Forum: The Racing Rules of Sailing

Rule 44.3 - Scoring penalty - why not used more often?

Gijs Vlas
Nationality: Netherlands
It strikes me that in most NoR/SI's rule 44.3 - taking a scoring penalty - is often not used by sailors. We all know the One/Two Turn penalty, but in a lot of cases with minor fauls, or dubious fauls/protests one may choose in a regatta to avoid the risk of DSQ or substantial loss of position by taking a scoring penalty. By rule, if not stated otherwise in the NoR/SI it is 20% of points of the number of boats + 1 ( hence with 19 boats it = +4 points on your finishing points).  Rule 44.3 is invalid in case of injury and/or serious damage by rule 44.1-b - a boat must retire in that case.

Any comments why rule 44.3 is not used by many racers ?

44.3 Scoring Penalty
(a) A boat takes a Scoring Penalty by displaying a yellow flag at the first reasonable
opportunity after the incident.
(b) When a boat has taken a Scoring Penalty, she shall keep the yellow flag
displayed until finishing and call the race committee’s attention to it at the
finishing line. At that time she shall also inform the race committee of the
identity of the other boat involved in the incident. If this is impracticable,
she shall do so at the first reasonable opportunity and within the protest
time limit.
(c) The race score for a boat that takes a Scoring Penalty shall be the score she
would have received without that penalty, made worse by the number
of places stated in the notice of race or sailing instructions. When the
number of places is not stated, the penalty shall be 20% of the score for Did
Not Finish, rounded to the nearest whole number (0.5 rounded upward).
The scores of other boats shall not be changed; therefore, two boats may
receive the same score. However, the penalty shall not cause the boat’s
score to be worse than the score for Did Not Finish.
Created: 21-Oct-05 15:28

Comments

P
Ric Crabbe
Certifications:
  • National Judge
0
Must be regional.  I process scoring penalties all the time.  It's extremely common.
Created: 21-Oct-05 15:45
Tim Hohmann
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • Umpire In Training
  • Regional Judge
0
Per 44.1, the 44.3 Scoring Penalty must be invoked by the NOR or SI, and is instead of, not in addition to, the Turns penalties. 

So I guess the first question is why OAs don't make the scoring penalty available more often. Answer is probably because it's a lot more for the RC to manage than a turns penalty and probably doesn't make racing any more fair. But it might be a consideration for some classes where doing a one-turn or two-turns penalty is a difficult undertaking.

Ric, are the scoring penalties you're processing 44.3 penalties? Or do they stem from arbitration or US Appendix V?
Created: 21-Oct-05 15:50
Graham Louth
Nationality: United Kingdom
Certifications:
  • Regional Umpire
  • International Judge
  • National Race Officer
2
Just to be clear, sailors can not take a Scoring Penalty as per RRS 44.3 unless the NoR or SIs specify the use of that penalty, and if they do then that penalty replaces the One-Turn and Two-Turn Penalties - see RRS 44.1. So it is up to the OA or race committee for an event to decide whether the RRS 44.3 Scoring Penalty is going to be used at that event, not individual sailors. Moreover an RRS 44.3 Scoring Penalty has to be taken at the time of the incident (by displaying a yellow flag) - it can't be taken later (e.g. after the race has ended).

If you want to allow sailors to take a scoring penalty after the race, rather than at the time of the incident, then what you need is a post-race penalty along the lines of RRS T1. Lots of events in the UK have used this for many years in connection with RYA Arbitration (which is similar but not identical to RRS Appendix T Arbitration), and in my experience it is widely used by sailors.
Created: 21-Oct-05 15:53
Gordon Davies
Nationality: Ireland
Certifications:
  • International Judge
0
There are several issues:

- the other party to an incident can see if a boat has taken turns. They have to check up afterwards if the boat has diplayed  the yellow flag, until finishing and informed the race committee and that the penalty has been applied by the scorer!
- it adds a additional layer of administration to the scoring process.

However, with large cruiser racers it might be considered tht taking turns in a crowded situation is not safe, in which case scoring penalties could be applied.
Created: 21-Oct-05 16:13
Tim Hohmann
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • Umpire In Training
  • Regional Judge
0
Graham, I hadn't realized this before but on close reading I don't think T1 requires arbitration, does it? 

If NOR or SI invokes Appendix T I think a boat could take a voluntary penalty under T1 just by delivering a written statement to the PC without having to go through the arbitration steps. But arbitration is available if the boats want it.
Created: 21-Oct-05 16:14
Luis Faria
Nationality: Portugal
Certifications:
  • International Judge
0
You mention " 20% of points of the number of boats + 1 ", but this is  not correct. You don't add 1,just round to the nearest whole number (0.5 rounded upward), as can be reed in RRS 44.3(c) that you reproduce below.
Created: 21-Oct-05 16:21
Gordon Davies
Nationality: Ireland
Certifications:
  • International Judge
0
If Appendix T applies a boat can take Post Race Penalty even if they have not been protested!

