Starting; a three mark solution.

Traditionally in fleet racing the starting line is a 'line' on the water perpendicular to the wind and defined by two marks on either end. The Race committee vessel as a mark on the starboard side and a 'pin' boat or mark on the other end. By moving the pin upwind or downwind the RO can influence the angle of the line and make it more or less favoured at one end.

Several larger fleets have run into trouble with this traditional set-up.
Because of the number of boats the line becomes impossibly long. (The standard formula for the length of the line is hull-length times X number of boats times 1,5). For instance; a fleet of twenty 'Valken' (6.5 m1) is 20x6,5x1,5= 195 meter. But if you take 72 Melges 24's you get: 72x24x1,5=2591 feet = just shy of 800 meters!
Even with a double pair of eyes on each end, chances are the Race Committee is not going to be able to recognize all boats who are OCS.....

So, large fleets get split up into groups, and those groups get hustled for two separated starts.
(A-B/C-D. A-C/B-D, A-D/B-C), Half the fleet, half the length of the line and 400 meter is manageable. After three races the fleet is split into gold and silver. Top and bottom half of the results.

Many classes hate group sailing. You never compete to all in all races and the split is always disappointing to some. Sailors want large fleets where everybody participates.

At a Melges 24 European Championship I was attending this summer, the class and Race Officer had found a different solution. Perhaps not new for you, but it was my first time seeing it on the water. They did not use two marks on the starting line, but three!

The Race committee vessel took station in the middle and there were two pin ends. One on the left and one on the right. The line was split into two lines. Here's a diagram:

three mark starting line

The advantages in sighting are clear. By adding a middle boat with two pairs of eyes on each side, you half the change that an OCS boat is missed. The line is effectively only 400 meters even with 70 Melges. The whole fleet can be started in one go.

Mind you, there are also some problems to solve. The first being that it is much harder to line up three boats exactly perpendicular to the wind. specially in shifty conditions. And that is very much needed!

If the RC doesn't, all the 70 boats will go to one end and you will have too many boats starting on too short a line. But in all fairness, that can also happen with a two mark line.

Secondly is the 'return round the end' rule. (rule 30.1)
With long lines the India flag is effectively as deadly as a Black. Boats starting in the middle who find themselves over the line have to sail so far and long to get to an end, that they might as well quit. They'll never catch up with the fleet.

So how to use the middle boat? If rule 30.1 isn't 'tweaked' you end up with boats returning around the middle boat from both ends and crossing behind the committee boat on different tacks. The Melges class have a 'adjustment' of rule 30.1 in their Sailing Instructions.

Both OCS boats have to start on the right....

This way returning boats comply with the requirements of rule 30.1 but always on the same tack. Much easier to sort out right of way and keeping clear.

And lastly you do need more people sighting on the starting line. The communications calling OCS is more complicated as the number of rubber boats is one more...

The three days I spent on the water with the Melges 24 class I saw this set-up. It works! You have a shorter line manageable by the RC and still a large fleet of 70 boats starting at the same time. When the fleet bunched up at one end the RO usually had to call them back with a general recall, or postpone before the signal, but that would have happened on a two mark line as well.

So next time you get a request from a class with many boats you can offer them this solution. You'll have some work to (re)train your race committee volunteers, but it might be worth doing..

Please leave a comment if you have done this three mark starting line set up before...
And tell what you think about it.
J.

LTW 2012 Winter Challenge E03/16

Today’s episode is about a situation send in by Eric Robbins from the US. I’ve only made some (small) textual changes and provided the animation. I’ve deleted the sail numbers and changed them to colours to identify the boats. (Red and Purple). (What is it with those two? They seem to be in an awful lot of protests!).

Protest #8:

In an eight-boat class, in the last race of the day, the first two Fireballs (17 feet long), leave the leeward mark to port, then reach across the bow of the finish boat to cross the finish line which was between the starboard shroud of a J-105 and a mark set off the starboard bow. The finish boat had a long anchor rode. The finish line was approximately 10 boats lengths from the leeward mark.

Fireball Purple rounded the leeward mark clear ahead of Red. Both were flying spinnakers on the reach to the finish, planing at about 10 knots. Fireball Red established an overlap to leeward and inside when Purple  was approximately two boat lengths from the anchor rode. Purple barely cleared the anchor rode, and finished overlapped, one-half length ahead of Red, but Red hooked the anchor rode with its rudder, with its bow just across the finish line. In the absence of the anchor rode, there would have been enough room for Red to pass between Purple and the finish boat.

