Situation
At a match race event, the 13 skippers were seeded into 2 groups. Group A had 7 skippers and Group B had 6 skippers. Each group completed a round robin. The winner of Group A scored 6 points (100%), and the winner of Group B scored 5 points (100%).

The next stage was a semi-final knockout series. The sailing instructions stated that the winner with the highest score in the round robin should choose his opponent for the semi finals. Skipper A (winner of Group A) chose skipper B (winner of Group B) as his opponent for semi-finals.

According to the sailing instructions, the first skipper to score at least 3 points in each semi-final would be the winner of that semi-final and therefore proceed to the finals. The sailing instructions also stated a time limit for the last attention signal for a semi-final match. When this time limit ran out, the score in the semi-final between skipper A and skipper B was 2-2. Skipper B was the winner of the last match between A and B.

Question 1
Which of the two skippers should proceed to the finals and why?

Answer 1
Skipper A should proceed to the finals. When the semi-finals were terminated, the two skippers were tied. A tie in a knock-out series shall, unless changed by the sailing instructions, be broken by using rule C11.2. Rule C11.2 refers to other rules that may be applicable and needed in order to resolve a tie.

Rule C11.2(a) states that the tie shall be broken in favor of the competitor who has the highest place in the most recent round-robin series, applying rule C11.1 if necessary. By finishing first in their respective groups the competitors each had the same place in the round robin series and it is not possible to break this tie by applying rules C11.1(a), (b) or (c). However, rule C11.1(d) refers to the application of rule C10.5(c), a rule that does create a result between the two boats. Rule C10.5(c) states: 'The overall position between competitors who have sailed in different groups shall be decided by the highest score.' A scored 6 points and B scored 5 points.

Question 2
If in the same situation, the skippers had the same score (and the same place in their own group), but a different percentage wins, (for example 5 points 83% wins and 5 points 100% wins), how should the tie be resolved when it needed to be resolved for a later stage?

Answer 2
See Answer 1.
Rule C11.2(a) states that the tie shall be broken in favor of the competitors who has the highest place in the most recent round-robin series after applying rule C11.1, if necessary. Rules C11.1(a) and C11.1(b) do not solve the tie as the two skippers have never sailed against each other in the round robin. Rule 11.1') %>(c) is likely to resolve the tie, but the question does not provide enough information to positively say it will. If rule C11.1(c) does not resolve the tie, it must be resolved by using rule C11.2(b). Percentage win is not relevant for breaking this tie, it is only used when scoring incomplete round robins, see rule C10.3.

Question 3
Would the answer to Question 2 depend on whether the boats in addition to having the same score in their groups, also had the same place in their groups?

Answer 3
Yes.

Question 4
What is the meaning of 'the most recent match' as used in rule C11.2(b)? Is it the last match in the previous stage (round-robin) or the last match between the skippers in semi-final?

Answer 4
'The most recent match' as used in rule C11.2(b), means the most recently sailed match between the two skippers.