Finish line

Okay then guys and gals.

Had this one at the weekend and would like to know your thoughts.

Handicap race finish.  Boats fairly well spread out coming in at about 30sec intervals.  A (small) number of boats after crossing the finish line immediatly tack / gybe ack accross the line and head for home.  No one was inconvenienced.

I have always worked on the principle that you go around the ends to clear the line - its not as if the line is 5 miles long!!

I have looked in the rules of race, and can find nothing.  I do have a memory of reading somewhere that going around the ends to clear the line is required (perhaps some SI's).  Is this just a convention / gentlemans agreement or am I missing something?

Comments please

Although all members of a sailing club are, by definition, gentlemen or gentlewomen, the SIs cannot be considered to be a gentlmen's agreement. They are, again by definition (see rule book), part of the rules.

A boat is racing until she finishes and clears the finishing line, and can thus be protested under Part 2. All the Part 2 rules apply.

When has a boat cleared the finishing line? At the very minimum when  part of her hull, crew or equipment are no longer on the line after the boat has finished. However,in a hearing I would probably consider that a boat has cleared the line when she has gone beyond either end of the line or has sailed several boat legths beyong the line. The idea being that the boat is clear of the line when any manoeuvre cannot interfere with a boat that is still racing. and approaching the line.

I couldn't find a case to confirm this interpretation.

Gordon