Red was hung alongside, and touching, the finish boat, with the crew in the water hanging on the side of the Fireball, for over one minute, and had to cast off its rudder to get free. There was minor damage to both Red and the finish boat.

Red requested and received help from the finish boat and a mark boat to retrieve his rudder, then took a One-Turn Penalty, came back and re-finished in last place. At this point Red announced to the RC that he was protesting Purple. Red did not hail “protest” to Purple, but informed him on shore after the race. The protest was filed within the time limit. The skipper of Purple stated that he never saw Red get an overlap, as he was looking forward, but he did later see Red hung on the side of the finish boat.

The RC filed a protest against Red for breaking rule 41, outside help, also within the time limit.

What should the RC record for Red’s finish?
Is the protest by Red valid?
Write the protest with Facts Found, Rules that apply, Conclusions and a Decision

As always you have a limited number of questions, three in this episode, since there are three parties involved. But you can ask all three to the same party if you so want. Deadlines on Monday 23:59, Tuesday 23:59 and Wednesday 23:59. Final entry before Friday 23:59.

Score 27/01 in LTW 2012 Winter Challenge

Episode 27/01 has been scored. There are a couple of late entries added.

This was an interesting exercise.
I will not post my view, because the challenge was not to find out what happened, but to see how consistent the challengers wrote. The readers of LTW can pick the one they think most came near what actually happened. As long as they are aware that finding facts out of a 43 second video is very tricky without any statements from sailors involved. That is more than obvious, after you’ve read the different facts found, the challengers came up with.

Instead of publishing the specific entries in the comments after the LTW 2012 Winter Challenge 27/01: Rolex Miami OCR 49er Crash post, I’ve copied them all in this post and commented on them as well.
That way I can add the pictures that were send in by some of the challengers.
(There are a couple of comments in the original post, but those are from non contestants and published after the deadline)

So in order to read what the Challengers send in for this episode:

LTW 2012 Winter Challenge 27/01: Rolex Miami OCR 49er Crash

Right, this episode of the LTW 2012 Winter Challenge,  I'm using a You-Tube video of an incident in a 49er race at the Rolex Miami OCR.

I've checked and although there's is a protest on the board with AUT 070, I do not think it was this incident. BER 1042 is not mentioned and although the black spinnaker is an USA boat, I don't think it's 1222.
Anyway that protest was denied.

found on You Tube: HERE by asht2p

The film is short and taken from an aerial view (probably a helicopter) so you will need to see it several times.
The challenge is to write down the facts found, draw a conclusion and take a decision.
Don't get stuck in validity; assume all requirements have been fulfilled.

I also don't mind if different people have different set of facts found. The challenge is to write the facts as you see them and then draw consistent conclusions and decision. There was contact, so don't forget 14!

If you make a TSS or Boat Scenario file, send me a (one!) picture and I'll try to incorporate that into the posting. Since you can "make up" your own facts this time, there will be no questions. But the challengers who send me a picture of the situation, corresponding with their facts found, can earn two bonus points!

Deadline next Friday 03/02/12 23:59 (GMT+1) as per usual.

Scoring of Episode 20/01 to follow - probably Sunday.
Good luck,
J.

Penalty PUMA; In-Port Race Abu Dhabi VOR 2012

Google alert kicked out this article:
http://ecomyachting.com/2012/01/15/skipper-ken-read-has-called-on-race-management-at-volvo-ocean-race/

I tried to find the incident on the television coverage of the race, but no luck. The camera was focused on other boats going trough the spectators fleet at that moment.

Let me therefore start with: THIS IS A FICTIVE REPRESENTATION of what could have happened.
By using (only) Ken Reads description of the incident in above mentioned article this is what I came up with:

I have split Telefonica into two coloured boats. Green and Blue
In position 4 the Blue boat heads up to avoid hitting the Red boat. The Green boat shows what would have happened if that same boat did not change course.
In order to be able to see accurately if the change of course was, or was not, necessary, the umpire boat has to be in a position to see the gab between the boats. The Grey umpire boat represents a possibility (one that would be used in match racing), but there are other places as well.

