Which rule would you rewrite

The changes  I would like to see are:

- so that a penalty taken for touching the mark has to be taken after a oat has left the zone. At present a boat that touches a windward mark as she comes in on port, can tack to round the mark then gybe straight back on to port and she has taken er penalty! Some penalty - a similar scenario can occur at a leeward mark.

- 18.2(e) seems to me over complicated ( and in team racing impossible to umpire) I believe that it should always be the case that if when an inside is obtained when the outside boat is unable to give room (a common occurence when sailing on rivers, for instance) then the outside boat should not be required to give room. At present this only applies if the overlap is obtained from clear astern. It is difficult enough to ascertain that an overlap has been obtained, that the outside boat was unable to give room without having to decide ow the overlap was obtained.

The match racers have changed this rule, but it may not yet be a satisfactory change. Expect another exciting installment soon.

Gordon

Originally posted by Phil eltringham Originally posted by alstorer Originally posted by Phil eltringham room should apply at a windward mark EVEN IF the boats are on opposite tacks Bargers charter? Not at all.  I can't remember when it was but it was something that Andy Rice discussed in his column. It is no different that the situation you get at the bottom of a run (starboard gate mark) where boats converge on opposite gybes and a port boat can have an inside overlap and hence rights over a starboard boat.  We are happy with this where the closing speeds are higher, and options for getting out of the way are fewer.  It will change the tactics required a lot, but if you've played a blinder up the left, is it fair that you have to give it all up at the top mark because there is no gap for you to file in on?  Granted the rules are what they are, and right or wrong they are the same for everyone, but the question is what would you like to change?  I would certainly like to try a few races like that, just to see how it works in practice.

This already possible, you just have a starboard first mark. This works
well in team and match racing, but as we all know as soon as you get
more than a few boats on the course it is a disaster.

AndyMck