Forum: Race Officers
Shortening Course "Anywhere"?
P
John AllanCertifications:
- National Judge
- Regional Race Officer
1
In Learning from Mistakes Phil Hubbel said Created: Today 19:07
... A shortened course can be finished at any line the boats must pass through.
The line (not line segment) need not have buoys at each end - nor at any end.
To salvage a race that is otherwise doomed to time out, the RC can use any line that it can monitor, whether or not the competitors can identify the line - or the signal.
So the race committee can choose any one of the infinite number of lines in space to shorten at?
Given that RRS 32 was changed from a similar very broad brush form to the current more restrictive rounding mark, gate, or line form in 2005, I don't think this is a good interpretation.
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32.2 (b)
A line is defined as two points, which constrains the finish to two points, that can be reasonably defined like two aton buoys that are required by the SIs or two points of land the boats must pass between to sail the course or some other two points , that can be recognized, the boats must cross to sail the course, if was not shortened
The SIs may also specify some other line, that may be used to shorten the course, that the boats would need to cross to sail the course of the race was not shortened, such as a line from a point (gps coordinates or Aton or other feature) extending at a heading from that point (normally perpendicular to the heading from the last mark to the next mark, if the course was not shortened).
I don't think that the RC can choose any random line, they are limited to the set of lines that the boats would be required to cross while sailing the course. From that set they can pick any line (or ray) they like. This is different than any line that they can monitor. The RC must still follow 32.1 so that the boats know they have finished.
However, I don't think it would be good practice to select a line where the boats may be spread out over a large area of the course. You want to pick somewhere where the boats would naturally converge.
There seems to be some making the argument that this can be a non-enumerated “passive” requirement (my term) and not a specific line described in the NoR/SI in the course description.
If we travel down the “passive” approach … what about shorelines, seawalls and piers? All fair?
Do we have any other examples in the rules where something “required” is not specifically defined, but rather inferred?
32.2 (b)
That's not a definition of 'line' that I can find in any dictionary.
Phil Hubbel, cited an American College Dictionary that gives this definition
1. Mathematics A geometric object with neither width nor depth, typically straight and extending indefinitely.
And, in oceanic races we have lines defined as parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude.
Yes, but I think that includes all lines that are not parallel to the leg of the course.
I think this is a very significant point against Phil's interpretation. I think it's critical to the application of the Part 2 rules that boats know whether they have finished or not, and hence are racing or not. If the finishing line is any random line that the race committee chooses, it is impossible for boats to know when they are no longer racing.
John Palizza
If the meaning of RRS 32.2(b) is as Phil contends, then any problems are caused by the drafting of the rule. Maybe it would be worth while discussing what those problems might be.
I think that RRS 32.2 was intended to be foolproof, so that boats sailing the course would finish the shortened course whether they were aware of the shorten course signal or not.
Under the old version of RRS 32, the Race Management Guidance on shortening course was that the shorten course signal should be made as boats were at the preceding mark, for the reason that it was thought that whether a leg was to the finishing line or not could influence the tactics of boats. This overlooked the fact that it might not have been possible for boats at the preceding mark to see or hear the shorten course signal. This guidance has been changed to making the shorten course signal as boats approach the shorten course finishing line.
Noting again that Phil was proposing his interpretation as a measure of last resort, I don't think visiblity or audibility of the shorten course signal is a killer.
I can’t think of a place were “required” does not refer to a specified or identified requirement by the use of the word “required” itself or as a result of “shall”.
Also … might we be opening up issues with def:mark?…
Could the inferred-logic being suggested with 32.2's phrase “course requires” also be applied to “sailing instructions require” in def: mark? By applying similar logic that is being suggested, one could make any object that a boat can only pass on one side (while sailing the course described in the SI's) a mark of the course.
Just poking the argument here.
2001-2004 RRS 32
32 SHORTENING OR ABANDONING AFTER THE START
32.1 After the starting signal, the race committee may abandon the race (display flag N, N over H, or N over A, with three sounds) or shorten the course (display flag S with two sounds), as appropriate,
(a) because of an error in the starting procedure,
(b) because of foul weather,
(c) because of insufficient wind making it unlikely that any boat will finish within the time limit,
(d) because a mark is missing or out of position, or
(e) for any other reason directly affecting the safety or fairness of the competition.
However, after one boat has sailed the course and finished within the time limit, if any, the race committee shall not abandon the race without considering the consequences for all boats in the race or series.
32.2 After the starting signal, the race committee may shorten the course (display flag S with two sounds) to enable further scheduled races to be sailed.
2005-2009 version RRS 32
32 SHORTENING OR ABANDONING AFTER THE START
32.1 After the starting signal, the race committee may shorten the course (display flag S with two sounds) or abandon the race (display flag N, N over H, or N over A, with three sounds), as appropriate,
(a) because of an error in the starting procedure,
(b) because of foul weather,
(c) because of insufficient wind making it unlikely that any boat will finish within the time limit,
(d) because a mark is missing or out of position, or
(e) for any other reason directly affecting the safety or fairness of the competition,
or may shorten the course so that other scheduled races can be sailed. However, after one boat has sailed the course and finished within the time limit, if any, the race committee shall not abandon the race without considering the consequences for all boats in the race or series.