Again, I do not know if this is anywhere near accurate, nor know where the Umpire boat was at that precise moment. What I do know is that in Umpired fleet racing it is impossible to be at the correct place one hundred percent, all the time.  No matter how many Umps you bring on the water.

The Red boat is keep clear boat under rule 11 and after her gybe under rule 10. The Green boat must be able to sail a course with no need to take avoiding action. If the distance between Green's bow and the crossing Red boat was big enough, then Red fulfills her obligation. If it was too close...... Penalty Red.

Double standard?

Rule 19 deals with both “normal” obstructions and with continuing obstructions:

19.1 When Rule 19 Applies Rule 19 applies between boats at an obstruction except when it is also a mark the boats are required to leave on the same side. However, at a continuing obstruction, rule 19 always applies and rule 18 does not.

First a static picture; I’ve designated the top as situation one and the bottom as situation two.



Below the animation of the two situations with three boats sailing along a continuing obstructions end up in exactly the same situation. In both animations the boat behind the yellow boats is in trouble – she has to dump speed to avoid contact. But in both situations she’s not keeping clear under rule 12.

Yellow protests in position 5: Who do you penalize in situation one and who in situation two?
My answers after the break.

`Little Help from my Friends'

Since the Stars and Finns have no scheduled race today, I was given a "lay day". No duties.
Therefore I've been catching up on mails and am doing some work in the garden of our hotel in Weymouth. I'm preparing a presentation for a rules clinic that I'm giving in a couple of weeks.

The basic question in that clinic I want to use is:
What is the main difference between Fleet and Match Racing?

The participators in the clinic will all be experienced Fleet racers, but with little or no experience in Match Racing. Hopefully they can pick up some pointers that not only will give them some insight in Match Racing but will also be beneficial for them in Fleet Racing.

Please give me your opinion on the basic question and tell me what you think the differences are?

KIEL 2011 International Part; Day 7

Today I chased 29ers. The wind increased during the darker clouds to 20-22 knots and some of the boys and girls had a hard time keeping their skiff upright. But those who did, went very fast indeed. And we followed them to the windward mark and back to the gate downwind.

With eight races it was a long day, but very nice nevertheless, if only by the speed these boats can reach. In the International Part we are allowed to whistle and show a red flag when we see a boat break a rule. It is then up to the competitors to decide if they want to take a penalty. And all of them did. It does not restrict their right to protest – only that we are there watching and hopefully keep the rules infringements to an acceptable level.

An excellent job for a Match Race umpire who has to watch a fleetrace, imho.

For the rules I have no new items today, save it to point you to Matt’s post on his blog Unruly about Video Evidence. Have a look at the Optimist overhauling the AC45s.

SWC Kiel 2011; Day 5

Medal racing with Addendum Q. A special set of sailing instructions for the final race in a regatta for Olympic Classes. The top ten compete in a 30 minute race that scores double points. Medal Races are also judged ‘directly’. I.e. umpires on the water decide on an incident straight away, if one of the involved boats protests.

It involves a lot of preparation, has a big attraction to the Media – being so compact and with so few boats – and has changed Olympic sailing.

It is however – and pardon my expression – very ‘tame’ compared to Match Racing for an Umpire. In the five races I judged on the water today, there were two incidents. One resulting in a red flag (by another umpire) and one in a voluntarily taken penalty by the infringing boat. That’s it.

And when Oscar was up, the Finns starting ‘air rowing’. Huge pumps with the sails throwing their whole bodyweight in the pull. Personally I do not think that is sailing anymore. The sailor who’s been pumping iron the most, will win….. All other factors are of less importance.

Sailing should stay more complicated.

Continues in the Race - or - Racing?

In my last FTBD-post I asked a question about taking a penalty while a crew member had fallen overboard. (Flog the Blog Day 22)

In the comments different answers were given, but I've since come to the conclusion that it might be even more complicated. Let us recap:

This was the original case:

In a race - bigger boats - a crew member falls overboard while the boat is sailing clear to take a penalty. The boat does one turn including a gybe and a tack, picks up the crew member and does it's second turn (with a gybe and a tack) straight after. There is hardly any time lost with picking up the crew member out of the water... The turns are done almost immediately after each other. The boat continues and subsequently wins the race. There's a valid protest on rule 47.2 by another boat. What is your decision?

