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Good question! We certainly commonly use the phrase, "Hail someone on the radio".
Just to put a fine point on your premise though, more often than not:
the NOR will state that the boat must carry a radio capable of receiving/communicating-on a list of channels.
the SI will state the channel to be use for communication by the RC.
It is rare in my experience that the SI's state that a "boat shall monitor channel ## while racing" (except in some govt-mark races and night races). Without an SI like that, a boat must be capable of monitoring, but is not required to.
So ... in responding to your OP .. forum-members should assume that the SI's state "at all times while racing, boats shall monitor channel ##".
For the protest rules hail means a verbal hail. That leaves informing the other boat "at the first reasonable opportunuty" I think that could be by vhf.
When offshore racing at night, I've certainly had the VHF used to inform competitors of intentions (going behind, crossing etc.). I see no reason why a VHF could not be used to request room to tack in similar circumstances. I think the rules would work fine if there was a response on the radio or the other boat tacked away. If there is no response on the radio, then if it is well documented, it could be grounds for a protest on the SI rule about a listening watch, but I don't think it would trigger 20.1
What about the next part of the requirement though?
" ... inform ... at the first reasonable opportunity"
If in fact there is an NOR requiring a radio and an SI requiring constant monitoring of a certain channel, isn't "informing" them on the radio (by hailing them on the radio) likely the first reasonable opportunity after the incident? (Acknowledging that if is it is a "did not sail the course" claim, that does not technically occur until after a boat finishes).
"First reasonable opp for each" being the same time standard for "inform", flying the flag and the "protest" hail.
No reason why a hail can't be over the radio (I personally hate that in the case of 'protest' related stuff - ok for safety/emergency hails), but this could only work if there was a strong expectation/requirement for boats to have a radio and monitor it and could receive it.
(e.g. VHF needs line of sight. It could not be a good arguement to claim you hailed the boat if you were on one side of an island and the other boat is on the other. Even if there were techncially only 2 km away.)
Well, often VHF is a permitted/required hailing method. Some SIs of certain classes require the use of VHF. Offshore racers often use VHF. Of course, for rule 20, alternative means of communication may be stipulated, which may be VHF.
Moving on to 'informing the protestee at the first reasonable opportunity'. Here's a case I know of:
--------------------- An offshore race, and the SI said, "Except in an emergency or for safety issues, a boat shall neither make/receive radio transmissions nor phone calls (mobile, computer or satellite) while racing." There was an incident regarding not-sailing the course. The protestee finshed hours before the protestor. As soon as the protestor got ashore she informed the protestee (and submitted the request).
The protest was ruled invalid for protestor not informing the protestee at the first reasonable opportunity, with the jury saying the protestor could have informed the protestee over the radio, when the protestee crossed the finish line! ---------------------
Well, I though that was harsh for a number of reasons.
Ben re: ""Except in an emergency or for safety issues, a boat shall neither make/receive radio transmissions nor phone calls (mobile, computer or satellite) while racing."
Was that the entire SI? I've more often seen that paired with "... not available to all competitors".
In other words, in the OP premise that all boats are required to monitor a certain channel (or even just the NOR that requires having a radio capable of monitoring that channel) any hail on the specified channel for comms "would be available" to all competitors.
If that was all the SI said, then receiving your sail# in an OCS call-list from the RC would break the rule (or starting sequence count-downs from the RC as well).
Ben re: "[...] As soon as the protestor got ashore she informed the protestee (and submitted the request). The protest was ruled invalid for protestor not informing the protestee at the first reasonable opportunity, with the jury saying the protestor could have informed the protestee over the radio, when the protestee crossed the finish line!"
My memory is a bit foggy, I think Ric Crabbe might have been on the panel with me, but we had a hearing many years ago with a similar result. As I recall, the race instructed for boats to take their own finish if the RC was not on station by passing within a set distance of a government mark and recording when that mark had a certain bearing. This was a race with a nighttime finish.
