Situation
Offshore Special Regulation 3.14.2 – Pulpits, Stanchions and Lifelines was amended effective 1 January 2014.
The previous wording was:
'Lifelines required in Special Regulations shall be ‘taut’.
a) As a guide, when a deflecting force of 50N (5.1kgf, 11,2 lbf) is applied to a lifeline midway between supports, the lifeline should not deflect more than 50mm.'
[Note: Italics in OSR = Recommendation (Not mandatory)]
Wording Effective 1 January 2014:
“Lifeline deflection shall not exceed the following:
a) When a deflecting force of 40N is applied to a lifeline midway between supports of an upper or single lifeline, the lifeline shall not deflect more than 50mm. This measurement shall be taken at the widest span between supports that are aft of the mast.
b) When a deflecting force of 40N is applied midway between supports of an intermediate lifeline of all spans that are aft of the mast, deflection shall not exceed 120mm from a straight line between the stanchions.”
Question 1
Considering that the word ‘taut’ is deleted from OSR 3.14.2, how should 'taut' in RRS
49.2 be interpreted?
Answer 1
See the answer to Q2
Question 2
Is it possible that a lifeline that satisfies the requirements of the OSR 3.14.2(b) will be deemed as not being 'taut' under RRS
49.2, or does OSR 3.14.2 overrule RRS 49.2?
Answer 2
120 mm deflection is clearly not taut under the general use of the word ‘taut’ and the OSR 3.14.2 is therefore in conflict with, but does not change or override, the RRS
49.2 requirement. It therefore leaves open the possibility that a boat could be compliant with the OSR deflection test in the Special Regulation but still be successfully protested for breaking RRS
49.2 by not having taut lifelines.
Event Organisers wishing to have the OSR Special Regulations overrule the requirement of RRS
49.2 need to change the rule in their sailing instructions as permitted by RRS 86.1(b). A possible change could be:
The first sentence of RRS
49.2 is deleted and replaced with:
'Lifelines shall comply with the deflection requirements of OSR Regulation 3.14.2 and competitors shall not position any part of their torsos outside them, except briefly to perform a necessary task.'
Individual classes can also make the same change in their class rules as permitted by RRS
86.1(c).