In the comments different decisions were given:

• One decided on DSQ for breaking rule 47.2
• Three thought the penalty was incorrect ;
• One was undecided, the penalty might be correct;
• One wanted to dismiss the protest because the boat does not "make progress in the race";
• And even one who himself fell overboard, while expecting the boat to do it's turns. It is the boat being protested, so why not!

For certain, no consensus by a long way.

Precisely because of protests like this, an International Jury is made up from five different persons, who all can discuss the issue and convince each other. And finally vote to reach a decision.

In light of this, I want to set up a POLL again - the last one was already a long time ago - and let all LTW-readers form the "jury panel"

Before I give you the options, there's one other issue I want to raise. If the penalty was incorrect - because you think all crew-members have to be on board to make it valid - the boat has not exonerated itself. That in itself breaks no rule! You cannot be disqualified for not doing two turns - or for doing them incorrectly. You can only be disqualified for the original rule infringement the boat took the penalty for.

If a protest is handed in - like in this case, for breaking rule 47.2 - you need to go back to the original incident to find facts to determine if a boat indeed broke a rule. And since that is NOT what the protest was about, my own opinion is that you cannot do that. It is not part of the incident on the protest form.

But you might think differently, so I will include that option in the poll.

Everybody still with me?

You can vote for the following choices:

Option 1:	Penalty was correct, but the boat broke rule 47.2 by continuing in the race without all crew members on board. DSQ. If while taking a two turn penalty you don't keep clear of another boat (on its proper course), you still have exonerated yourself for the original rule infringement. But you have broken rule 21.2, something you can be protested for anew. If you want to exonerate yourself for that, you need to do another two turns penalty. Unfortunately in our case, you cannot take a two turns penalty for breaking rule 47.2 - it's not in Part 2.
Option 2:	Penalty was correct, no progress in the race, so the boat did not break 47.2. Protest dismissed.
Option 3:	Penalty was incorrect, the boat did not exonerate itself. But protest is dismissed because original incident was not mentioned, and no DSQ
Option 4:	Penalty was incorrect, the boat did not exonerate itself. Panel will investigate and find facts about original infringement. Depending on the outcome the boat will be DSQ'd or the protest dismissed. Even if the incident is not mentioned or described on the protest form, you are of the opinion that incorrectly taking a penalty in itself is grounds for going back to the original rule infringement. It is part of the same "incident".
Option 5:	I'm deciding something else and tell about my arguments and decision in a comment on this blogpost.

I'll let the poll run for a fortnight, say until middle of this month, October 18th. You can convince others by giving your arguments in the comments.

Ooh, you are allowed to change your vote!

Added 16/12/2009:

Results of the Poll
Option 1: DSQ for Breaking RRS 47.2	12	42,86%
Option 2: Penalty correct; P. dismissed	6	21,43%
Option 3: Penalty incorrect; P. dismissed	1	3,57%
Option 4: Penalty incorrect; Find Facts and decide	5	17,86%
Option 5: Other, see comments	4	14,29%
total votes:	28	100,00%

ISAF Q&A | 036

This Q&A was published on the ISAF website today. It answers when rule 18.3 stops applying.

ISAF Racing Rules Question and Answer Service
Q&A 2009-036

Published: 9 September 2009
Question
At a windward mark to be left to starboard, Blue is fetching the mark and Yellow tacks in the zone as shown in the diagram. Up to position 2 Yellow breaks no rule and will not do so if she continues to bear away to sail to the next mark. However, Yellow luffs and Blue must sail above close-hauled to continue keeping clear. She does so and protests. Does Yellow break a rule?


Answer
Yellow and Blue were approaching the mark on opposite tacks. When Yellow changed tack and as a result was subject to rule 13 in the zone when Blue was fetching the mark, rule 18.3 applied. When rule 18.3 applies, rule 18.2 does not thereafter apply. Blue keeps clear as required by rule 11 and Yellow’s luff complies with rule 16. Yellow causes Blue to sail above close-hauled to avoid her. If either boat is still in the zone, rule 18 continues to apply - see the first sentence of rule 18.1 - and therefore Yellow breaks rule 18.3(a).
This answer will also apply to a 'mirror-image' situation at a port-hand windward mark.


