Contact While Taking a Penalty Turn

Thanks Ed, the bit about rule 20 is what I meant but I didn't have my rules book to hand!

Totally agree with Presuming Ed. If you hit another boat whilst doing a
penalty turn then you have broken a rule of Part 2 (20.2) and the penalty
for breaking a rule of Part 2 is clearly stated in 44.1 - you may take
another penalty turn. Can't see anything in the rules that implies that you
have to retire, unless you cause serious damage or injury, or it is stated
otherwise in the Sailing Instructions (see rule 44.1)

Presume that one's settled? How about this protest situation  (not strictly racing rules) from our Laser 3000 Nationals at the Royal Torbay Regatta two weeks ago.

Six races scheduled over three days, one discard if 4 or more races sailed. An inner course for dinghies and an outer course for small keelboats, windward/leeward. Keelboat classes had several starts, followed by Laser 3000 class start and then mixed handicap dinghies. The sailing instructions described the windward marks as orange cylindrical buoys. Unfortunately there was an orange dan buoy on the course inside the inner windward mark, and you couldn't see the far keelboat mark at this point due to conditions.

In Race 1, all but two Laser 3000s and all but one of the MH dinghies took the dan buoy to be our windward mark and sailed the wrong course (i.e. only 3 out of 40 boats sailed the right course). The committee boat said nothing between races, and on Race 2 the several of the lead Laser 3000s and a number of MH dinghies sailed the wrong course again.

Mr H (a visitor who sailed the wrong course in both races) was credited with race wins in the provisional results for Races 1 and 2, but was protested by Mr J (a local boat who was one of two who sailed the right course in both races), along with a list of other boats who Mr J had observed sailing the wrong course.

Races 3 and 4 were sailed on the second day, with Mr H scoring a 1st and a 2nd, Mr J scored two 3rds. Races 5 and 6 on Day 3 were cancelled. Four races counted with 1 discard.

Mr J's protest was upheld, and Mr H was DSQ from Races 1 and 2 giving Mr J the championship. Mr H then protested the race committee, claiming the race instructions were not clear based on the number of boats that sailed the wrong course and that he was materially disadvantaged. There had also been no pre-race briefing. Mr H's protest was rejected, but he is referring it to ISAF.

Hope you followed that .... does "Mr H" have any possible grounds for redress?

Edited by yellowhammer

There is precident in ISAF appeals cases and if boats are allowed to keep results for incorrectly sailed courses (for what ever reason) a boat that sailed the CORRECT course cannot be beaten by those that did not and should be scored accordingly.

If Mr H proves that he was materially prejudaced , he should get his results reinstated , but as he sailed wrong course for those races he could not beat those that sailed correctly.

I leave it to Ed to show you relevant cases,rules etc .

 

One last thing .

 

Everyone talks about protesting committees , this is not allowed within the rules of sailing , the correct term for this action is "Seeking Redress" , I couldn't quantify the number of times I've heard "Someones going to PROTEST the committee ", this induces a very negative situation and inexperienced R.Os take it as a personal attack rather than someone just "Seeking Redress" there after it gets messy.

 

Ask for redress and it calms the situation down .

 

 

 

Originally posted by Bob Inn If Mr H proves that he was materially prejudaced , he should get his results reinstated , but as he sailed wrong course for those races he could not beat those that sailed correctly.

This suggests Mr H could be awarded 3 pts in the first race (1st boat on the shorter course, but placed behind the two that sailed the longer correct course), scoring 3,1,2 after a discard against Mr J's 1,3,3, thus taking the champoinship. Could be interesting ... I'll pass on the link to Mr H (Medway Maniac).

Edited by yellowhammer