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RRS 42 and Appendix P……What Are Those Judges Doing?
So, you’re a Laser sailor in a District Championship event. You’ve read the Sailing Instructions and notice there is a SI rule that states: “RRS Appendix P will apply.”
You sail to the starting line and you are a bit early. You line up with your fellow competitors and scull to hold position. Just about the time the gun goes off, a couple of judges in a power boat come up behind, blow a whistle, point a yellow flag directly at you and hail your sail number! You start and finish the race only to find out you are scored DSQwithout a hearing for not taking your penalty at the yellow flag. What’s going on here and what could you have done better? Download Article
‘KEEP CLEAR’ 09/01/2006
“Keep Clear” is defined as “ One boat keeps clear of another if the other can sail her course with no need to take avoiding action……..”
If “Keep Clear” is a consideration in a Protest, it is up to the Jury to decide if a boat(s) did or did not “Keep Clear” of the other boat(s). The Jury may have to make a judgment call based on the time and distance involved in the incident. One tool often available is the Speed and Distance chart shown below. This is a valuable tool that is used to verify testimony, help establish facts and determine if a boat, given its speed at the time, “Kept Clear”.
For example, a port tack, 34 ft boat testifies he was sailing at 6-7 knots when she tacked at one boat length to avoid a starboard tack boat. The starboard tack boat testifies he had to alter course to avoid the port tack boat that was not ‘keeping clear’. The chart shows the port tacker at 34 feet was about 3 seconds from the right of way boat when she tacked. Was that “keeping clear”? It’s up to the Jury to decide.
In another protest, a 30 ft boat may testify she was going 5 knots and was 150 feet from an obstruction when she called for “Room” to tack. The jury can use the chart to determine she was 10 boat lengths from the mark and would hit it in 18 seconds. The Jury then uses this information to determine if RRS 19.1 was in effect.
The point of this is to remind those of us who serve on a Jury from time to time that this is a valuable tool to be used in confirming and establishing the Facts. And, when we are competing on the racecourse, be aware of our boat speed and how many seconds it will take to go one boat length before we are not “keeping clear” of another boat.
Seconds to Go One Boat Length at Boat speed Of
Boat
Size (ft)
1 kt
2 kts
3 kts
4 kts
5 kts
6 kts
7 kts
8 kts
9 kts
10 kts10
6.0
3.0
2.0
1.5
1.2
1.0
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
12
7.2
3.6
2.4
1.8
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.9
0.8
0.7
14
8.4
4.2
2.8
2.1
1.7
1.4
1.2
1.1
0.9
0.8
16
9.6
4.8
3.2
2.4
1.9
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.1
1.0
18
10.8
5.4
3.6
2.7
2.2
1.8
1.5
1.4
1.2
1.1
20
12.0
6.0
4.0
3.0
2.4
2.0
1.7
1.5
1.3
1.2
22
13.2
6.6
4.4
3.3
2.6
2.2
1.9
1.7
1.5
1.3
24
14.4
7.2
4.8
3.6
2.9
2.4
2.1
1.8
1.6
1.4
26
15.6
7.8
5.2
3.9
3.1
2.6
2.2
2.0
1.7
1.6
28
16.8
8.4
5.6
4.2
3.4
2.8
2.4
2.1
1.9
1.7
30
18.0
9.0
6.0
4.5
3.6
3.0
2.6
2.3
2.0
1.8
32
19.2
9.6
6.4
4.8
3.8
3.2
2.7
2.4
2.1
1.9
34
20.4
10.2
6.8
5.1
4.1
3.4
2.9
2.6
2.3
2.0
36
21.6
10.8
7.2
5.4
4.3
3.6
3.1
2.7
2.4
2.2
38
22.8
11.4
7.6
5.7
4.6
3.8
3.3
2.9
2.5
2.3
40
24.0
12.0
8.0
6.0
4.8
4.0
3.4
3.0
2.7
2.4
45
27.0
13.5
9.0
6.8
5.4
4.5
3.9
3.4
3.0
2.7
50
30.0
15.0
10.0
7.5
6.0
5.0
4.3
3.8
3.3
3.0
60
36.0
18.0
12.0
9.0
7.2
6.0
5.1
4.5
4.0
3.6
BASIC RIGHT OF WAY RULES
By Dave Perry
- Basic Rule: Stay out of the way of a right-of-way boat.
