simple as port starboard?

No point in handicap racing full stop!

Gordon,

I have been witing for your post with interest!  And I am not surprised to see you say that.  It is a much sounder prospect.  Unfortunately the interpretations of proper course that have formed the basis of this discussion have been pedelled in print at various coaching sessions and it will be interesting to see how long it takes to be sorted out.

Not dissimilar to what happened when tacking inside 2 lengths first came out.  I was protested at the CHS/IRC Nats for tacking inside 2 lengths by a massively overstood boat that did not luff above closehauled.  Both parties agreed those facts but and that I was tack complete, and that was found as facts but the PC still nearly lobbed us!  When they revisited the wording we were OK but their perception had been shaped (as had the other skippers view) by some poor coaching

Yes - that's pretty much what I did.  Thankfully the committee didn't quite follow normal procedure and allowed a "second" summing up before finalising it's decision!  I have a feeling that the chairman and his wing men weren't quite in agreement (he holding the correct interpretation).

It's just a shame that the wrong interpretation has already spread (as evidenced above!).  It will take some time to correct.

Matt

I attended a rules update course run by the RYA with a couple of judges and they interprted the rules as you are allowed mark-room for tactical purposes because  "Mark-room" definition includes "proper course" and if your proper course is to get around the race track is a fast as possible which will mean wide in and tight out then you are entitled to that mark-room.

Mark room is not just "room" to sail around a mark it is room to sail your proper cousre around the mark. Even if it means the boat giving mark-room can not sail her proper course. If  mark room for a proper course is not given and some disaster happens then the inside boat will  exnorated under 18.5 and the boat required to give mark-room will be penalised.

They both agreed that the word "to" as in "to the mark" will be hotly disputed.

That was their take on it and it will be interesting to see what cases evolve.

dics,

When did you go to your rules update? As I said, even very eminent IJs have published one opinion then another.

As I understand the "great and the good" who discussed this at the  RYA Conference - the definition of mark room is room to sail TO the mark (not at some point a boat length from the mark) and then room when AT the mark to sail a proper course. A boat is at the mark when they are no longer sailing TO (as in "in the direction" of) but are required, in order to sail their proper course, to change course. In other words - the outside right of way boat must give inside keep clear boat room to change course AT the mark in order to round the mark and sail on to the course to the next mark. No more than that.

There is no obligation on the outside right of way boat to give room to inside keep clear boat to do a tactical rounding whilst inside keep clear boat is sailing TO the mark. It should be remembered that in the absence of the mark the keep clear boat wuld have ot do just that - keep clear - and that right of way boat would be able to sail as she wished. Because there is a mark to be rounded there is a limitation on right of way boat's rights, but this is not give keep clear boat any right to sail a course To the mark and then sail round the mark.

Gordon