Thursday, 29 May 2008

Look To Windward READERS Q & A | 6

Received a Umpire Question from AndraZ, which I think is worth to share with you:

Hi Jos!
This weekend I was umpiring a GR3 match race in Sicily and a situation happened, where I had a different call than the other umpire. Later he had no way to discuss it since he had to leave early...
I'd be really glad if I could sort this out, with your help or help of your readers, if you don't mind.

I'm attaching the situation:
Timeframe: two minutes to starting signal
Situation: chase around the starting boat
Conditions: 10-12kn wind, no waves
  • step 1: boats enters two-length zone clear, so Blue has no right of room as inside boat;
  • step 2 & 3: clear astern boat keeps clear, does not try to go inside;
  • step 5: Yellow boat tacks inside two-length zone;
  • step 6: Blue boat tacks inside two-length zone;
  • step 7: boats are overlapped, Yellow starts closing the gap;
  • step 8 & 9: Yellow closes in, Blue does not respond, there is no contact, Yellow luffs and protests
And here is my story:
  • step 1: rule 18.2(c) applies, since boats are not overlapped and are not approaching to start
  • step 2-4: nothing special happens, Blue is keeping clear
  • step 5: Yellow tacks inside 2LZ, 18.3 should apply, but C2.6 says: "If two boats were on opposite tacks and one of them completes a tack within the two-length zone to pass a rounding mark, and ..." Starting boat is not a rounding mark, therefore we go back to basic rule, 18.2(a)
  • step 7, 8 & 9: Blue boat is inside overlapped boat, so Yellow should keep clear
Conclusion: yellow boat was required to keep clear under 18.2(a) and she did not
Decision: penalty to yellow

What is your opinion?
Many thanks,
AndraZ

I agree with the penalty, but not with the reasoning. Can you find out why?

4 comments:

  1. Ok, one option is to concentrate on position 9, where both boats have passed the obstruction and rule 11 kicks in.
    In my opinion in step 8 yellow boat was not keeping clear and not giving room, that's why I concentrated on this position, the other factor is, I've seen it live and it is hard to reproduce everything in a diagram.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @6 18 does not apply at all. Boats are on opposite tacks and not passing an obstruction on the same side.

    @7 Boath boats have tacked in the zone and are now passing an obstruction on the same side 18.2(a) applies. The outside boat shall give room and aw windward boat keep clear.

    Of the leeward boat could alter course in either direction at all times and did bot have to alter course, then the windward boat kept clear by luffing so green flag.

    If eithe of the above applied. Then the correct penalty was given.

    ReplyDelete
  3. @6 18 does not apply at all boats are on opposite tacks and not passing an obstruction on the same side.

    @7 Both boats have tacked in the zone and are passing an obstruction on the same side. 18.2(a) applies. The outside boat shall give room and as windward boat keep clear.

    Later only RRS 11 applies.

    If the leeward boat couls at all times altercourse in either direction and did not have to alter vcourse then green flag no peenalty as the windward boat kept clear by luffing.

    If either of the above did apply the correct penalty was give.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Agree with Andraz on his own 'facts found'.

    Disagree with why rule 18.2(c) switches off.

    Rule 18.3 doesn't switch it off because boats were not on opposite tacks before Y tacked.

    Rule 18.1 doesn't switch it off because they were not on a beat to windward, and being before the start there was no proper course.

    What switches off rule 18.2(c), is the usual switch contained in rule 18.2(c) itself: Y, orignially zone clear, passes htw, rule 18.2(c) off, all that is left is rule 18.2(a), outside must give inside room, B gets inside and leeward: she has rights and room.

    Andraz says she did not keep clear of Blue: Penalise Yellow.

    ReplyDelete

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