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Tie in a team race
Jacopo Morelli
Nationality: Italy
Certifications:
Regional Race Officer
Regional Judge
0
A few weeks ago I was appointed as chairman of a RC in an optimist team race, the instructions were not made by me and the phrase recommended by point 12.1 of the Team Racing Umpire Manual was not used.
The SI reports: "in relation to a possible infringement of RRS 28 the umpire will report the fact, at the end of the match, to the race committee. The RC will later classify the boat as NSC without a hearing"
(therefore, no changes to RRS A5.2) In one match all boats broke RRS 28, so all were classified NSC. Is there a way to resolve this tie? Is it possible to apply D3.3? (Only 4 matches of the 24 planned were done so it was not possible to have a valid ranking)
EDIT: the time limit for changes to the scores has already expired and no protests or requests for redress have ever been submitted. the boats all made a mistake in completing the course, missing mark 4 in the picture. the error is probably due to the difficult weather conditions (+1.5m wave) and the small size of the mark. Cattura.JPG18.2 KB
Created: 23-Dec-08 01:03
Comments
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Regional Judge
Fleet Measurer
0
I recently recounted a scenario where the entire fleet I was sailing in technically did not sail the course .. because the RC mispositioned themselves to create a button-hook rounding. All boats treated it as a passing mark and sailed the same course. In that instance, the RC scored everyone and let the race stand. There were no protests or request for redresses filed. This was before Appx A required the RC to score boats NSC.
I think its within the possible solutions for the RC could have determined that using such a small mark in the conditions was an error on the RC's part, at no fault of the competitors .. and this error certainly made everyone's score worse (except for the last finisher). The RC could have filed a request for redress for the entire fleet and put it to the PC suggesting that they score the boats as they finished based upon the error of the RC.
Created: 23-Dec-08 03:13
P
John Allan
Nationality: Australia
Certifications:
National Judge
Regional Race Officer
0
There is no tie.
No boat sails the course and finishes within the time limit. The race is abandoned in accordance with RRS 35.
Created: 23-Dec-08 04:43
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Regional Judge
Fleet Measurer
0
Anyone want to take a swing at how you would approach such a request for redress coming from the RC?
1) Would you consider possible that you might decide to score the teams as finished? Would that depend upon the level of the event? 2) Any considerations for notice for the hearing? (In the US, the entire fleet would need to be given notice) 3) Any specific questions for the RC or competitors at the hearing that would be important to you?
Created: 23-Dec-08 14:10
P
John Allan
Nationality: Australia
Certifications:
National Judge
Regional Race Officer
0
Thanks for the invite.
What rule did the race committee break?
I'm assuming that the mark was a normal racing mark, maybe 24in cherry buoy, not some ridiculous 9in fishing float.
Its a standard digital N TR course. Competitors should know they have to beam reach from 3 to a position downwind of the finishing line. That would have put them in a position close enough to see mark 4.
I'm inclined to:
No improper action by the race committee,
If there was, there was fault of boats own.
No entitlement to redress.
If a soft hearted protest committee did find an entitlement to redress:
The race is abandoned (RRS 35). Any argument on that?
How can a protest committee possibly be satisfied that some boats didn't travel farther and some boats didn't travel less far from 3 to the finishing line so as to fairly decide placings?
RDG, the redress is to let the results (ABN) stand.
Created: 23-Dec-08 14:34
Mark Townsend
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Race Officer
International Umpire
International Judge
1
In John Allan's post he said
No boat sails the course and finishes within the time limit. The race is abandoned in accordance with RRS 35.
The last sentence of RRS 35 says “If no boat finishes within the race time limit, the race committee shall abandon the race.” All boats finished, so you can not abandon under RRS 35. The 2nd sentence of RRS 35 makes no mention of sails the course.
A boat does not have to sail the course to finish. Definition Finish. A boat finishes when, after starting, any part of her hull crosses the finishing line from the course side.
The second sentence of RRS 35 should probably have been written to say "If no boat starts, sails the course and finishes within the race time limit, the race committee shall abandon the race.
Created: 23-Dec-08 14:51
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Regional Judge
Fleet Measurer
0
John .. couple questions and thoughts. …
I'm assuming that the mark was a normal racing mark, maybe 24in cherry buoy, not some ridiculous 9in fishing float.
