Y- Flyer 1931, with a moderate breeze behind her and a strong current against her, crossed and cleared the middle of the finishing line. As she started to leave the finishing area by sailing around the finishing mark, the current caused her to touch the mark. She did not take any penalty for touching the mark.

The race committee protested her for breaking rule 31 by touching a finishing mark after finishing. The protest committee disqualified her. She appealed.

Y-Flyer 1931 was incorrectly disqualified under rule %= rule_link('31') %> for touching a finishing mark. That rule applied only while she was racing. The definition Racing states: “A boat is racing from her preparatory signal until she finishes and clears the finishing line and marks. . . .”

The diagram shows that Y-Flyer 1931 finished six hull lengths away from the mark that she subsequently touched. At position 2 she had cleared the finishing line. Also, at position 2 she was well clear of both finishing marks, and neither mark’s position was influencing her choice of course. Therefore, beyond position 2 she was no longer racing and rule 31 no longer applied. See Case 127.

Y-Flyer 1931’s appeal is upheld, the decision of the protest committee is reversed, and Y-Flyer 1931 is reinstated in her finishing place.

August 1970

Revised January 2017