Luis is correct on the calculation.
Gordon
Created: 21-Oct-05 16:41
Luis Faria
Nationality: Portugal
Certifications:
  • International Judge
0
A Post Race Penalty is 30%
Created: 21-Oct-05 16:49
Graham Louth
Nationality: United Kingdom
Certifications:
  • Regional Umpire
  • International Judge
  • National Race Officer
2
If Appendix T applies then yes, a boat can take a Post Race Penalty at any time after the race until the beginning of a protest hearing involving (concerning?) the incident, without there having to be an arbitration meeting or even a protest. Indeed, if a boat realises after a race that she has broken a rule and not taken an applicable penalty then she should take a Post Race Penalty or retire even if she is not protested, otherwise she has not complied with Basic Principles, Sportsmanship and the Rules.
Created: 21-Oct-05 17:30
Gijs Vlas
Nationality: Netherlands
0
@Tim Hohmann - I cannot find any justification that rule 44.3 should be invoked - it is simply there and quite clear. If there is nothing in the NoR/SI than the 20% calculation applies. The rule 44.3 seems valid whenever it is not ruled out by a committee. Or is there something else in the RRS that says otherwise?
Created: 21-Oct-05 17:42
P
Peter van Muyden
Nationality: Canada
Certifications:
  • Judge In Training
  • International Race Officer
2
To add to the complexity, if a boat takes two scoring penalties in a race it is not a 40% penalty but the points of two 20% penalties which can be the same as a 40% penalty, but is not always.  Also, the penalty is based on the DNF score rounded to the nearest integer.
Created: 21-Oct-05 17:57
Tim Hohmann
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • Umpire In Training
  • Regional Judge
1
@Gijs, see 44.1 - NOR or SI must specify if the Scoring Penalty or some other penalty applies, otherwise it's a Turns penalty. Appendix T and US Appendix V post-race scoring penalties also only apply if NOR or SI so state.
Created: 21-Oct-05 18:03
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • Regional Judge
  • Fleet Measurer
0
I’ve got a couple points to add …

RRS 44.3 is customizable as is 44.1 and 44.2 by SI, so if an RC wishes, they can add the option of doing either turns or a scoring penalty.  I’ve been in races that did just that, but it’s not how the rules are written (as has been pointed out) so care has to be taken to indicate the option if that is what is desired. 

AYC (Annapolis YC) uses scoring penalties for their Wed Night Races (WNR) and Frostbite series and combines that with US Sailing’s Appx V2 to bring in after race penalties.  How they implement it demonstrates the high degree of flexibility available to those RC’s who want to customize it for themselves.

AYC’s penalties can be summarized as 10% for hitting a mark (if taken at time of incident), 20% for a Part 2 scoring penalty taken at the time of the incident and 30% for all after-race penalties (including hitting a mark).

Here is a link to WNR’s SI’s.  Jump to SI 13 for a nice example.  https://yachtscoring.com/event_documents/14297/2021_SI_vFINAL.pdf
Created: 21-Oct-05 23:44
P
John Allan
Nationality: Australia
Certifications:
  • National Judge
  • Regional Race Officer
0
Its certainly a regional preference.

Rule 44.3 Scoring Penalties (and Z Flag Starts) are rarely used in Australia, but are apparently common in the USA and NZ.

I think the attraction of Turns Penalties are that:
  • The effect of the penalty is immediately visible to the competitors, which is satisfying, and allows them to adjust their race tactics accordingly.
  • In a fairly obvious way it 'takes away the advantage' gained by breaking the rule, and is obviously proportionate to the the seriousness of the breach.
  • From the point of view of the boat taking the penalty, it remains possible, by good sailing, to retrieve some or all of the ground lost in taking the penalty.
This is particularly so in close one design racing.

On the other hand, a 20% scoring penalty remains, no matter how well the boat sails thereafter.

I think that the original reason for providing the alternative between a Turns Penalty and a Scoring Penalty was that, back in 1972 when Alternative Penalties were introduced into the RRS, it was thought that Turns Penalties might be unsuitable for large keelboats, and that a percentage penalty was more practicable.  It might also have been thought that a percentage penalty was more suitable for handicap racing, where a big fast boat might be readily able to get back in front after a turns penalty.

Created: 21-Oct-10 01:02
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