The answer is pretty straightforward. It does however, not mean that Yellow has to bear away to the next mark. There's no rule 17 restriction. Yellow can continue on a close-hauled course until BOTH boats are outside the zone, keeping Blue from sailing down. As long as Yellow does not cause Blue above close-hauled.
As soon as they both are outside Yellow can luff again. This means that if this situation occurs, the umpires have to decide if the luffing took place with one of the boats (most likely Blue) is still in the zone or not.
Rule 18.3 continues to apply, therefore determining when boats have left the zone is now a factor.

Sunday Rules Snap |4 関西学生ヨット春季選手権大会

From the other side of the Globe: Snipes and 470's

Dear Jos,
I always appreciate your great work in LOOK TO WINDWARD. Although you may not know, Japan intercollegiate sailing is very popular and has long history over 80 years. Its characteristic is that racing classes are only 470 and Snipe, and the format is a fleet racing. The KANSAI Intercollegiate Sailing Championship was held from May 5th through 6th at the Nishinomiya yacht harbour, where is located between Osaka and Kobe and which is one of the three famous yacht harbours in Japan.
KANSAI is a familiar name. KAN means a barrier, SAI means west and TOO means east. Therefore KAN-SAI is West of Japan. Its capital is Osaka, my city. KAN-TOO is East of Japan. Needless to say, its capital is Tokyo.
In this regatta, participating boats were 44 boats for 470 class and 43 boats for Snipe class. The student sailors in Kansai are fairly strong. Incidentally, a university 470 team won the 2nd place and a university Snipe team won the 3rd place in the last Japan intercollegiate sailing championship 2008. The condition was the wind, 5.4m/s to 7.6m, the first day and 3m/s to 4.5m/s, the second day. Two classes' races took effect at the same area and the starting sequence was made normally every five minutes because of 3 through 5 races per day. Since wind was weak on the second day, 470 and Snipe boats sailed together at the same time and rounding marks was thrown into great confusion. We were happy 'Zone' is three lengths for both.
Jury boats were three, two ribs and one SRV. Jury members were four senior judges, three judges and two probationers. The total number of Protests were seven and Rule 42 infringements were three. No comments in particular. The regatta was good success.
Attached hereto two photos and two results.
With best wishes,
Sen Yamaoka

Is that you in the Jury-boat, Sen?

Sunday Rules Snap |2

Two very different pictures this Sunday.

The first a little bleak - perfect for today (it's been windy, cold and raining here all day) - also signifying no sailing.

No wind - no sailing

Taken on the second day of the Tulip race 2009 (first weekend of April) by Hedwich

The second one send in by Manuel, who attended the IRO Seminar in the last weekend of April:
Enclosed I send to LTW a photo of a relax moment with LRF Laser RangeFinders. The seminar was organized by the RYA/ISAF in Southampton (GBR)

If you have a picture, please send it to rrs-study ed home dot nl and perhaps it will be posted in a next episode of Sunday Rules Snap....

.

Duke City Model Yacht Club - Guide to Getting Started in Racing

Earl Boebert, Commodore of Duke City Model Yacht Club, send me this guide for beginning model boat racers:

He writes:
The target audience is individuals who have built their first R/C boat and are intimidated by the rules. I hope you find it of some small interest, and of course comments are always welcome. Download link: Intro Guide to Getting Started in Racing

From the document:
I n t r o d u c t i o n Welcome to the Duke City Model Yacht Club. Our primary activity is racing two classes of boats, the Soling One Meter and the RG65. Both classes use the same rules as the “big boats,” called the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) which includes an Appendix that adjusts the rules for radio control sailing. The purpose of this document is not to make you an expert on the rules or to teach you how to exploit the rules to your advantage in a race; rather, it is teach you enough to enable you to stay out of trouble. The rest is up to you.

Earl has been using the Protest Drawing Kit from Angelo, I wrote yesterday about, to clarify his writings with appropriate diagrams.

Red overlaps, Green, who overlaps Yellow, who overlaps Blue. Green and Red then also overlap Blue by the RRS Definition of “overlap.” Red, in particular must give the other three boats mark-room. If Blue came up from behind, she is entitled to mark-room from Yellow only if it is possible for Yellow to give it. (RRS 18.2(e)).

My experience in judging or umpiring model boats is very limited. This piece will give me some insights in what the differences are between them and any normal fleet race.