Boat A was watching the AIS signal of Boat B on their chart-plotter down below at the NAV station (both Boat A and B were in the same handicap fleet). Boat A's radio was also at the NAV station and a specific channel was indicated in the NOR/SI for monitoring. Boat A recorded Boat B's position by taking photos of the chart-plotter. I think Boat A then waited until some time after she finished herself to hail Boat B on the radio. I think we determined the boats were only separated by a 1-2 miles over open water when Boat A finished.
Boat A protested Boat B for being outside the distance required, and therefore claimed Boat B did not finish.
As I recall (again this is really fuzzy), we found that:
Boat A did not notify Boat B at the first reasonable opportunity given she had someone at the NAV station recording the chart-plotter and the radio was immediately at hand at that very moment (with that crew-person not otherwise occupied).
I think we also determined amongst ourselves that had the protest been valid, that the update frequency of Boat B's AIS-position being monitored wasn't sufficient to document Boat B's exact location when she crossed the line vs the claim that she was too far away.
Angelo, We certainly commonly use the phrase, "Hail someone on the radio".
I think that's a pretty American usage.
While Americans sometimes refer to 'hailing channel, VHF Ch 16, is more usually referred to as a 'distress, safety and calling frequency.
I don't think on the ordinary usage of the word, you can make a radio transmission a hail (without a NOR/SI)
Case 54 tells us what constitutes a 'hail':
A hail by boat A must be directed towards another boat, B, and be as loud as is required in the prevailing conditions to be capable of being heard by B. A hail is primarily an oral signal, but, when the oral signal may not be heard, rule 20.4(a) requires an additional signal to draw attention to the hail. Examples are physical gestures, a whistle or horn signal, or, at night, a light signal. If boats are required to monitor a particular radio channel while racing, the hail may also be made over that channel. However, if the notice of race specifies an alternative communication, the hailing boat shall use it (see rule 20.4(b)).
John, the OP facts are that the boats are required to monitor a particular channel.
A hail by boat A must be directed towards another boat, B, and be as loud as is required in the prevailing conditions to be capable of being heard by B. A hail is primarily an oral signal, but, when the oral signal may not be heard, rule 20.4(a) requires an additional signal to draw attention to the hail. Examples are physical gestures, a whistle or horn signal, or, at night, a light signal. If boats are required to monitor a particular radio channel while racing, the hail may also be made over that channel. However, if the notice of race specifies an alternative communication, the hailing boat shall use it (see rule 20.4(b)).
I think I've found a big gotcha change in the 2025 RRS.
RRS 2021 61.1. Informing the Protestee said
a. The protesting boat shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity. When her protest will concern an incident in the racing area she shall hail ‘Protest’ and conspicuously display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity for each. She shall display the flag until she is no longer racing. However,
1. if the other boat is beyond hailing distance, the protesting boat need not hail but she shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity;
That is to say, if the other boat was beyond hailing distance, the protesting boat was excused from hailing 'protest', BUT there was no exception for the red flag: A protesting boat was required to display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity regardless of hailing distance.
RRS 2025 now says 60.2 Intention to Protest ... (b) ..., if (1) the protestee is not within hailing distance at the time of the incident, ... then the only requirement for the protestor is to inform the protestee of its intention to protest at the first reasonable opportunity.
That is to say, there is no requirement to display a red flag or have it displayed at the finishing line.
Which may be inconvenient for assembling on-call protest committees.
Just to put a fine point on your premise though, more often than not:
It is rare in my experience that the SI's state that a "boat shall monitor channel ## while racing" (except in some govt-mark races and night races). Without an SI like that, a boat must be capable of monitoring, but is not required to.
So ... in responding to your OP .. forum-members should assume that the SI's state "at all times while racing, boats shall monitor channel ##".
After all on a maxi hailing verbally will never be heard by the other boat.
If in fact there is an NOR requiring a radio and an SI requiring constant monitoring of a certain channel, isn't "informing" them on the radio (by hailing them on the radio) likely the first reasonable opportunity after the incident? (Acknowledging that if is it is a "did not sail the course" claim, that does not technically occur until after a boat finishes).
"First reasonable opp for each" being the same time standard for "inform", flying the flag and the "protest" hail.