Sounds like a good question for the RC. Is a .6m mark sufficient in 1.5m+ seas?
How can a protest committee possibly be satisfied that some boats didn't travel farther and some boats didn't travel less far from 3 to the finishing line so as to fairly decide placings?
Sounds like good questions for the competitors at the hearing. If notice of the hearing was properly provided to all competitors and they all say scoring as finished is fair and desirable?
What rule did the race committee break?
That’s a good one. Let’s assume it’s your 9in fishing float or an empty gallon milk jug. Can we find that was an improper action or omission and if so, how would that be described?
Created: 23-Dec-08 15:29
Mark Townsend
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Race Officer
International Umpire
International Judge
0
Angelo, How is not sailing the course "through no fault of her own"? Instead of sailing a digital N (Start-1-2-3-4-Finish) they sailed Start-1-2-3-Finish.
The original question was how do you break a race tie in team racing?
Created: 23-Dec-08 16:02
Mark Townsend
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Race Officer
International Umpire
International Judge
1
RRS D3.3 says that when the points are equal the team that does not have first place wins.
Under RRS D3.3 neither team has first place, so everyone's a winner. Both teams get 1 point.
D3.3 The team with the lower total points wins the race. If the totals are equal, the team that does not have first place wins.
Created: 23-Dec-08 16:04
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Regional Judge
Fleet Measurer
0
Mark re: “Angelo, How is not sailing the course "through no fault of her own"?”
Right … 2 different headspaces here .. the RC and the PC.
The RC might think that it was entirely their fault for not using a sufficiently sized mark (for instance) and put to the PC in a R4R.
The PC looking at that might determine a few things.
Using a too small mark is not an improper action or omission (redress denied)
Even if it was too small, the sailors still needed to sail around and try to find it (your point above …redress denied)
If #2 is true, how could their finish positions possible be fair/correct (John’s point .. redress denied).
Created: 23-Dec-08 16:12
Mark Townsend
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Race Officer
International Umpire
International Judge
1
Angelo, how is either teams score made significantly worse?
Under RRS D3.3 neither team has first place, so both teams win and get 1 point.
D3.3 The team with the lower total points wins the race. If the totals are equal, the team that does not have first place wins.
Created: 23-Dec-08 16:18
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Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Regional Judge
Fleet Measurer
0
Mark re” Under RRS D3.3 neither team has first place, so both teams win and get 1 point.“
That’s a great #4.
4. Under RRS D3.3 neither team has first place, so both teams win and get 1 point. Therefore, neither teams score was made significantly worse (redress denied).
Created: 23-Dec-08 16:22
Mark Townsend
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Race Officer
International Umpire
International Judge
0
Why would either the race committee or the competitors request redress?
RC "We'd like to request redress for the competitors in race x." Competitors from race "We don't want it, were happy with the 1 point for the win."
Created: 23-Dec-08 16:28
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Regional Judge
Fleet Measurer
0
Ok .. so your point is that it’s unlikely that this scenario would ever come up in team racing. That’s fine. And if an RC did, it seems it would fail on multiple levels.
Created: 23-Dec-08 16:41
Mark Townsend
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Race Officer
International Umpire
International Judge
0
I was trying to get us back to Jacopo's original question.
In one match all boats broke RRS 28, so all were classified NSC. Is there a way to resolve this tie? Is it possible to apply D3.3?
I could not find anything that seemed relevant in the Race Management or Umpire Manuals.
D3.1(e)(1) does not seem to apply as the race committee has scored the boats NSC without a protest.
There are three ways teams' total points are equal and D3.3 needs to be applied.
The teams' total points are equal.
The team that does not have first place wins.
The teams' total points are equal, and two boats are tied for first place at the finishing line.
As two boats tied for first place, both teams have first place so neither team win.
All boats sail the wrong course and are scored NSC.
As all boats were NSC, neither team has first place, so both teams win.
Created: 23-Dec-08 17:36
John Christman
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Club Race Officer
National Judge
National Umpire
0
While I'm not quite sure how to get there for a team race, I would think that rather than both teams getting 1 point for a win, I would think each should get 0.5 points. There should only be one point available for the entire race. Otherwise, the score for that race is more heavily weighted compared to the other races in the round robin, i.e. there are now 2 points total awarded for that race instead of 1. This is consistent with how ties between boats would be handled in fleet racing (A7) and match racing (C10.1).
