Rules picture of the year?

Since there were going to be umpires in the AC 33 match race, we could expect there would be Yankee flags. But I don’t think anybody expected it would be straight away in the first half minute of the first match and ending with a penalty!

Helmsman on USA 17, Jimmy Spithill surely credited his nickname in this match.

So I’m nominating the following picture of the incident as 

‘2010 Rules picture’

AC33 Match 1; P-SB on the starting line just after entry.

That is, until someone sends me a better one.
(In fact I’ll do a poll if I get a few more entries end of the year.)

USA (Yellow) on Starboard – SUI (Blue) on Port and has to keep clear. USA is holding for three – four boat lengths and in the picture SUI is now only just beginning to get head to wind. Her turn could have been much tighter! No rule 16 issue, USA may have initiated the collision course subject to 16, but holding for that long without SUI doing much more, negates that restriction on Rule 10.
SUI could have done much more – therefore she is not keeping clear. Either as Port boat or while tacking. Penalty on Blue.

A classic picture perfect example of a Match Race entry but in 90 foot tri/catamarans.

It also shows exactly what the courses of the two boats has been and on top of that it has both umpire boats and the race committee-boat in the frame.

Here’s the whole series on that entry:

Entry. SUI is a few seconds earlier, but USA on full speed on collision course

USA holding. SUI cannot cross. They will have to do something!

SUI heading up, as is USA. Very tight turn by USA 17 and holding again.

The turn by SUI is too wide! Just beginning to get head to wind.

While SUI is head-to-wind or tacking, USA has to luff to avoid a collision.

I’ve copied the series from the www.bmor-photo.com website. Head over there to see lots more on this match.
Sunday we will see if SUI can lay the same trap for USA-17, when she’s Yellow boat.

.

Sunday Rules Snap; Rule 49

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

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

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

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?

Rulesphoto's | 001

I think this photo should be the first in the Rulesphoto's series I was asking for in the last FTBD-post.
Send in by Andrew Sadler:

Commodore Peter Nannenberg explains the changes to the RRS [and clears up a few misunderstandings on unchanged rules] at the opening of the VWDTP summer series in Groningen. Here's the link [Dutch]:

Thanks Andrew!