I was on duty this weekend and we shortened the course at a mark as there was not a lot of wind. There was about 5 boat lengths room around the mark (we sail on a pond) so we set the committee boat about 2.5 to 3 boat lenghts away from the mark (with navigatable water around us), and set it such that the boats were coming down a reach/broadreach towards us. The mark was to be left to port in the normal course of the race and the wind direction meant it was a gybe mark. In this case the committee boat had to be left to starboard.

So two boats (merlins) were heading towards us on starboard, one was give way boat as he was faster and overtaking to windward. The outside, right of way boat started luffing about three to four boat lenghts from the mark/finish line/committee boat. The overtaking boat responded by going up as well. The outside right of way boat pushed so hard the overtaking boat had to tack to avoid the committee boat, before crossing the line in second.

There was a bit of shouting as the windward boat wanted to protest as they felt hard done by. they asked me what the rules were as they wanted to protest and i had to respond that i did not know the rules well enough to comment.

My feelings are that if you are coming up to a 'obstruction' (the committee boat), and the course dictates that it has to be passed to one side, to starboard in this case, that the outside boat should have given water at the point they were either two boat lengths away, or about to round the mark. I feel the outside boat was in the right to start luffing, but feel that at the point they were about to round or were coming up to the obstruction they should have given water.

If water had been given i think the outside boat would have finished beind the overtaking windward boat, but cannot be sure, since the luff would have meant the angles changed.

There was not protest, just the usual banter afterwards, however, i would like to get some clarification in case i am ever in this situation.

Thanks

As Race Officer you should have said no comment on the first asking. You can't really comment until the time limit for protests has expired and you have received no protests.

This could be seen as making a prior judgement which you cannot do.

Good question though. Is the committee boat a mark of the course and if so is there a water entitlement? If the answer is no then the boat forced to tack because they are to windward and overtaking has no case.

Mark An object the sailing instructions require a boat to leave on a specified side, and a race committee boat surrounded by navigable water from which the starting or finishing line extends.

So leeward was in the wrong.

I don't see any reason why as race officer you should either "no comment" or be expected to comment. The race officer isn't the protest committee.

Thanks for that. I knew something was not right with the situation, it didn't look right.

As for saying something or nothing, i guess i should stay quiet as i would not like to give outside assistance.

I remember sailing up at west kirby one year and we were supposed to go through the start line on each lap, anyway, just as we were sailing on a nice lift the wrong side of the committee boat, i noticed the whole of the race team were looking at us, saying nothing but they had a look on their faces, it jogged the memory of what we had to do, turn it round and get through the line. Outside assistance or not?

Thanks for clarifying the thoughts/situation in my scenario.

So in this case (if I understand it correctly) the 2 boat length rule for water at the mark would apply.

Also on the second point I imagined that the race officer would be involved as part of the race committee. Or at least he could be called as a witness by both parties hoping to prove their point.

Yes, 2BL applies at a finishing mark.

At major events the race officer is not normally a member of a protest committee. At club level it's often a matter of rounding up whoever can be found.

I'm afraid you are. 2BL is specified in the RRS. I think some multihull class rules may override it but that would need to be referenced in the SIs. 

Standard protest committee procedures do indeed suggest that both parties are asked if they are happy with the composition of the committee.

At a recent laser event i was at i was confused by this as well, ( water after the mark )

We were still in the two boat length and rounded the mark, i had a better mark rounding than him and was just higher than him but behind

He decided to tack and i just nicked the back of his boat, i did not have time to react to avoid his boat ( i was also on starboard )

Who was in the wrong ?

the boats were not overlapped during the mark rounding

it was a run to a beat, it was optional to round the mark

yes we had completed the the mark rounding and starting the beat