Question 1Does pumping out bilge water for the purpose of changing a boat’s trim or stability break rule
51?
Answer 1No. See the last sentence of rule
51.
However, class rules may limit the amount of bilge water allowed and/or put restrictions on the time and/or the type of bilge pump used to bail water out.
Question 2Does pumping out bilge water while racing at a time and place of the crew’s choosing, break rule
51?
Answer 2No. See answer 1.
Question 3Does the fact that there are well established, easy ways of automatically removing bilge water, and that no other reasonable reason can be established for fitting a more complex system other than to control exactly the time and place that bilge water is pumped out, change that answer?
Answer 3No. See answer 1.
Question 4Given that it might be easier to use a manual pump downwind than while hiking upwind, does a boat that is only equipped with manual pumps and which chooses to pump out bilge water only at the beginning of a downwind leg, break rule
51?
Answer 4No. See answer 1.
27 March 2019