(e.g. VHF needs line of sight. It could not be a good arguement to claim you hailed the boat if you were on one side of an island and the other boat is on the other. Even if there were techncially only 2 km away.)
Well, often VHF is a permitted/required hailing method. Some SIs of certain classes require the use of VHF. Offshore racers often use VHF. Of course, for rule 20, alternative means of communication may be stipulated, which may be VHF.
Moving on to 'informing the protestee at the first reasonable opportunity'. Here's a case I know of:
---------------------
An offshore race, and the SI said, "Except in an emergency or for safety issues, a boat shall neither make/receive radio transmissions nor phone calls (mobile, computer or satellite) while racing." There was an incident regarding not-sailing the course. The protestee finshed hours before the protestor. As soon as the protestor got ashore she informed the protestee (and submitted the request).
The protest was ruled invalid for protestor not informing the protestee at the first reasonable opportunity, with the jury saying the protestor could have informed the protestee over the radio, when the protestee crossed the finish line!
---------------------
Well, I though that was harsh for a number of reasons.
Was that the entire SI? I've more often seen that paired with "... not available to all competitors".
In other words, in the OP premise that all boats are required to monitor a certain channel (or even just the NOR that requires having a radio capable of monitoring that channel) any hail on the specified channel for comms "would be available" to all competitors.
Even so, the 'not available to all competitors' bit sometimes seen can be curious.
Great clause for say, a small Keel boat racecourse around the cans. Not so great for an offshore when boats may be miles apart after the first day!
(Radio was reserved for important things like "'I'm lost" or "I'm sinking".) That was kind of my point.
My memory is a bit foggy, I think Ric Crabbe might have been on the panel with me, but we had a hearing many years ago with a similar result. As I recall, the race instructed for boats to take their own finish if the RC was not on station by passing within a set distance of a government mark and recording when that mark had a certain bearing. This was a race with a nighttime finish.
Boat A was watching the AIS signal of Boat B on their chart-plotter down below at the NAV station (both Boat A and B were in the same handicap fleet). Boat A's radio was also at the NAV station and a specific channel was indicated in the NOR/SI for monitoring. Boat A recorded Boat B's position by taking photos of the chart-plotter. I think Boat A then waited until some time after she finished herself to hail Boat B on the radio. I think we determined the boats were only separated by a 1-2 miles over open water when Boat A finished.
Boat A protested Boat B for being outside the distance required, and therefore claimed Boat B did not finish.
As I recall (again this is really fuzzy), we found that:
I think that's a pretty American usage.
While Americans sometimes refer to 'hailing channel, VHF Ch 16, is more usually referred to as a 'distress, safety and calling frequency.
I don't think on the ordinary usage of the word, you can make a radio transmission a hail (without a NOR/SI)
Case 54 tells us what constitutes a 'hail':
A hail by boat A must be directed towards another boat, B, and be as loud as is required in the prevailing conditions to be capable of being heard by B. A hail is primarily an oral signal, but, when the oral signal may not be heard, rule 20.4(a) requires an additional signal to draw attention to the hail. Examples are physical gestures, a whistle or horn signal, or, at night, a light signal. If boats are required to monitor a particular radio channel while racing, the hail may also be made over that channel. However, if the notice of race specifies an alternative communication, the hailing boat shall use it (see rule 20.4(b)).
I'm still inclined to treat the 'hail may also be made [by radio] as an exception applicable only to RRS 20.
RRS 2021
61.1. Informing the Protestee said
That is to say, if the other boat was beyond hailing distance, the protesting boat was excused from hailing 'protest', BUT there was no exception for the red flag: A protesting boat was required to display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity regardless of hailing distance.
RRS 2025 now says
60.2 Intention to Protest
...
(b) ..., if
(1) the protestee is not within hailing distance at the time of the incident,
...
then the only requirement for the protestor is to inform the protestee of its intention to protest at the first reasonable opportunity.
That is to say, there is no requirement to display a red flag or have it displayed at the finishing line.
Which may be inconvenient for assembling on-call protest committees.