All the boats in a race, with the exception of boat A, sailed to the finishing line from the last mark and then finished by crossing the line from its course side leaving the committee vessel to starboard and mark F to port. As shown in the diagram, A left mark F to starboard, bore away, sailed completely to the course side of the finishing line, and, shortly after position 3, finished. A then sailed into the harbour. Members of the race committee observed A sail the track shown in the diagram. 

The rules of Appendix A applied. The sailing instructions did not change the direction in which boats were required to cross the finishing line to finish.

What should the race committee do in this situation?

To comply with rule 28.1 a boat must ‘sail the course’, and therefore a string representing her track must, when drawn taut, pass mark F on the required side. A made an error under rule 28.1 at the line because the string representing her track, when drawn taut, passes mark F on the wrong side. A did not correct that error as permitted by rule 28.2, and therefore she broke rule 28.1. Because A did not ‘sail the course’, rules A5.1 and A5.2 require the race committee to score A for the finishing place one more than the number of boats entered in the series. The abbreviation for her score is ‘NSC’ (see rule A10).

The race committee observes boat B touch the finishing mark as she crosses the finishing line. B does not take a penalty and sails into the harbour.

What is the race committee required to do, and what other actions may be taken?

finished when her bow crossed the finishing line just before position 2. The race committee is required by rule A4 to score B points for the place in which she finished.

Rule 60.1 then permits the race committee, as well as the protest committee or the technical committee, to protest B. If one of those committees decides to do so, it must inform B after the race that it intends to protest and deliver its written protest within the time limit of rule 60.3(b)(1) (see rule 60.2(a)(2)). Also, a boat that saw B touch the mark may protest B (see rules 60.1 and 60.2(a)(1)).