not sure about this one

I was on duty this weekend and we shortened the course at a mark as there was not a lot of wind. There was about 5 boat lengths room around the mark (we sail on a pond) so we set the committee boat about 2.5 to 3 boat lenghts away from the mark (with navigatable water around us), and set it such that the boats were coming down a reach/broadreach towards us. The mark was to be left to port in the normal course of the race and the wind direction meant it was a gybe mark. In this case the committee boat had to be left to starboard.

So two boats (merlins) were heading towards us on starboard, one was give way boat as he was faster and overtaking to windward. The outside, right of way boat started luffing about three to four boat lenghts from the mark/finish line/committee boat. The overtaking boat responded by going up as well. The outside right of way boat pushed so hard the overtaking boat had to tack to avoid the committee boat, before crossing the line in second.

There was a bit of shouting as the windward boat wanted to protest as they felt hard done by. they asked me what the rules were as they wanted to protest and i had to respond that i did not know the rules well enough to comment.

My feelings are that if you are coming up to a 'obstruction' (the committee boat), and the course dictates that it has to be passed to one side, to starboard in this case, that the outside boat should have given water at the point they were either two boat lengths away, or about to round the mark. I feel the outside boat was in the right to start luffing, but feel that at the point they were about to round or were coming up to the obstruction they should have given water.

If water had been given i think the outside boat would have finished beind the overtaking windward boat, but cannot be sure, since the luff would have meant the angles changed.

There was not protest, just the usual banter afterwards, however, i would like to get some clarification in case i am ever in this situation.

Thanks

Mark An object the sailing instructions require a boat to leave on a specified side, and a race committee boat surrounded by navigable water from which the starting or finishing line extends.

So leeward was in the wrong.

I don't see any reason why as race officer you should either "no comment" or be expected to comment. The race officer isn't the protest committee.

Originally posted by Stefan Lloyd Mark An object the sailing instructions require a boat to leave on a specified side, and a race committee boat surrounded by navigable water from which the starting or finishing line extends. So leeward was in the wrong. I don't see any reason why as race officer you should either "no comment" or be expected to comment. The race officer isn't the protest committee.

So in this case (if I understand it correctly) the 2 boat length rule for water at the mark would apply.

Also on the second point I imagined that the race officer would be involved as part of the race committee. Or at least he could be called as a witness by both parties hoping to prove their point.

Just one thing to throw in.....

If memory serves the '2 boat length rule' (referred to as 'the zone')  is not actually a rule. I believe it is defined as 'about to round or pass' which is commonly considered to be 2 boat lengths but in heavy weather can be more depending on the amount of sail and boat handling required to round the mark.

I could be wrong though.....

As for protest committees do you not have to get agreement from both parties that they are happy with composition of the committee? I was involved at a protest in the Blaze nationals and they asked if both parties were happy (I was quite surprised).

Paul

Originally posted by jeffers Just one thing to throw in.....If memory serves the '2 boat length rule' (referred to as 'the zone')  is not actually a rule. I believe it is defined as 'about to round or pass'

Yes and No. You're quite correct about the water being required when about to pass rather than specifically 2BL, but 2BL is also in the rules as the point at which overlaps cannot be made or broken after - If you break an overlap within 2bl then its tough, you still have to let them in, and if you make an overlap after 2BL its tough, you've got no rights and have to bail out or do your turns.