Luffing (or not)

It really hasn't changed much. The main thing that's changed is that its now prohibited to case course so fast and close that its physically impossible for the windward boat to keep clear. In the event that there's no contact its very unlikely that ROW would be penalised.

The main effect of the removal of the mast abeam rule is that windward boats should give more room. The idea of mast abeam, I think was that in the mast abeam position windward could not luff any further without the stern making contact as in the FF incident. With the rules as they are now if the boats get to that position windward has already broken a rule and will be penalised, so all leeward should do is hail protest.

So the result is now that everybody should know that if you sail close and to windward and get luffed into a "can't turn any more without contact" position then you have broken the rule and need to take a penalty even though there's no contact and there's no mast abeam rule to get you out of gaol.

And that means if you get luffed you need to get the hell out of there as quickly as you possibly can, because if you don't its very easy to end up in a place where you have no choice but to take a penalty.

Edited by JimC - 04 Mar 17 at 9:49am

There is no onus of proof. The PC has to make its best judgement as to what happened.

Originally posted by Sam.Spoons My original point was (and I'm looking at it from 50 years sailing boats and boards mostly at club and regional level) it's harder to make a clear decision on the water and you are more likely to have to resort to a protest committee to sort it out. That's fine at bigger meetings but protests are rare at many clubs and almost unheard of amongst Raceboards at club level. I guess, as I become more familiar with the current RRS........ Thanks JC

Originally posted by Sam.Spoons This is purely of academic interest as we all know that luffing is rarely worth the time lost unless it's a two boat race (as, effectively, the FF incident in the other thread was). Quite a few years ago when I was racing Raceboards fairly seriously (regional and a couple of national series events a year) when the 'new rules' came in. I was told at a National event, in an informal discussion, by a 'rules expert' (he was on the RC and would have chaired the PC had a protest resulted from the incident) that the new rules effectively banned luffing. The incident :- It's marginal planing conditions and board A is sailing in on a broad reach, spots/hears a gust coming from astern and also hears a following board (B) approaching, planing on said gust. A pumps onto the plane to pick up the same gust, heading up for pressure and shouting "windward board keep clear". Unsighted as he is to leeward of B he continues to plane on a higher than 'proper course' until, after his third hail 2-3 secs minimum) the two make contact. Any reason why the board coming from behind ( B ) can't let the boom forward, depower, sink off the plane and keep clear that way in the 2-3 or more seconds available? Ignoring the fact that it probably wasn't prudent to luff (but it was to head up for pressure) who should have been penalised? Before the 'new rules' it was pretty simple, you try to pass me to windward, I luff hard, you also luff to keep clear, then shout "mast abeam" and I stop luffing and sail for the mark. The only discussion can be if I think you shouted "mast abeam" too soon. Everybody knew that to try to sail over another boat close and to windward invited defensive action and sailed accordingly (i.e. not so close as to be unable to avoid the luff).