Is this illegal or unsporting?

Can't see a problem in this case - you are playing the same game, using the same rules, in boats that aren't too different - not like a 70 footer v's a Sonata or something. Should you have carried on and sailed them off the course? I guess that would depend upon what the fleet had been doing up to that time - if the racing was pretty cut throat, then yes, why not? If the rules were just being used to know who had RoW for the rest of the series, then maybe a little out of place.

The Saljuice thing was a whole different ball game from what I remember.

Originally posted by jeffers Originally posted by Presuming Ed IIRC, there was a long thread a while ago on SA about a similar situation from the US. But in that situation, again IIRC, there was a big difference in speeds between the fast and slow boats - i.e. there was no realistic way for the slow boat to break the cover, and the faster boat covered from the gun.  The faster boat was also in a different start to the slower boat and they hung around part way up the beat to pin the slower boat down too which was what caused more of the furore I believe.

I think for me that's where it crosses into unsporting. If it's in one design, or closely matched handicap boats then fair enough, the better match racer will win, it's still sailing skill. However if one boat is significantly fast enough that every time the slower boat breaks free they can just regain the lead I think it's a douche move.

Thanks. I stand exonerated.

Thanks for the reply. Personally, I'd be prepared to cop it, and prepared to gybe away pretty early in the piece. I don't blame someone for looking at the big picture, though the fact that I wasn't prepared to push it further this time was because I expected the other boat would be angry.

Edited by SteveB00 - 01 Apr 15 at 11:56am