Kiel-week is actually several regattas in the same week. The first five days are part of the Sailing World Cup, when the Olympic Sailing classes go on the water, the final four days are for many other Classes; The International Part of Kiel week. (and actually bigger, with more boats and more competitors)
Today I was on the off-shore course (Course Alpha, halfway up to Denmark) looking at the X-99’s and Far 30s. Big boats with lots of things happening around the windward mark. I saw a few incidents which should go to the protest room / arbitration.
For the International part arbitration is mandatory. Protestee and Protestor have to get an opinion from an arbiter (provided there’s no damage or injury) and can subsequently accept a 30% penalty and/or withdraw the protest. If they don’t agree, the case will then go to a formal protest hearing.
Sounds as if we are doing double work, you say?
No, not true. If a protest gets solved in arbitration we have at least saved a five person panel half an hour work. Arbitration is done by one person and takes eight to ten minutes.
I’ve tried to introduce arbitration at my local regattas but it never ‘caught on’. Here is works great.
A disadvantage is that if someone is penalised in arbitration, the other party's score is not changed. If the matter went to a protest hearing, the penalty would be dsq and the other boat would move up if the penalised boat had finished in front.
ReplyDeleteWag
I have served twice as an IJ at the J24 World Championships in USA and Japan.
ReplyDeleteThe IJCA standard NoR and SIs say "(Insert if in effect for the regatta) Arbitration [will] [may] be used prior to the protest hearing for protests involving the RRSs Part 2.
The two regattas adopted the arbitration system according to these NoR and SIs.
And the Snipe World 2005 in Japan also adopted the arbitration.
The only weekpoint for Japanese sailors was English ability.
Sen Yamaoka