Earl would appreciate your comments, to improve his writings. Use the comments button or send him a mail (you can find his Email address at the end of the guide)

NEW ISAF Q&A's for 2009

No less than fourteen new Q&A's have been published in the ISAF web site
All published on 09/01/09 and based on RRS 2009-2012:

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-001
About the use of a drag reducing substance on the hull before racing.

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-002
About scoring when less then the entered boats actually sail in the regatta and the number of boats in splitting into Gold and Silver fleets.

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-003
Answers a question about what is a "starting area".

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-004
A guideline in judging rules 11 and 16.1 in an overlap situation between two boats on the same tack.

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-005
Tying up some loose ends in case 45 about "hook finishing".

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-006
Interesting! If none of the boats sails the correct course it cannot be scored (RRS 90.3(a)) and must be abandoned. Instead of DSQing all boats after protest.

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-007
Very clever, but no cigar! Hiking straps, Outboard positioning and RRS 49.1.

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-008
Side of a mark? .... I always look for the side with the X.

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-009
Snafu with gates, shortening and Hobie 16 catamarans. Sometimes it is very good there is a PC to get things back on track.

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-010
Yes, it's very unfair and yes, sometimes even a PC wishes it wouldn't have to do it, but to go the other way would invite a lot more problems. You must sail the course and pass each mark on the required side.

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-011
Answering the dilemma when both parties have credible stories. And make a clear distinction between facts and conclusions. PC's must somehow weigh the evidence and decide one way or the other. Doubts? We have ways to deal with doubt!

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-012
When should the RC protest a boat? The difference between principle and arbitrary.

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-013
One for the scoreboard

Racing Rules Q&A 2009-014
This answer will please multi-hullers and even Moths all over the world!

LTW Readers Q&A | 13

Received another rules question about sailing the course, this time from Luigi Cuccotti, IRO from Italy.

In his E-mail he writes: I have a Q&A to submit which I’m sending in the attachment. The facts are true, but in this race I was a competitor, not the chairman of the race committee. Thanks a lot for your kind attention.

His Q:

CHANGING OF THE NEXT LEG OF THE COURSE

Race for Off Shore boats, with marks. Windward-Leeward course.
The Sailing Instructions establish:

1. “The change course will be signaled according to rule 33.”
2. “The boats are obliged to tune in on the official channel VHF 72. The race committee will be listening to boat communications during the race on this channel, and will make radio communications as well, when possible, about the race and, when required, will make changes to sailing instructions under rule 89.2(c) RRS ISAF 2005-2008”

Facts/Conclusions

1. During the second leg (leeward leg) the chairman of the Race Committee said on the radio, on the official channel: “Change next leg, new compass bearing is 125° (the old was 120°) and the length of the leg is 2.2 nautical miles (the old length was 2.0 n.m.).”
2. The Race Committee chairman didn’t announce any changes to sailing instructions.
3. Near the leeward mark there was a race committee boat, she displayed only flag “C” and made sound signals.
4. This boat did not show
   - a board with the new compass bearing or a triangular green flag
   - a board with +
5. Change of the next leg of the course wasn’t made according to rule 33, as established on the sailing instructions.

Question:

Has a boat, who does not round the new mark indicated by radio, but rounds the old mark, sailed the course correctly according to rule 28?

 

My A:

No, in my opinion the boat has not sailed the correct course. If you apply the string test, it doesn't pass the new mark on the required side.

The change in the sailing instructions was done orally by radio, but that is permitted because the procedure to do so, is stated in the SI (Rule 89.2(c)). Boats are obliged to listen to CHF-channel 72 and the change was announced. She should have rounded the new mark.

However, in order to disqualify this boat, she must first be protested by someone, be it by the RC or another competitor. A boat may not be disqualified without a hearing for breaking rule 28. If the PC decided that the boat did break that rule, she is then entitled to ask for redress, because she will then be DSQ'd and that is a significant worsening of her score.

The boat might be able to get redress, since one of the requirements of rule 62.1 has been met (requirement a).Not showing the compass bearing or a green triangle and a board with a "plus" sign, as written in rule 33, is an omission by the RC.

But the boat must also show there was "no fault of her own". If this boat has heard the radio transmission, that would be very hard to uphold. Because she chose to ignore that message, there is, at least in part, some fault of her own.

Even if she didn't hear the VHF-radio message, the PC must find out why. If there was no good reason to not listen (and that does not include a broken VHF), part of the fault again lies with the boat.

