Abbreviations IRSA - International Radio Sailing Association SYRPH - System for Reducing the Number of Protest Hearings
L.1
Introduction
Radio sailing differs from all other forms of sailing, as the crew handling the boat is not on board. Competitors and race officials stand side by side on the bank. As a result, radio sailing has developed specific rules set out in Appendix E, along with practices for judges and umpires.
No more than 24 boats may compete on the water at any one time. A system of heats is used allowing events to be run with up to 84 competitors. In many cases an incident must be resolved by the protest committee before the next heat can start, as one or more competitors involved may be scheduled to sail. Amongst other elements, these heat systems modify Appendix A, Scoring. These changes introduce a significant difference in the points for retiring or being disqualified.
Most racing is run without umpires. However, radio sailing has developed the use of observers, who may be competitors not sailing in that heat. They hail and record contacts between boats, and between boats and marks. Unresolved incidents are reported to the race committee who may protest. These reports are made available to parties to any protest hearing before the hearing opens. A party to the hearing may then choose to retire. This procedure is set out in the IRSA System for Reducing the number of Protest Hearings (SYRPH).
A small number of events are umpired, including World and some Continental Championships for which an international jury would be appointed. When racing is umpired, observers work closely with the umpires. Observers will normally recognize boats rapidly and anticipate impending situations. They may also recognize slight contact more easily than an umpire. Therefore, the building of mutual respect is vital to establishing a good working relationship.
Umpiring for Radio Sailing has been developed over a period of 20 years. The basic principles are now clearly established, as development continues.
Procedures for umpiring are set out in the DR21 02 Test Rule for Umpired Radio Sailing, which can be found on the World Sailing website. (Search “radio sailing”, click submit, “Documents”.)
These rules recognize that umpires cannot resolve all incidents. If there is no decision from an umpire, then the competitor still has the right to a hearing. Umpiring is intended to modify normal procedures as little as possible. In this way, the Test Rule for Umpired Radio Sailing retains the use of competitor observers, who work closely with the umpires.
There are two further developments:
An Accelerated Protest Procedure integrates SYRPH by providing prehearing procedures. Parties are given access to reports from umpires or observers and are offered the opportunity to retire before the hearing is opened.
A World Sailing Call Book for Radio Sailing gives guidance on rules and situations specific to radio sailing.
L.1.1
Additions to the Notice of Race
The Notice of Race should state that radio sailing is governed by Appendix E, as there are many rules which are changed for this type of racing. Also list other documents that may govern the event, including the Test Rule for Umpired Radio Sailing when racing is to be umpired, SYRPH and the Accelerated Protest Procedure. The Notice of Race should also identify the heat management system that will be used. IRSA has published a Notice of Race Guide.
L.1.2
Additions to Sailing Instructions
Appendix E requires certain details to be specified in the sailing instructions, for example, whether there will be a defined control area, a defined launching area and how it may be used. The sailing instructions should also describe how observers will be appointed for each heat, and any penalties for not carrying out observer duties. IRSA has published a Sailing Instructions Guide.
L.2
Umpiring
For a major event, seven judges should be appointed. Four judges umpire each heat. The three others hear any protests as a panel under rule N1.4(b). Judges rotate between umpiring heats and hearings. In this way a member of the protest committee may have seen part of the incident. Postponing racing to hold a hearing strains the relationship between competitors and umpires. By always having a panel available, only hearings that could affect the composition of the next heat delay racing.
It is possible to umpire a race with fewer umpires. However, the more boats an umpire is required to follow, the more incidents will go unobserved. Umpire teams work well when each umpire handles up to 6 boats.
Each umpire works in close partnership with a competitor observer. Umpires may base their decisions on information provided by an observer, even if they themselves have not seen part or all of the incident.
Appendix E1.1 established that an observer does not have a conflict of interest solely by being a competitor. In rare cases, an observer may be perceived as having a conflict of interest that can usually be avoided when scheduling observers. However, as observer’s actions are closely monitored by competitors in the heat, other observers, race committee, umpires, competitors not sailing in the heat, and spectators, any abuse would be noted almost immediately. As RS Call O2 makes clear:
“The role of observers is central to the organization of radio sailing events under the Racing Rules of Sailing. Falsely announcing that another boat has broken a rule, for which the accused boat would be expected to take a penalty, [or not calling contact when a boat has clearly done so,] is a clear breach of sportsmanship and fair play and also misconduct.”
If, for some reason, an event organizer is uncomfortable with appointing observers who are competitors they may appoint other persons to fulfill this function.
L.3
Equipment
Little equipment is needed. Comfortable walking shoes are essential, as umpires may walk up to 15 km per day. Observers are provided with paper and a clipboard to make note of incidents. Judges should also have a means of recording incidents.
Signals are verbal, as the judges are very close to the competitors controlling their boats. Strong clear voice sounds must be made to ensure that all the competitors hear the umpires’ hails. At some events, umpires are provided with microphones and hails are broadcast over the public-address system. At international events remember that many competitors will not have English as their primary language. Umpires should use a minimal number of standard hails. Sail numbers must be hailed, under rule E2.1(c) using single digits (e.g. 15 is one five, and not fifteen).
L.4
Basic Principles of Radio Sailing Umpiring
A fundamental principle of umpiring radio sailing is that umpires, observers and witnesses operate in the same area as the competitors controlling the boats.
