Simple Racing Rules

Originally posted by iGRF If there's one thing I'd like to see removed is that ghastly tactic of sailing another competitor down the fleet, never had it happen to me, but the first time I witnessed it funnily enough by an ex RYA dinghy squaddie type turned Windsurfer who then went on to be the RYA Olympic coach, it went down amongst us windsurfers like a ton of bricks and there were howls of derision, at the 1980 Windsurfer OD nationals, in order to secure a third place ffs. Very un sportsmanlike also un British in my then naive view of fair play in life. The Guy waited above the start line then sailed the other youngster down the pan, I've never had any respect for Ainslie either since watching him employ similar tactics, pathetic chicken sh*t way of getting victory in my book, rules or no rules, it totally sucks. As to the simple rules, I think pretty much folk work out at club level what to observe and what to turn a blind eye to, as to wether we need the same rules as big boat and A/C big lawyer, big money yotters, er no we don't, what we need is a new organisation to administer small boat racing, run by enthusiasts, the way it used to be before the RYA became a corporation of jobsworths.

Edited by Chris 249 - 19 Aug 15 at 12:56pm

Originally posted by Chris 249 Originally posted by JohnJack  I think the rules need to look at overtaking down wind.  We are in Championship Season so all along the southcoast as we speak there is someone in the midfleet rounding the windward mark and stuffing high on the reach with a gaggle of faster boats trying to get over them. Happens allot in Handicap racing as well. We struggle on our lake when with the kite up and trying to overtake slower Mono rigged boats they stuff us up well above the course to the next mark. Once there is sufficient overlap the lower boat shouldn't be allowed to point further up The rules should just be changed so the overtaking boats with their big rigs have to keep well above the slower boats.    Nothing worse than some *&^%$%$ coming past 2" to windward, blanketing you terribly, and then whining when you try to fend them off.  If they want an easy overtaking move then they should just go by two or three lengths to windward. In some hot one design fleets I know it's accepted that when the fast guys are coming through on the reach after a bad first reach, they either go way up or way down, because no matter what class, anyone trying to come just to windward of a boat on the reach is going to get luffed. If you are faster, stay clear!  I may add that our quickest bit of kit is the fastest or second fastest out of the 150 or so active racing boats in our city, and my slowest being a Radial which is one of the slower classes, so this POV is from someone who sees two sides of the story.

Originally posted by Wobble  aim to achieve as clear as possible a code that is not subject to the vagaries of individual protest outcomes.

Originally posted by Presuming Ed Originally posted by Wobble  aim to achieve as clear as possible a code that is not subject to the vagaries of individual protest outcomes. So are you saying that, for instance, room required at a leeward mark be precisely defined as no closer than, say, half a boat length. At which point, pond-based Firefly sailors think you're an idiot for needing positively acres of space, while big boat sailors at sea are cursing you because you seem intent on insisting that they wrap their toy around very large and very very rusty bits of steel, bouncing around a lot in big waves.  Originally posted by Wobble  Surely anyone who has been in a protest room can see how arbitrary the process is in practice? I would argue vehemently that a properly conducted protest hearing is the very opposite of arbitrary. If you don't want a self policing sport - and AFAIAA, all these proposals are still based on a self policing sport process, then the option isn't new rules, but on the water umpiring or (next stage) refereeing. Good luck with getting club sailors to pay for that.

Are we looking at this all wrong again? Even the 7 rules are based on the same concepts as the RRS, using colregs as a starting point.

Why should port give way? Or even exist? Stupid, having words that only sailors really understand, and not even all of them? Why should one particular boat have to move? Easier to say that the boat that has to turn less gets out of the way. Windward leeward? Again, stupid, inaccessible terms. The boat that has to move less gets out of the way. No contact? Of course not. The boat that has to move less gets out of the way. The boats can't decide who has to move less? Simple. All the boats have been chipped. The computer tells you which, no need for judgement. Same at marks. Again "marks" "buoys" stupid, inaccessible words. We have corner markers. If the computer says you can go round first, you do.

That should keep things simple.