32.2 If the race committee signals a shortened course (displays flag S with two sounds), the finishing line shall be,
(a) at a rounding mark, between the mark and a staff displaying flag S;
(b) at a line boats are required to cross at the end of each lap, that line;
(c) at a gate, between the gate marks.
In 2014, rule 32.2(b) was amended as a result of Submission 137-14, which was as follows
Submission 137-14
Rule 32.2(b)
A submission from the Deutscher Segler-Verband
Purpose or Objective
To clarify RSS 32.2(b)
Proposal
(b) at a line boats are required to cross
at the end of each lapby the sailing instructions, that lineCurrent Position
As above
Reasons
1. The phrase in the current rule “end of each lap” is not defined. Neither a “lap”, nor the “beginning of a lap” nor the “end of a lap” is defined in the RRS. With the requirement to define such a line in the sailing instructions, preferable in the description of the course to be sailed, every competitor can identify this line with its place and dimension (length). In addition this wording clarifies that a finish cannot be taken at any line, that boats have to cross unavoidable, e.g. a line from one shore to the other on a lake, without noticing that the boats have finished “by accident”.
2. It should also be clear that the requirement to cross the line is stated in the sailing instructions and that the line is not only set by geographical conditions.
This proposal was adopted by ISAF Council Annual Meeting 2014 with the following further amendment, which had been recommended by the Racing Rules Committee
Regrettably, as is common when Council amends proposals put forward in Submissions, neither the Council Minutes nor the RRC Minutes record any reasoning for the changes made by Council.
We can speculate that Council considered the reference to the SI somehow superfluous.
The reasoning in the Submission is cogent, and IMHO persuasive.
Papers from Past World Sailing Meetings
https://www.sailing.org/inside-world-sailing/organisation/governance/conferences/past-conferences/previous-conference-papers/
From above … (the tasty bits)
“With the requirement to define such a line in the sailing instructions, preferable in the description of the course to be sailed, every competitor can identify this line with its place and dimension (length). In addition this wording clarifies that a finish cannot be taken at any line, that boats have to cross unavoidable, e.g. a line from one shore to the other on a lake, without noticing that the boats have finished “by accident”.
2. It should also be clear that the requirement to cross the line is stated in the sailing instructions and that the line is not only set by geographical conditions.”
Maybe they used “course requires” because J2.1 contemplates that the course in J2.1(3) could be described in the NOR.
I think there's a difference between 'SI requires', and 'course requires'.
Consider a leg from M1 to M2, where a point of land or other non-navigable water protrudes across the line M1 - M2, around which boats need to sail.
The SI requires boats to sail from M1 to M2. Only by levitation can they do that directly.
There is an array of 'lines' radiating from the end of the point that a boat sailing the course necessarily has to cross, but the SI do not require her to cross.
Consider OTOH a start/finish line in a variable laps race designated by a transit, without necessarily an inner or outer distance mark. I think that qualifies
I don't think, after the RRC and Council having deleted reference to the SI we can put it back into an interpretation of the rule.
I think RRS 32.2(b) has to be read down with some sort of qualification, and I would suggest something like:
'The line must be clearly discernible so that boats can identify whether and when they have finished.'
I’m not … I’m suggesting that SI may have been replaced by “course” because the course can be described in the NOR under J2.1, instead of the SI’s. “Course” is the common denominator in both.
PS re: “I think there's a difference between 'SI requires', and 'course requires'.
Example:
The course description above IS a Sailing Instruction. SI requires = Course requires (except that the later allows for the “NOR requires” possibility).
I think this is a very significant point against Phil's interpretation. I think it's critical to the application of the Part 2 rules that boats know whether they have finished or not, and hence are racing or not.
1. That requirement does not exist in the rules.
2. RC has the choice of
the boats not knowing they have finished
vs.
the boats never finishing
(perhaps not knowing time has expired till they return to the finish line).
(BTW, if time is expired are they still racing?
"What I have done in a dying wind situation (and I will freely admit that this will probably drive some judges nuts, and it is not technically correct) is if it is a multi-lap course to have sailors finish at the start/finish line, which is usually mid-course. I tell the sailors well in advance so that they stay reasonably close to the finish line area and do not go off to either side of the course. This is of course if I or a mark boat can't set up at a gate or mark before the boats get there."
Then I see two simple solutions - 1) require the fleet to sail through the S/F line each lap, or 2) use Flag F at any mark on the course to "go straight to finish" . Example wording (Euro championship)
" If at mark 2 or at the gate a Race Committee vessel displays Flag “F” and makes repeated sound signals, boats shall leave the mark on the required side and then sail directly to the Finish."