If she just sailed to the old mark because she wanted to show how "wrong" the RC was doing, she is NOT entitled to redress and the DSQ will stand.

 

What is your opinion?

.

iShares Cup Amsterdam 2008 | 1

From yesterday-evening I'm at the iShares cup finals in Amsterdam. The race village has been set up and first skippers- and umpire meeting have been held. The sailors had a practice day yesterday, we will have to jump in, this afternoon, right from the start of race one.

We've gone over the SI and - how can it be otherwise - due to the extraordinary location a few changes were introduced. The Extreme 40's sail in between two stone key-walls in an area of about 200 by 800 meters, all ten of them. Which makes for extreme close racing. We will bring two umpire boats on the water and will put someone on the camera-crane to act as a "sky born" wing. The idea is to give the umpires warnings and information about the distances to and from marks etc. We'll have to see how that works. I'll bring my camera and hopefully can snap a few pictures to show you what that's like.

Tommy Hilfiger racing at Amsterdam prior to the 2008 iShares Cup final by Sander van der Borch/iShares

To return to the rules; in the sailing instructions we have the opportunity to give two sorts of penalty. Signalling with a red flag means the infringing cat has to sail clear and pass through head to wind, signalling with a pink flag means, sail clear and gybe. Unusual in this is the "sail clear" part. The penalty begins with that part and also means that a boat who is sailing clear has to keep clear of other boats.

Another change is the use of the Match Race version of rule 18.3. These big cats - like all multihulls - stall very easily when tacking, so if one of them tacks inside the two-lengths, the fetching boat can still be along way off and coming at full speed will be at the mark quickly. If it then has to go round and has to go above close hauled, the stalled tacking boat already breaks the "normal" rule 18.3. Not very useful in these races. So we are using the match race version. If the fetching boat can luff to avoid the tacking boat and avoid becoming overlapped inside her, then rule 18.2(c) shall apply as if the boats were clear ahead and clear astern at the two lenght zone. If it can't avoid becoming overlapped inside the tacking boat, that boat shall keep clear and rules 15 and 18.2 do not apply.

We've also changed rule 18.4 so that it does not apply at a gate-mark. It is impossible to judge if a boat will take one or the other mark untill the very last moment, and the outside boat will have claimed 18.4 long before that becomes clear.

The courses also have been adapted to this location. I don't have a scanner here, so at the moment I can't show you, but suffice it to say, a special camera-mark is part of it.

I'll report back when I can.

iShares Cup Kiel Germany

Just before half way in the video you can see the crash between Holmatro and Team Origin.
It is at a leeward mark so rule 18 is applicable even though Holmatro is on starboard and Team Origin on port. Then Alinghi is there as well to windward. They had to keep clear of Holmatro...

We can't see the positions when they entered the two length zone, but the jury decided that Team Origin was to be scored average points for the remaining races.

The final event will be in Amsterdam on 19, 20 & 21 September. I'll be following the action at close quarters, chasing the Extreme 40's in an Umpire boat. I'll make notes so I can tell you about the calls afterwards.

Sneekweek 2008 | 2

From panel 2 yesterday in the Sneekweek:

Facts Found:

• Race 1, Course H in 3 Beaufort.
• Boat A, B and C are all noted on the starting list and start the race.
• Boat B and C sail the entire race in first and second position. Both have not seen boat A during the race
• At the finish the RC note the passing of boat A approximately 40 minutes before boat B finishes.
• Boat B and C sail the race in about two hours.

Conclusion and rules:
Boat A has not sailed the course and breaks rule 28.1

Decision:
Boat A DSQ for race 1

Sneekweek 2008 | 1

Today we start the PC of the Sneekweek. This annual event is organized by one of my clubs, the KWS, this year for the 73rd time. With 830 entries one of the largest in the Netherlands, as far as inland lakes is concerned.

For this year I have organized nine members for the PC. We will operate in two panels, and in case of overflow, go to three. Preparing for this event in the last week I realized this was my fifth year already.

Besides running a smooth schedule for protests, I want to emphasize writing facts this year. I will introduce some extra attention to this, in our first PC-meeting later today.

If there are any interesting cases to report, I'll keep you informed.
For those who can read Dutch go to Samenvattingen Protesten, where you can read summaries of the protests.