Top dog

 

So if Geoff Carveth had sailed and recorded a (3rd place) finish in the race that he was erraneously black flagged in, then the race result should have stood. Irrespective of the way the last race was contested, What on earth were the P.C. thinking by giving average points redress!

Geoff could/should have appealed that decision at the time.

 

 

Yes they could.

Rule 64.2 Decisions on redress;

...to let the results stand or to make some other arrangement...

I think that would have covered it.

The average points option listed in Appendix A10, which JimC has already highlighted, should only have been used if the boat was 'coerced' into retiring under the erraneous black flag (without a recorded finish position).  Besides A10 option (c, would also be available to them.

 

As it stood, the redress given, left the boat affected vunerable in the final race.

 

Edit; Having looked at the results again, Geoff would have won the championship with the last race to spare. The best that Andy could have done is win the last race, with Geoff 4th or worse to equal the series score, but [for Andy to] lose out on countback.

 

 

 

- I think the average points award was a strange one BUT once it had been made it shouldn't be changed after the last race. Taxi was about to put in a counter protest until he was told that the average ponts would include Geoff's discard. As a result he dropped it figuring a match race would always be an option. Thursdays tactics then became a matter of making sure no other boat could catch him, beating Geoff was not a necessity, being within 3 points of Tom Stewart was. If Geoff had been awarded his 3rd after Wednesdays race then Taxi would have been 2 points behind with 2 races to go and his priorities would have been different.

 

- Are people saying that someone who can sail Geoff Carveth down to below 28th (which was what was required) in a 60 strong fleet does not deserve to win? Yes Geoff won 4 of the 6 races they sailed but that isn't what counts.

 

- As for not being amateur, those people in the profession work hard monday to friday like anyone else. Sailmaking is generally not that well paid but it has a few other bonuses like cheaper kit / sails. Sailmakers still give up all of their spare weekends and holiday to go sailing and a lot of that spare time they are working anyway helping people out, delivering kit and looking for ways to improve the kit. If anyone with a decent salary lived on the same budget as a sailmaker and spent the difference in the salaries on new kit and going sailing all the time then they would be in a similar position but without all the stress of working while enjoying your hobby (i'm ignoring big boat stuff here as I don't know enough to comment).

 

- The name Taxi comes from when he was little and his ears stuck out, his mum said he looked like a taxi with the doors open.