• R14 vs Seamanship - The Great Greyness
  0 Comments
  Benjamin Harding Today 02:57
• Rule 19 - "Pass' vs 'Avoid' Language
  29 Comments
  Colin Mann Yesterday 01:01
• Shortened Course
  12 Comments
  David Keeling Thu 02:24
• An error in Appendix E 6.3 in the RRS 2025-2028
  7 Comments
  John Ball Mon 11:22
• Two boats crabbing simultaneously & definition of head to wind
  17 Comments
  Al Sargent Mon 01:20

• Rule 19 - "Pass' vs 'Avoid' Language
  Mike and Eric, asking "why" is not always the best way to learn the rules. In The present case, the reason blue is required to give room between her and Yellow is, "because the rule says so". Nothing could be clearer than  "the outside boat shall give the inside boat room between her and the obstruction". Yellow is the obstruction, Blue is the outside boat, and Green is the inside boat.  The rule doesn't say  "room to keep clear", so what is your comment about? 
  
  Rule 19.2(b) s one of the oldest rules in the book, certainly more than 100 years old. The reason for the rule is, I think, obvious in most cases: say two boats are reaching along the breakwater and the leeward  boat is on course to hit the breakwater. If rule 19.2 did not exist, the leewar  boat could just crush the windward boat into the breakwater without changing course. To avoid that fate, the windward boat would have to let her sheets go, slow down and drop behind the leeward boat. The writers of the racing rules thought that would be a bad idea. 
  
  The equivalent of rule 19.2(b) was identical to the mark rounding rules until 1996, when it was separated out.  The reason for treating it differently was that passing obstructions didn't normally require the complexity of rounding marks, and because a third boat could suddenly gain right of weight in less than a zone radius, the whole concept of coming up to a zone around an obstruction and preparing which boats should be given room and which both shouldn't. I made no sense. 
  
  Rule 19.2(a), in contrast, is very recent. It is almost unique in that it is redundant. The right-of-way boat has always had the right to determine which side of an obstruction she wishes to pass, because she has right away, but that fact was not widely understood and was a frequent topic of argument so we wrote a rule to make it explicit. 
  
  The part in rule 19.2(a) about the right-of-way boat making a late decision and changing course is very new and solves a problem: Without that rule, it could be argued that the right-of-way boat is sailing within the room to which she is entitled and therefore exonerated from breaking rule 16.1. that's why the wording of rule 16.1 is repeated in rule 19.2(a), Rather than just referencing the rule.
  Rob Overton Today 21:29
• Shortened Course
  I think the approach I've seen used is to tell them they have been finished on the previous lap. (Legally or illegally)
  
  I still think if we see the SIs it will clarify the situation with a phrase like 'The Race Officer may decide to finish boats at any time at his discretion. This may not be the lead boat, but results will be calculated on average lap time to ensure fairness, the aim being to keep the finishing window as short  as practicable' (I selected that frome Penzance Sailing Club who used it for handicap and non-handicap fleets) or from my club 'For a committee boat finish, flag S will be displayed on the committee boat accompanied by two sound signals. For a shore-based finish, two sound signals will be made. Boats will finish the race when they next pass through the start / finish line. Finishing position shall be determined on an average lap basis.'
  
  (Clearly purists will say start/finish line shouldn't be mentioned - but for an average club sailor that's clear and easier to understand than describing a gate. And for the even more purist, a Committee Boat should be called a signal vessel but I can say with certainty the club sailors know what a committee boat is and will think I've lost the plot if I say signal vessel.)
  Calum Polwart Yesterday 14:40
• Two boats crabbing simultaneously & definition of head to wind
  I think I can quickly prove to you that we reference points of sail based on true wind. Two pronged argument:
  1) Wikipedia repeatedly references "true wind" in their entry on Point of Sail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_sail#No-go_zone
  2) when foiling boats are going downwind and their apparent wind angle is a near reach, we do not describe them as near-reaching, nor as being on a beat to windward. If they briefly point directly downwind, and their sails luff from the bow due to the apparent wind, we would never suggest they were head-to-wind. 
  Niko Kotsatos Thu 13:58
• An error in Appendix E 6.3 in the RRS 2025-2028
  It is simpler and more direct to add to radio sailing NOR or SI:
  "A protesting boat shall inform the other boat at the first opportunity. This adds to E6.3."
  
  
  Philip Hubbell Wed 18:20
• "A proper look-out by sight and hearing....."
  There's nothing very unique about solo races in that respect. Take for example the Solong/Stena incident where an anchored tanker was hit in reasonable visibility  by another ship under autopilot. The captain is temporarily hosted at one of his Majesty's facilities.
  https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67f3dd5c53505b2ca44eff1a/Solong-StenaImmaculate-InterimReport.pdf
  
  
  Jim Champ 26-Mar-28 18:13

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