I'm sure this could be improved with your feedback. If you have a sec to gives this a read it would be much appreciated. 

You need to look at more than just the changes in Part 2 if you want to understand the new rules.  

For example, whilst the old rule 21 has been deleted, more or less the same text (I haven't checked exactly) can now be found in new rule 43.1(b). 

Likewise the old rule 14.1(b) is now in 43.1(c). 

(What's happened here is that all of the old rules that exonerated a boat for breaking a rule have been moved into the new rule 43 so that they are all in one place). 

The change from "entitled to room or mark-room" to "sailing within the room or mark-room to which she is entitled" in rule 14 is more than superficial. Previously a boat that was entitled to room or mark-room could claim this exemption even if she wasn't sailing within the room or mark-room to which she was entitled. Now she can't. 

If you haven't already done so, I would recommend reading the World Sailing submissions that led to the changes in the rules - they will not only help you discover whether text has been deleted or simply moved, but will also help you understand why the rule change was proposed in the first place. 

In the past World Sailing published a study version of the new rules which not only provided a mark-up of the changes (so that you could see what had changed) but also included the original submission that led to the change. This didn't normally come out until some months after the new rules were first published, and given the Covid situation may be even later this time (if it is published at all). 

Graham

There seems to have been a few transplants of rules. And your analysis of Rule 14 makes sense. I'll add this stuff in when I get a minute. Thanks again

I had thought I had updated the article with the note on Rule 43 which I hadn't got to at the time of writing. However, the article seemed not to update. Hopefully it has now.

On your point about the forum, I posted it on here because I didn't know there was a rules forum. I may post it on there later.

Thanks for the notes on my main 3 points. 

Also, you seem to be correct on the use of the word 'infringe' since it's not in the RRS. Do you know why that is? It seems correct from a grammatical point of view since the two words appear relatively synonymous. 

Why ... surely if mere mortals like us will make the adjustment when we race next year, surely the gods of sailing are capable of making the necessary adjustments ... or did I miss irony 

The trouble is they've done all the built ups to the games over the last four years under a set of rules. It doesn't really seem fair to change them for the event itself. They and their coaches have picked them to death and in the ultimate competition they're different - seems wrong to me.

Why not just suspend the adoption of the new rules for 12 months? Its not as if there's loads of competitive racing going on and - unfortunately - you have to ask how much this will change in the next weeks/months given what's going on.

What a load of tosh ... the rules are for all sailors not just Olympians and if World Sailing see that improvements are required, presumably to shut down unintended loopholes then why should the Olympians not benefit ... its not rocket science to check up on any changes and apply them, which I shall have to do in next years Commissioning Race ... no doubt assisted by the latest version of the Rules in Practice.

Blimey David no need to be quite so aggressive 

Does the reverse not also apply? If you're 3/4 of the way through a series would you be happy if the rules changed? To be honest I've no overly strong feelings either way but to me it doesn't seem fair or makes to sense to change the rules before a cycle has completed.

Just sayin...........

However I would not have considered that they were part way through a series which starts on 23rd July 2021, the new rules come into effect on 1st January, 2021 ... I would guess that it would be more confusing to Olympic sailors if they had to revert back to the present rules after seven months of applying the 2021 rules in whatever other events they have attended.  Anyway as Brass points out the changes are apparently minor.

With how many fingers? 

No worries :)

You could look at it like that, and like I said I don't really have strong feelings.

I haven't read the changes and as/if they are minor it probably doesn't matter. You've got to have a changeover somewhere obviously.

Didn't realise you sailed a Flying 15 and smoked a pipe.....