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Sailing the course includes the string test which must: - pass each mark of the course on the required side and in the correct order - touch each mark designated as a rounding mark. According to your description you have neither passed not rounded the mark!
You need to keep the definition of Sail the Course in mind. It says :-
Sail the Course A boat sails the course when
(a) she starts;
(b) a string representing her track until she finishes, when drawn taut,
(1) passes each mark of the course for the race on the required side
and in the correct order (including the starting marks),
(2) touches each mark designated in the sailing instructions to be a
rounding mark, and
(3) passes between the marks of a gate from the direction of the
course from the previous mark; and then
(c) she finishes.
A mark that does not begin, bound or end the leg the boat is sailing does not
have a required side.
So you need to pass the mark on the required side. If you had touched the mark and managed to round it on the correct side, then you do your one turn penalty and move on.
You could do the 360 around the mark in the correct direction and then continue sailing the course. However, like the two posts above, hitting the mark but not rounding or passing on the correct side is not sailing the course and breaks 28.1.
Indeed. If I didn't need to actually go round the marks but could just do a few 360's and sail back through the finish line I would might win every race!
I would like to emphasize that doing a penalty turn around a mark is rarely the best option: - you have to mind to not touch the mark again. - the bigger turn radius will increase the time to complete the penalty - according RRS 21.2 you have to keep clear of all other boats while taking the penalty. Such a breach can trigger a 2 turn penalty.
I have seen so many Optimist sailors who got into bad situations, because they wanted to turn around the mark and broke plenty of other rules meanwhile.
RRS 31 seems to be the first thing called in when Touching a Mark (its title). RRS 44.1 explicitly states that one can take a One-Turn penalty when RRS 31 has been broken. There is no mention of the mark that is hit, and since the section of RRS 44 is "...AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT" which should tell us that you need to make a donut when you get clear of other boats. Something tells me (and I'm sure there are those out there that would know off the top of their heads) that this was changed from re-rounding the hit mark after a good deal of expensive carnage at the mark itself.
The penalty is one turn or two turns and not a 360 degrees turn as per rule 44.1.
Case 108 of WS Case Book gives examples of a boat taking the one turn penalty in case she happens to touch the mark. The diagram from the case 108 is appended below.
Here is full Case 108. My additional point, which is referenced, but is not emphasized in 108, is the topic of significant advantage.
When looking at the 2 Grey-hulled scenarios on the right, it almost appears Grey is getting a free ride .. basically doing the penalty with little or no tactical cost. Depending upon the scenario, competing boats might consider whether or not such a boat gained a significant advantage.
Logically, as the time impact decreases for a penalty ... the possibility of advantage increases.
For instance ... let's say for the top-right scenario ... that hitting that mark made the difference between ducking a starboard tracker and passing and rounding in front of her ... that's something to keep an eye on.
If a boat gains significant advantage by her actions, then 44.1(b) requires the boat to retire. For eg, if there is a fleet of starboard boats coming and instead of ducking and loosing a number of places, if a port tack boat tacks, touches the mark and then does her penalty and continues to sail. In such a case, there is a significant advantage to this boat. Her penalty is to retire in such a situation.
Thanks to All. As i suspected, you NEED to ROUND the mark. This incident occured in a near drifter with some adverse tide. My crew said just do a turn but I insisted that we had to ROUND the mark. Absolute mayhem at the mark, some boats using engines to stay clear of others ( no advantage no issue ) we did eventually round it some 20 mins later after first touching it. Crew not happy - I WAS. Again, thanks. Phil
Sailing the course includes the string test which must:
- pass each mark of the course on the required side and in the correct order
- touch each mark designated as a rounding mark.
According to your description you have neither passed not rounded the mark!
You need to keep the definition of Sail the Course in mind. It says :-
Sail the Course A boat sails the course when
So you need to pass the mark on the required side. If you had touched the mark and managed to round it on the correct side, then you do your one turn penalty and move on.
wouldmight win every race!- you have to mind to not touch the mark again.
- the bigger turn radius will increase the time to complete the penalty
- according RRS 21.2 you have to keep clear of all other boats while taking the penalty. Such a breach can trigger a 2 turn penalty.
I have seen so many Optimist sailors who got into bad situations, because they wanted to turn around the mark and broke plenty of other rules meanwhile.
Hans I agree with your point. Just making the point that you could do both the penalty turn and round the mark together.
Case 108 of WS Case Book gives examples of a boat taking the one turn penalty in case she happens to touch the mark. The diagram from the case 108 is appended below.
When looking at the 2 Grey-hulled scenarios on the right, it almost appears Grey is getting a free ride .. basically doing the penalty with little or no tactical cost. Depending upon the scenario, competing boats might consider whether or not such a boat gained a significant advantage.
Logically, as the time impact decreases for a penalty ... the possibility of advantage increases.
For instance ... let's say for the top-right scenario ... that hitting that mark made the difference between ducking a starboard tracker and passing and rounding in front of her ... that's something to keep an eye on.
If a boat gains significant advantage by her actions, then 44.1(b) requires the boat to retire. For eg, if there is a fleet of starboard boats coming and instead of ducking and loosing a number of places, if a port tack boat tacks, touches the mark and then does her penalty and continues to sail. In such a case, there is a significant advantage to this boat. Her penalty is to retire in such a situation.
As i suspected, you NEED to ROUND the mark. This incident occured in a near drifter with some adverse tide. My crew said just do a turn but I insisted that we had to ROUND the mark. Absolute mayhem at the mark, some boats using engines to stay clear of others ( no advantage no issue ) we did eventually round it some 20 mins later after first touching it. Crew not happy - I WAS.
Again, thanks. Phil