While people may want argue that because no boat finished none was in first place and thus both teams get a point, I would argue that all the boats were in first place, i.e. they each have the lowest score and thus are all in first place. Therefore, there is no winner and both teams get 0 points. That kind of makes more sense as neither team is rewarded with a point because both sailed the same wrong course.
Created: 23-Dec-08 17:45
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Regional Judge
Fleet Measurer
0
Jocopo, re: “The SI reports: "in relation to a possible infringement of RRS 28 the umpire will report the fact, at the end of the match, to the race committee. The RC will later classify the boat as NSC without a hearing"
Can you cut and paste that full SI as written? As shown in your post, it seems to be missing language for it to be a valid change of a rule.
Created: 23-Dec-08 18:15
Mark Townsend
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Race Officer
International Umpire
International Judge
0
John
While I'm not quite sure how to get there for a team race...
Neither was I, and when I got there, I wasn't sure I was in the right place.
I looked at A7 Race Ties and it didn't seem to provide a solution.
Created: 23-Dec-08 18:26
John Christman
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Club Race Officer
National Judge
National Umpire
0
While A7 doesn't provide a direct solution, to me, it does support the notion of dividing the point rather than both teams getting 1 or 0 points. I.e. the teams are tied and so you add the scores (1 & 0) and divide by 2, so 0.5 each.
I am also noting that D3 does not deal with how you would score a dead heat (both finishing at exactly the same time) between two boats on different teams. What if the two boats were tied for first place? Did both finish in first or did neither? How would you score them? Now extend that thought to having 3 dead heats of two boats each? Would the scores for each team be 1.5, 3.5, 5.5? If it were 3 boats in a dead heat, would it be the sum of the places divided by 3?
Created: 23-Dec-08 18:41
Jacopo Morelli
Nationality: Italy
Certifications:
Regional Race Officer
Regional Judge
0
thanks for the replies, they were normal 24 inch mark. I also spoke with one of the umpires who were in the water and according to him the visibility of the buoys was good (I can't explain why they missed the mark). here is the full text of the SI: 13.5 In relation to a possible violation of RRS 28 (missing one or more marks), the umpires will report the made, at the end of the match, to the Regatta Committee. The latter will classify the boat as NSC without a hearing. this changes RRS 5.2 (this is the translation from italian)
Created: 23-Dec-08 18:41
Mark Townsend
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Race Officer
International Umpire
International Judge
0
I agree with the logic that each team should get 1/2 point. However, I couldn't find a rule in The Racing Rules of Sailing to follow that supported that notion.
Created: 23-Dec-08 18:53
John Christman
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Club Race Officer
National Judge
National Umpire
0
I can't either, certainly in Appendix D. To me, the thinking is the logical extension of the fleet and match race rules. Appendix D doesn't really help with boat to boat ties or this situation.
Since they both did not sail the correct course part of me also wants to say to both teams
But then again, I have never been a fan of the match racing practice of allowing a race to stand if both boats sail the same wrong course as I don't think it is fair to all the other competitors. It is a fair competition between the two boats in the race, but not in the overall scheme of a round robin.
Created: 23-Dec-08 19:08
Don Becker
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Judge
International Umpire
0
Am i missing something?
RRS D2.4(b) provides that if fewer than 80% of the races in a round-robin stage are completed the round-robin shall not be scored. Jacopo stated that 4 of 24 "matches" had been completed. I assume (always a risk) that by "matches" he meant races. Therefore only 16% of the races had been completed and the stage (regatta?) shall not be scored.
Created: 23-Dec-09 14:51
Mark Townsend
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Race Officer
International Umpire
International Judge
0
No. As fewer than 80% of the races in the round-robin stage were completed the round-robin was not scored. I interpreted the question as, had 80% or more of the races been completed how should a race where all boats are NSC be scored?
I agree with John C's answer "I would think each should get 0.5 points." However, I can't find a rule that says that.
Created: 23-Dec-09 15:04
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Regional Judge
Fleet Measurer
0
Mark, since it’s unclear and the defaults seem to unfairly effect the competition, could the RC request redress of the PC and then the PC use the MR standard you and JC reference as the basis of the fairest accommodation to all competitors effected?
