protest by boats, but is subject to action by the Umpires in accordance with RRS C8.2. This changes RRS C6.2 and C8.2. The Umpires will try to warn competitors before penalising for not retracting the bowsprit at the first reasonable opportunity.
Unless the head of the spinnaker is above the intersection of the headstay and the mast, the bowsprit shall not be considered for the purpose of overlaps and finishing.”

We haven’t discussed this in our meeting yet, but for sure this needs some additional explanations. Do we warn them each time, or do we do it once per boat?
Unless the spinnaker (gennaker on these boats) is almost all the way hoisted – the distance between the intersections and the top of the hoisted spinnaker is only 40 cm – the bowsprit does not count for overlap or finish.
I wonder if we (and the wing as well) can remember each time to check.

Kiel 4; Day five - REVISITED

When I was in Kiel I wrote a post about a request for redress by one of the teams in Woman Match racing. You can read the original here:
Kiel 4; Day five

Because of a mistake in the invitations the second Swedish team who should have been invited according to the NOR amendment #1 (the Sailing World Cup Standard NOR) was not, instead DEN2 was invited and they accepted.

Two days into the event SWE2 lodged a request for redress, claiming that their series scores in the World Cup was significantly worsened by not being able to sail in Kiel.

A lot of comments on the original post declared this request to be invalid because of two factors: SWE2 was no competitor and it should have been filed before racing started or within a reasonable time after the entry list was finalized.

Swe2 might not have been a competitor in this event, but she was certainly a competitor in the World Cup Series. If she would have requested participation before racing had started, there would have been no issue in validity in that regard.

So that leaves extending the time. The Jury decided that SWE2 filed the request as soon as she became aware of the mistake and extended the time limit accordingly.

The most difficult was to find out what the redress should be.

We couldn’t stop the tournament, kick out DEN2 (who had done nothing wrong) and start again. We couldn’t add another competitor to sail this late in the round robins. And, perhaps the biggest hurdle, we had no jurisdiction over the World Cup ranking list.

You can read the solution the International Jury came up with, if you have a look at Protest 29 SWE2 v OA.pdf.

Kiel 4; Day five

After an eleven hour day on the water umpiring yesterday and a 6 hour day today (cut-off time was 15:00 hours) we have a new Kieler Woche World Cup Match Race champion! Ekaterina Skudina and her crew managed to beat Claire Leroy and her crew in the finals 2-1. Congratulations to her, indeed. Coming up from the repacharge to win the tournament, shows some fighting spirit. Never giving up, never loosing hart. A well deserved win! And well done Katerina!

We are going in to the international part of Kiel Week, with many (more) competitors. I'll be going out on the water for rule 42 and do some hearings in the room. And perhaps some arbitration. Something for which they have a unique system here.

I've been scribbling in my notebooks and will no doubt find a few cases to share from the match race course, but for the next couple of post I will concentrate on the Jury-work
The first on I am telling you about is unique indeed:

A team sailing in Kiel-week in a different class handed in a request for redress two day's after the start of match racing, claiming that a wrong team was invited to come and that actually they should have been given the opportunity to sail according to the rules regarding invitations. With some preliminary reading of the NoR it was soon discovered, that indeed there might have been a mistake and that a wrong team was asked to come.
The reason why the team handed in the request was of course the missed oppertunity to earn ranking points.

But to stop the tournament for that? Impossible!
Was the request even valid? The party was not a competitor and time limit! Has anybody checked the time limit? If we hear it what can we do? This Internation Jury has no jurisdiction over ISAF's ranking list. Only over this particular World Cup Event.
Questions, obstacles, and hurdles......

FTBD (31) & Kiel; Prestart 2

I was expecting empty roads travelling during the day trough Northern Germany. Their soccer team had to play against Croatia in the World Cup… But like me, there seem to be a lot of Germans not that into football. Not enough to take a day off from work. ‘Stau’ before Bremen, ‘stau’ after Bremen and road works before Kiel. Anyway, I arrived mid-afternoon and picked up my Sailing Instructions, sponserbag and clothing before the Jury-meeting at six.

World Cup Events now have a special set of sailing instructions, which supposedly – bar local differences in colour of marks – stay the same for all WC-events. They have been using them for four events now and still there is some fine-tuning in wording and specific instructions. But eventually we will get them right.
If you are interested you should be able to find them on the Kieler Woche Website.

It’s also Flog The Blog Day again – the 31st. Not that you have much to flog about, I’ve hardly been posting. But still, please go ahead – any comments, suggestions, critics, or remarks – feel free to write them. I might actually let them be published (EG).

I’ll be umpiring the first half of the week in the Woman Elliot 6 Match Racing. Again – like in Medemblik – 24 top teams competing. They could have had a lot more – 40 teams even, with separate courses and new format. Something the OA of Kiel week was willing to set up – but ISAF didn’t allow it. It still is a World Cup event.

The influence of ISAF will only increase next year – being a pre-Olympic year. More then half the Jury will be ISAF appointed, no doubt.

But lets get back to this year. 180 plus matches in five days = 45 plus flights with eight boats = 9 flights per day and no slack for weather-conditions. In other words – don’t be surprised if I don’t have time (or energy) to post every day. I’ll do my best….

Kiel; Prestart

I'm off to Kiel tomorrow, for ten days of Olympic Umpiring and International Sailing (Jury).
http://www.kieler-woche.de/eng/sailing/Program/International_Jury.htm.

The Jury gets bigger and bigger every year. Last count was 30 members, including the 10 umpires for Match Racing in the Elliot 6 for Woman.
Because this is now part of the World Cup, only a select few are 'allowed' to be the chairperson or chief umpire at these events. ISAF at its smallest - in my opinion. A trend I do not think is a good idea. It will create a select few within the Judges and Umpires group, who will go to the top events.
I understand the reason why it is done, but would support a better education and training program by ISAF for all, in favor of this direction......
But enough about politics. Lets get back to the sailing.

I hope to post some calls from the umpiring I will do in Kiel and perhaps illustrate an interesting protest or two.
Watch This Space

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.

.

Sail Melbourne Protests

This week the first of the new ISAF Sailing World Cup is held in Melbourne, Australia. It's high summer down under and - looking out the window at 25 centimeter of snow - I'm only a little bit green....

I've been looking at the website and found the link where information about the protest is published:
got to: http://www.yachting.org.au/sa/protest/default.aspx?ID=24420

Only seven protests so far, of which four by the RC and one by the Jury.
If you click on the links in the Protest Details column, additional information is displayed.
P3 is the most interesting one. SIN 2 failed to sail the course and was DSQed. But because the RC made an error by not correctly laying a mark, redress was granted and SIN was awarded 2nd place - I presume the place she actually sailed in that race.