Racing Rules: Touching a starting mark

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Touching a starting mark

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Racing Rules
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URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10317
Printed Date: 28 Jun 25 at 10:14pm
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Topic: Touching a starting mark

Posted By: MikeBz
Subject: Touching a starting mark
Date Posted: 22 Dec 12 at 7:48pm

If I'm starting right on the pin, and after my bow crosses the line I clip the pin, have I committed a foul? I think most would say "yes".

Rule 31: TOUCHING A MARK
While racing, a boat shall not touch a starting mark before starting, a mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg of the course on which she is sailing, or a finishing mark after finishing.

The definition of start:

A boat starts when, having been entirely on the pre-start side of the starting line at or after her starting signal, and having complied with rule 30.1 if it applies, any part of her hull, crew or equipment crosses the starting line in the direction of the first mark.

So from the above it would seem that since I touched the starting mark after starting, I'm OK - unless the starting mark is deemed to begin or bounds the leg of the course I'm on in which case I'm not OK.

I guess the question is, is the first leg bounded by the starting mark?

On reflection I think my money is on 'yes it is' but it would be good to know for sure.

Mike

Replies:

Posted By: sargesail
Date Posted: 23 Dec 12 at 12:11am

Mike - I'm sure you can't in the circumstances you describe (I think you are still starting)- but I assme you could as you throw a turn for an incident just up the beat...

Sneaking an early look at the Xmas Pressie new rules book?

Posted By: Presuming Ed
Date Posted: 23 Dec 12 at 6:24pm

Yes.

Retorical question: if the first leg isn't defined by the line and the first mark, how is it defined?

You're racing from the prep.

Posted By: MikeBz
Date Posted: 23 Dec 12 at 10:58pm

Originally posted by sargesail

Mike - I'm sure you can't in the circumstances you describe (I think you are still starting)- but I assme you could as you throw a turn for an incident just up the beat...

I don't think you can be 'still starting', from the book the definition of 'start' is:

A boat starts when, having been entirely on the pre-start side of the starting line at or after her starting signal, and having complied with rule 30.1 if it applies, any part of her hull, crew or equipment crosses the starting line in the direction of the first mark.

So as soon as you break the line you've started, and therefore "...shall not touch a starting mark before starting..." no longer applies.

Mike

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 23 Dec 12 at 11:12pm

Originally posted by MikeBz

I don't think you can be 'still starting', from the book the definition of 'start' is:

I think perhaps you're looking at it the wrong way: the "before starting" is required because until you have actually started you are not sailing on a leg of the course.

So the middle subclause is the main one - you shall not touch a mark on your current leg, and that includes a start mark after starting and a finish mark before finishing.

Then it adds to that:
- you shall not touch a start mark before starting (when you are not yet on a leg of the course) and
- you shall not touch a finish mark after finishing (when you are no longer on a leg of the course).

The wording is quite economical in that it enables you to touch any mark that is not currently relevant to your course.

Posted By: MikeBz
Date Posted: 24 Dec 12 at 10:07am

I'm inclined to agree Jim, although I think it's potentially grey as to whether a start mark is a leg of the course.

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 24 Dec 12 at 10:47am

Having sat down and thought about it I honestly don't think its gray.

Until you start you are not on a leg of the course.
After you finish you are not on a leg of the course.

As soon as you start you are on one or another leg of the course for the whole race.
So lets go back to the rule again:
"a mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg of the course on which she is sailing"

I don't think there can really be any doubt that start marks and finish marks respectively begin and end the leg that you are currently sailing on.

So why does the phrase have the bit about before starting and after finishing?
Well, consider, supposing it didn't. If you take out the "before starting" and "after finishing" then the result is that you have to take a penalty for touching a start or finish mark if you touch them when you are on a completely different leg of the course, which is not what's intended. So you'd have to end up with a rule that looked something like this:-

Not Rule 31: While racing, a boat shall not touch
a) a starting mark, unless the boat has started and the boat has completed the first leg of the race
b) any mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg of the course on which she is sailing,
c) a finishing mark, unless the boat has not finished and is not about to finish.

Think we're better off as we are!