Their decisions are based on information that is also available to competitors. In addition, umpiring depends on clear communication between umpires, observers and competitors: hails of contact, protests, room to tack at an obstruction and penalties must be heard by all parties and officials. Experiments to allow umpires to operate at a distance from the competitors led to penalties being given for infringements that the competitor could not reasonably be expected to have seen. This approach rapidly resulted in the breakdown in the mutual confidence and respect between umpires and competitors. Further technological experiments to improve communications are ongoing.
Umpires work as a team to cover the whole fleet, from the warning signal until the last boat finishes. Umpires work in partnership with observers, one observer for each umpire. Umpires may rely on information provided by an observer when making a decision.
To make a decision, umpires must follow boats before, during, and after any incident. To do this, each umpire follows a small, manageable number of boats. Umpires work to a pre-ordained plan to ensure that they concentrate on key points of the course. For example, all four umpires, with their observers, follow boats into and around the first windward mark.
An observer who hails “Contact” between boats that are not in the group being followed by their umpire partner must assume that the umpire has not seen the incident. The relevant umpire may request a report from the observer. The umpire will penalize a boat only if the observer provides convincing evidence that a rule has been broken.
An umpire may not have sufficient information on which to base a decision. In this case, the umpire will either remain silent or hail “No Decision” to inform competitors. Following an observer’s or umpire’s hail of “Contact” the incident will be reported to the race committee as an unresolved incident. When no decision is made following a valid hail of “Protest”, the protestor may proceed with the protest after the heat.
Umpires apply the principle of last point of certainty. They assume that the state of a boat, or her relationship with another boat, has not changed until they are certain that it has.
Umpires move around the control area to find the best vantage point for observing their boats. This position may not be where some competitors choose to stand to control their boats. In most cases, the best view of a group of boats can be obtained by being level with leading boats, looking back.
The success of umpiring is largely dependent on decisions of the race committee in laying the course. Repeated testing, using range finders, has demonstrated that reading sail numbers becomes problematic for all participants at more than 70 metres. At this distance, judgement is still possible for distances, angles, lay lines, converging courses and depth perception for the distance between boats or a boat and the mark. Race committees can ensure that the competition remains fair, and that umpires and observers can operate confidently by:
laying marks at 70 metres or less from the control area;
using courses that minimize congestion, especially at the first windward
mark. The use of twin windward marks has become common. Some classes prefer rounding from the outside to pass back through the gate, and some the reverse. As the wind increases, move these marks further apart.
Umpiring minimizes time taken for protests, and umpire procedures are designed to reduce the chance of error. Umpires will, on occasion, make errors, for which they should promptly apologize. When there is contact and neither boat takes a penalty, the umpire decides who is at fault. Competitors will not always agree with the decision.
When giving a decision the umpire may add a few words of explanation. When requested, the umpire may give a more detailed response after the heat.
Competitors may assist umpires when there is a protest in these ways:
Indicate where the incident took place.
Indicate why they are protesting.
Acknowledge rapidly if they intend to take a penalty.
Take penalties promptly.
Indicate if they believe that an infringing boat has gained an advantage despite taking a penalty.
L.5
Umpire positioning
Umpires, accompanied by their observers, follow the plan shown in the positioning framework as they follow boats around the course. Umpires must remain within the control area which limits the movements of competitors. This ensures that umpire decisions are taken from the same viewpoint as that of the competitors controlling their boats, without the aid of drones or magnifying devices. Currently, this is a fundamental principle held strongly by the majority of radio sailors, but it could change in the future.
Umpires have developed, and continue to develop, a framework for umpiring positioning which allows for:
each umpire to follow a manageable group of boats.
good coverage of key moments in the race.
reducing the movement of umpires. (This is important when the control area may be 150 metres long and umpires need to run to keep up with boats, especially on the downwind legs).
The framework combines following groups of boats with observing specific zones. For instance, all four umpires cover the start, after which each umpire takes a small group of boats around the windward marks and down the first run. Two umpires then handle the passage through the gate whilst the other two follow the last boats down the run as they cross through the leaders on the beat.
The framework is described in a document “Radio Controlled Umpiring Positioning Framework” that is available to competitors so that they can more easily follow the umpires when appointed as observers. The document is presented on the final page of this chapter, with two diagrams, one representing the wind from the left of the bank and the other from the right.
L.6
Unresolved incidents
Incidents that are not resolved immediately are dealt with after the heat. As an alternative to the standard protest procedure, which includes a 10-minute protest time limit, judges have developed an accelerated protest procedure which does not require the protestor to lodge a written protest. Instead, having hailed “protest” after the incident, the protestor informs an umpire of their intention to protest immediately after finishing or retiring. The umpire notes the essential details and hails all other parties to the protest. All competitors involved then recover their boats and report to the Jury Desk. The judges that are assigned to protests then apply pre-hearing procedures and open a protest hearing if necessary. In many cases, a competitor will choose to retire rather than proceed to a hearing.
L.7
Summary
Umpired racing under the Test Rule for Umpired Radio Sailing works extremely well, with judges making on-the-water decisions on protests involving the rules of Part 2, and rules 31 and 42. At the same time, the system maintains the competitors’ right to protest and to have a hearing for alleged breaches of all other rules.
The Accelerated Protest Procedure ensures fast-track hearings for incidents in which a judge’s decision was not available, so that the result of each heat may be completed shortly afterwards. This procedure can be found on the Documents page of IRSA.
The speed with which radio sailing boats sail and maneuver means that incidents develop extremely rapidly. Radio sailing provides a real challenge for all race officials.
