Racing Rules: Racing rules primer

Print Page | Close Window

Racing rules primer

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Racing Rules
Forum Discription: Discuss the rules and your interpretations here
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12899
Printed Date: 24 Jun 25 at 10:28pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Racing rules primer

Posted By: snowleopard
Subject: Racing rules primer
Date Posted: 31 Oct 17 at 9:39am

I am coming back to dinghy racing after a long spell of offshore cruising. The only races I have done in the last 20 years have been run under IRCPS. You can tell how long it's been from the fact that 'Mast abeam' was still in force when I last raced.

Can anyone recommend a site that will bring me back up to speed on the rules without having to wade through too much legalese?

-------------
One hull good, two hulls better.

Replies:

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 31 Oct 17 at 9:43am

I'd start with the actual rules on line. They're a lot more understandable than they used to be.

Posted By: Brass
Date Posted: 31 Oct 17 at 10:35am

Difficult to give you the best answer without knowing the depth of your original rules knowledge and your learning style.

Numerous on-line resources in the Rules Resources post at the head of this forum. But these tend to focus on full 'authorised versions' of rules source documents.

While the words and style of the rules have changed over the years, the intention has always been to keep the game fundamentally unchanged: as long as you don't get into 'language difficulties' about the new words, you'll probably find that if you sail by the rules just as you used to, you'll be OK about 95% of the time.

For an initial brush-up, to identify what you need to review, I suggest going through the http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/TheCallBookforTeamRacing2017digital-%5b21946%5d.pdf" rel="nofollow - Team Racing Call Book .

It has a lot of calls that are really just quite simple examples of application of the [fleet racing] rules, particularly the two boat scenarios. Work your way through the calls, with a copy of the rules open as you do, and you should pretty quickly identify what rules changes you need to study up on.

My second suggestion is to play some on-line games, which you can easily google for and download.

The free version of Virtual Skipper, if you play your way through the different versions a few times will give you good practice in applying the rules.

Other sailing game is SailX, which just has an abundance of hotly contested rules scenarios.

As for books, In my opinion, the best rules book for beginners (that is, shortest, most succinct is Bryan Willis The Rules in Practice 2017-2020. It's available as an e-book for Kindle, at least.

Merlin Mags has pointed to the Holt-Allen diagrams, which may help to refresh your memory.

http://allensail.com/product/allen-racing-rules-poster-2017-2022/" rel="nofollow - Any questions you may have, pitch them up in the forum (and we'll rip your rules-speak to bits, but try to answer them for you).

Posted By: Paramedic
Date Posted: 31 Dec 17 at 9:54pm

Originally posted by snowleopard

You can tell how long it's been from the fact that 'Mast abeam' was still in force when I last raced.

Dont worry, ive sailed against people who think it still is!

Posted By: KazRob
Date Posted: 31 Dec 17 at 11:33pm

And don't forget about overtaking boat keeps clear! That's still a regular call for some

-------------
OK 2249
D-1 138

Posted By: ColPrice2002
Date Posted: 01 Jan 18 at 4:58pm

I'd suggest getting the current RRS (download for free).
I think the major changes you'll find on the water are principally in rule 18 (mark rounding) and the discussion here on windward/leeward proper course - compared to the older luffing rules.
As always, check out the definitions!

Remember to call "mark room" not "water"

Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 01 Jan 18 at 5:54pm

"Water please" still seems to be understood by everyone!

-------------
Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Posted By: Hitcher
Date Posted: 01 Jan 18 at 9:20pm

To simplify my thoughts...
I think the main general change since I started knowing the rules in the 90's is that it is never ok to do nothing once you think the other boat is not going to avoid you.

Avoiding contact even when you think you are right is important. Unfortunately not everyone has got there yet...

Posted By: snowleopard
Date Posted: 01 Jan 18 at 10:02pm

Originally posted by Hitcher

Avoiding contact even when you think you are right is important. Unfortunately not everyone has got there yet...

I downloaded the 2017-20 rules and was surprised to find that in rule 14 b you are allowed to hit other boats as long as you (a) have right of way and (b) don't cause damage or injury.

Hang out a few fenders and go for it!!

-------------
One hull good, two hulls better.

Posted By: snowleopard
Date Posted: 01 Jan 18 at 10:05pm

I was also surprised to see frequent reference to 'right of way'. On another forum, any mention of that phrase gets flamed by pedants to whom that is sacrilege.

-------------
One hull good, two hulls better.

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 01 Jan 18 at 11:13pm

Originally posted by snowleopard

I was also surprised to see frequent reference to 'right of way'. On another forum, any mention of that phrase gets flamed by pedants to whom that is sacrilege.

There is an extremely common confusion between right of way and entitlement to room - maybe that's what its about. A boat with mark room may not - and often does not - have right of way, but nevertheless a boat which does have right of way may still have to give room to another boat that is entitled to room.
Roughly speaking the part A rules define who has right of way, and the part B and part C rules give limits to what the right of way boat may do. So if someone starts talking about a boat with mark room getting right of way because it has mark room, then that misconception needs to be corrected.

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 01 Jan 18 at 11:21pm

Originally posted by snowleopard

in rule 14 b you are allowed to hit other boats as long as you (a) have right of way and (b) don't cause damage or injury.

No. Again its an important distinction. Read the rule again, "shall be exonerated if she breaks this rule". You are never allowed to hit other boats, but if you have right of way and it doesn't cause damage then you don't get penalised. And the damage may be very very minor, it still counts. Other rules talk about serious damage, but not this one.

Posted By: Hitcher
Date Posted: 01 Jan 18 at 11:24pm

Originally posted by snowleopard

I downloaded the 2017-20 rules and was surprised to find that in rule 14 b you are allowed to hit other boats as long as you (a) have right of way and (b) don't cause damage or injury.

Possibly technically incorrect? You still break the rule, however as long as there is no damage/injury you are exonerated.

And having crashed a lot of boats, both gently and hard, with bumpers, fenders, all over padding, and none, I would advise that it is sometime hard to judge exactly how much damage will result. I have "walked away" from crashes I definitely thought would write off a boat, and also made a hole big enough to climb through that ended up in court.

...I hasten to add that I wasn't driving, we won the protests, etc, etc, never my fault, etc etc, had done everything we reasonably could have done to avoid the collision, etc.

Posted By: Brass
Date Posted: 02 Jan 18 at 12:08am

Originally posted by snowleopard

Originally posted by Hitcher

Avoiding contact even when you think you are right is important. Unfortunately not everyone has got there yet...

I downloaded the 2017-20 rules and was surprised to find that in rule 14 b you are allowed to hit other boats as long as you (a) have right of way and (b) don't cause damage or injury.

Hang out a few fenders and go for it!!

Might get exonerated for breaking rule 14, but a boat that breaks a rule with the intention of gaining an advantage breaks rule 2 and should be DNE.

Posted By: Brass
Date Posted: 02 Jan 18 at 12:16am

The phrases 'right of way' and 'right-of-way boat' are used in the RRS in a defined sense:

Part 2 Section A Preamble: A boat has right of way over another boat when the other boat is required to keep clear of her. However, some rules in Sections B, C and D limit the actions of a right-of-way boat.

The term 'right of way' is often deprecated in discussions about IRPCAS. because, it is said, no vessel under IRPCAS has a 'right'