NEW RULE 18 - THE THREE-LENGTH ZONE
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Racing Rules
Forum Discription: Discuss the rules and your interpretations here
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4254
Printed Date: 08 Aug 25 at 4:34am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: NEW RULE 18 - THE THREE-LENGTH ZONE
Posted By: SUGmeister
Subject: NEW RULE 18 - THE THREE-LENGTH ZONE
Date Posted: 05 Jun 08 at 5:24pm
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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. ------------- Simon SUGmeister I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me. |
Replies:
Posted By: sargesail
Date Posted: 05 Jun 08 at 5:36pm
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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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Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 05 Jun 08 at 7:24pm
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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. ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: JimC
Date 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. |
Posted By: bdu98252
Date Posted: 05 Jun 08 at 11:09pm
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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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. Posted By: m_liddell
Date Posted: 05 Jun 08 at 11:19pm
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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. |
Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 06 Jun 08 at 3:45pm
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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?
------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: Jamie600
Date Posted: 06 Jun 08 at 5:48pm
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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 ------------- RS600 1001 |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 06 Jun 08 at 7:37pm
Why? Don't understand! |
Posted By: Lukepiewalker
Date Posted: 06 Jun 08 at 7:57pm
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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.
------------- Ex-Finn GBR533 "Pie Hard" Ex-National 12 3253 "Seawitch" Ex-National 12 2961 "Curved Air" Ex-Mirror 59096 "Voodoo Chile" |
Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 07 Jun 08 at 10:01am
Calling water for an obstruction like the bank has always overridden water for the mark anyway, (or so I have always thought) so no need to change anything. Though on rivers and ponds small enough for this to happen, the club rules can always keep 2 boatlengths, as I can think of occasions where 3 or 4 would be a significant proportion of the leg just sailed... ------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: gordon
Date Posted: 07 Jun 08 at 12:52pm
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The bank is a continuing obstruction. RRS 18.5 stipulates that a boat clear astern that obtains an inside overlap is entitled to room to pass the obstruction only IF at the moment the overlap begins there is room to do so. The classic situation is when several boats are overlapped with one boat near the bank and unable to give room to the inside boats In addition, each right of way boat may be a contiuing obstruction for other give way boats. The protest committee has to decide if, when the the last boat to establish an overlap does so, there was room to pass. Makes for fun hearings!
Gordon ------------- Gordon |
Posted By: Spyderman
Date Posted: 08 Jun 08 at 5:25am
In special classes, particularly for fast boats, the BL-Zone can be increased to four. You can read the whole post here: http://rrsstudy.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-rule-18-three-length-zone-in-rrs.html - New Rule 18 - The three-length zone in RRS 2009-2012 ------------- Are you interested in the Racing Rules of Sailing? Go to: http://rrsstudy.blogspot.com - http://rrsstudy.blogspot.com |