Rules Observance

Originally posted by davidyacht There are some persistant Rule 42 offenders who if I know are sailing and it is light winds would cause me not to bother to compete.  And others who regard Rule 42 only to apply if someone vocally objects.  In both cases, somehow feel that I am the villain.

H2,

Originally posted by ohFFsake One isolated success we had with a persistent rule 42 offender was when a few of us pre-arranged to chant "heeeeeaaaave!" in time with his rocking. It got to the stage where 5 or 6 were joining in and it was hilarious when he eventually worked out the connection with his actions. It wasn't my idea but it worked, and it did so in a light hearted way. Wish I could come up with some other ideas as good!

I must have spent the first couple of years re-rounding touched marks, nobody told me about the 360 penalty in fact there are still the odd ex windsurfer who re rounds without thinking, mainly because the rule was long dropped in windsurfing and none of us spent a lot of time boning up on dinghy rules since they didn't seem to observe the ones they thought they had.

There's never been a protest despite some not really nice incidents that have been played to advantage, but 'they' are rule breaking dinghy sailors that don't know wtf they are doing anyway, difficult for us ex windsurfers to educate them. Having said that, the front runners are generally very good.

Down the lake it's different, they are very vocal, unless of course they are blatently in the wrong (Port Starboard) then it's some different set of rules for them and they are exempt from doing turns because they are in a slower boat I guess (Miracles).

So yes, rules do seem to be for guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools I fear, at least in both my local clubs races, I do however still do my turns if I knowingly breach them especially if kids are about, if they protest then I don't argue. I'll push it along with the best of them on the sea with R42, but can't down the lake and I need to know how to do it anyway so have considered it a class rule for EPS sailors to emulate the Finn, it's not easy pumping a dinghy, but I can at least do it now, but nowhere near as efficiently as a board.

As to they way it is, it's like the PY thing very difficult to enforce in a club political environment, but I have noticed the Laser fleet which is getting quite competitive, become a bit jiggy with overt rule flouting so it may improve in future.

Edited by iGRF - 19 Oct 17 at 5:46pm

A bit like letting certain dinghy classes fly a 'k' flag and ignore Rule 42 ;)