- Opposite Tacks: If you are on opposite tacks (booms on different sides), the boat on starboard tack has the right of way over the boat on port tack. (Same as a 4-way stop, car on the right gets to go first). (Rule 10)
- Same Tacks #1: If you are on the same tack (booms on the same sides), the leeward boat has the right of way over the windward boat. (Rule 11)
- Same Tacks #2: A boat coming up from behind can’t hit the boat ahead. (Same as on the road). (Rule 12)
- Tacking: If you are tacking, you have to stay out of the way of a boat sailing in a straight line (you can’t pull out onto a road immediately in front of a car driving down the road). (Rule 13)
- Marks and Obstructions: When you are two boat lengths from a mark or obstruction, you must give any boat between you and the mark or obstruction room to round or pass it. (Rule 18).
- The Start #1: At the start of a race, there will be an imaginary line between two marks (starting line). You must be behind this line at your start. If you are not, turn back and get behind the line. However, while you are returning, you must stay clear of all boats that started correctly. (Rule 20)
- The Start #2: One BIG exception to #6. At a starting mark, you do not have to give windward/inside boats room to pass between you and the starting mark. If the windward/inside boat tries to squeeze in between you and the starting mark (like a race committee boat), they are “barging” which is illegal but unfortunately very common. (Rule 18, 19 and 11)
- Obstructions: If you are close hauled (or above) and about to hit an obstruction (a right-of-way boat, rock, shore, pier, shoal, etc.) and are windward of another boat on the same tack, you can either sail behind the obstruction and give the other boat room to do the same, or yell real loud for room to tack to avoid hitting something. Then tack – the other boat has to do the same. (Rule 19) (See #8)
- Don’t hit anyone: You must avoid all collisions if possible. (Rule 14)
- If you foul a boat. If you make a right-of-way boat change their course to avoid hitting you, you must take a penalty. Simply get away from the other boats immediately and sail two circles in the same direction. When you’re done, get back into the race! (Rule 44)
- If you hit a mark: If you touch any mark of the course, the penalty is just one circle. (Rule 31)
- If a boat fouls you: If you have the right of way and another boat makes you change course to avoid hitting her, she has broken a rule. You can tell her this by “protesting” her. Simply hail “Protest” and put up a red flag as soon as possible (if your boat is over 20 feet in length). Then, at the finish, tell the race committee which boat you are protesting and on shore fill out a protest form the race committee will give you. Soon afterward, the protest committee will hold a hearing at which both boats will have the opportunity to tell their story; the committee will then make its decision. (Rule 60 to 68)
Sail fast and enjoy!
In the past articles we have discussed the display of a red protest flag. We should touch on when and who can fly a red protest flag.
But before we really get into some more detail there is an important question to answer:
DO YOU OWN A RULE BOOK? If no, one can be purchased from US SAILING and some retail outlets like West Marine. Showing up at a hearing with an old rule book can ( to say the least ) detract from and possibly provide you with, invalid information in your presentation to the protest committee.
The next question would be: Have you ever looked at the US SAILING Appeals book and ISAF’s Case book?
Note: per the RRS, the case book (see page 1 Introduction to the RRS ) is now considered authoritative interpretations of the rules….you can use them is your hearing or appeal/redress. The ISAF ( sailing.org ) Case book is available on line and the new Appeals book can be purchased on line from US SAILING at ussailing.org
Now back to the RED FLAG: you have flown it correctly at the time of the incident and have said “Protest”. What must you do next?
RRS 60.1 states that “a boat may” protest. It is not a requirement, but we would remind sailors of the Basic Principal of Sportmanship and the Rules found on page 3 of the US SAILING Rules book…..”Competitors in the sport of sailing are governed by a body of rules that they are expected to follow and enforce. A fundamental principle of sportsmanship is that when competitors break a rule they will promptly take a penalty, which may be to retire.
Note that you can only protest another boat (see RRS 60.1 because there are some restrictions ) not the RC or the OA or the Protest Committee. Any action involving those individual bodies would be seeking redress only.
Also note that once a protest has been filed, only the protest committee may allow its withdrawal (RRS 63.1), you may go and ask for it back, but it is up to the PC to allow withdrawl. If the PC allows the protest to be withdrawn, there is a place on page 2 that must be signed by the protestor, before the form is given back to the PC.
Finally the Race Committee or the Protest Committee ( now it is only called a jury if it has been formed as an International Jury under the RRS ) can protest a boat, but they do not have to fly a red flag. They are required to follow all of the rules of informing and filing found in Part 5 that apply to them.
If you have a question, please contact the writer or contact one of SAYRA’s certified judges.
