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NEW RULE 18 - THE THREE-LENGTH ZONE
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SUGmeister View Drop Down
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Posts: 265 		Post Options Post Options   Quote SUGmeister Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: NEW RULE 18 - THE THREE-LENGTH ZONE
    Posted: 05 Jun 08 at 5:24pm
In todays Butt....

NEW RULE 18 - THE THREE-LENGTH ZONE IN RRS 2009-2012
by Jos M Spijkerman , International Judge
Chris Atkins is one of the members of the Rule 18 working party. Together with three other persons, he worked on the changes we will all find in ourrule books next year. I asked him specifically about the background for changing the two boat-length zone into three and the choice the Organizing Authority or Race Committee could make, to decrease this back to two or
increase to four. Wouldn't this create confusion for sailors encountering different zones at different regattas?

First of all he explained to me the reason for the increase to three-length zone. In the new rule, the current "about to round" part of rule 18.1 is deleted. That part has always been a source for discussion and confusion. No longer! Only when you enter the zone, rule 18 will begin to apply.

The working party concluded - as we all do with the current rule - that two lengths was a too small an area for that. Spinnakers are lowered and course is adjusted before entering the two lengths zone. Most boats are already busy with the rounding well before. Without the "about to round" part of the rule, the zone could not stay two lengths. He stressed that in most classes, three lengths should work on the water the same as the current rule, with the added bonus that the 'border' for rule 18 was now fixed.

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sargesail View Drop Down
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Posts: 1459 		Post Options Post Options   Quote sargesail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jun 08 at 5:36pm

How much harder to judge 3 lengths than 2?  Especially as the helm is now sat nearly 4 lengths from the mark when his baot enters it!  Thats 50ft for a 14 footer and that's not easy!

 
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Posts: 3048 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jeffers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jun 08 at 7:24pm
I am told there will be provision in the new ruleset for SI's to amend this to either 2 or 4 lengths.

I would imagine most restricted water clubs will stick with 2.
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JimC View Drop Down
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Posts: 6662 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jun 08 at 7:41pm
At the moment rule 18 often turns on outside two boat lengths. This isn't well understood. It means you are probably required to start giving water to the inside boat before you get to the circle. The change to the rule actually reflects what most people think - that you only have to start giving water at 2BL, but that isn't the rule as it stands.
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Posts: 30 		Post Options Post Options   Quote bdu98252 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jun 08 at 11:09pm

I am not sure I could drop a Musto kite in 25 knots of breeze and do a slick rounding in less than about 5-8 boat lengths including the pole length. I will maybe just need to get better .

 
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Posts: 583 		Post Options Post Options   Quote m_liddell Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jun 08 at 11:19pm
Stupid question, but why was this rule introduced in the first place? To stop boats forcing out competitors to leeward by luffing them near downwind marks?

I've seen club races where on reaches and runs where the whole fleet trying to desperately get on the inside of the boat in front sailing in a banana path since it is easier than overtaking directly and it just seems silly.
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Posts: 8956 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jun 08 at 3:45pm
It was introduced to stop boats crashing into each other at marks. It would seem rather unfair to be an overlapped boat all the way down a reach, and then to be luffed the wrong side of the mark by the boat to leeward?
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Jamie600 View Drop Down
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Posts: 718 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Jamie600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jun 08 at 5:48pm

 

I can think of a few clubs where the marks are less than 4 boat lengths from the bank, they'll have some mark-shifting to do if this comes in
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Posts: 6662 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jun 08 at 7:37pm
Originally posted by Jamie600

they'll have some mark-shifting to do if this comes in

Why? Don't understand!
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Posts: 1341 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Lukepiewalker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jun 08 at 7:57pm
I think of it as a clarification rather than a change. In essence we have removed the confusion of 'about to round' which most people ignored anyway and moved the focus onto the number of boatlengths which everyone used to focus on anyway.
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