Created: 23-Dec-09 15:10
Jacopo Morelli
Nationality: Italy
Certifications:
Regional Race Officer
Regional Judge
0
yes my question was on the assumption that we had completed more than 80% of the matches.
Created: 23-Dec-09 15:40
Mark Townsend
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Race Officer
International Umpire
International Judge
0
Match Race Call N10 instructs the race committee and umpires how to score a match when boats sail the wrong course. Fleet Racing, Team Racing and Radio Sailing do not have equivalent Cases or Calls. Although I agree that using the principals of MR Call N10 might provide the fairest accommodation. The accommodation would be based on good intentions, not the rules, and "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
MR CALL N10 Question As Yellow and Blue approach the leeward mark, the race committee signals a change of position of the windward mark. Both boats round the leeward mark and sail to the original windward mark, round it and finish. Neither boat rounded the new windward mark.
The race committee protests both boats for breaking rule 28.1.
The protest committee finds that both boats broke rule 28.1 as neither sailed the course correctly. How should the match be scored?
Answer Unless there is evidence to the contrary, the protest committee should find that the breach of the rule has had no significant effect on the outcome of the match and decide that the boats should be scored in their finishing positions. See rule C6.6(b)(3).
Created: 23-Dec-09 15:46
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John Allan
Nationality: Australia
Certifications:
National Judge
Regional Race Officer
0
Matt,
It so happens that I was able to discuss this with one of the umpires at the World Youth's MR Champs yesterday.
The first thing he said was 'That call applies where both boats sail around the wrong mark, not when they miss a mark altogether'.
It's a very MR specific call. It relies on the following:
In a MR match, there are only two boats: there is no question that even if both round the wrong mark, they've both had a fair race.
In a standard MR W/L course, if a boat misses a mark, the course degenerates into a single point.
Only in MR does rule C6.6(b)(3) allow a protest committee to decide not to penalise a boat that breaks a rule.
As I said earlier, for this particular TR scenario
How can a protest committee possibly be satisfied that some boats didn't travel farther and some boats didn't travel less far from 3 to the finishing line so as to fairly decide placings?
Created: 23-Dec-09 22:30
P
John Allan
Nationality: Australia
Certifications:
National Judge
Regional Race Officer
0
Angelo Guarino
Said Created: Yesterday 14:10
Anyone want to take a swing at how you would approach such a request for redress coming from the RC?
1) Would you consider possible that you might decide to score the teams as finished? Would that depend upon the level of the event?
RRS D3 and D4, effectively rewrite Appendix A for Team Racing.
RRS D3.1(a) apparently missed the memo about the introduction of NSC without a hearing in the 2021 rewrite, so the only option is for the race committee or another boat to protest, unless some sort of SI change is made as discussed in the OP.
The SI wording quoted in the OP
"in relation to a possible infringement of RRS 28 the umpire will report the fact, at the end of the match, to the race committee. The RC will later classify the boat as NSC without a hearing"
Apart from the somewhat outrageous idea that a boat can be penalised without a hearing for a 'possible' breach of a rule, purports to change RRS D3.
It does not contain the magic words required by RRS 85.1. IMHO it does not validly change RRS D3
So, even though they have not sailed the course, boats shall be scored points equal to their finishing places.
If the umpires or the race committee is unhappy with that, they need to protest the boats.
So, all boats have finished and should initially be scored in their finishing places.
I don't see any need or scope to 'relax' the rules.
If you want 'relaxed' rules use Green Fleet rules.
2) Any considerations for notice for the hearing? (In the US, the entire fleet would need to be given notice)
See above.
This would be a classic fleet NSC case.
Before you can consider redress for boats that have been misled, you have to penalise them.
So first thing is one or more protests. Should probably be all heard together and the notification should so schedule them.
Then redress. Everyone will be there in any case.
3) Any specific questions for the RC or competitors at the hearing that would be important to you?
The 'suitability' of the mark can have no effect on the NSC protest hearings.
Once you are considering redress, you'd want to be getting details of the mark, how it compared with 'ordinary' marks used, and argument from the RC and parties about whether it was suitable, and if unsuitable, whether that was an improper action by the race committee.
Consider Appeal RYA 1989/10
Redress may be given for a race committee's failure to provide suitably equipped marks. In cases involving errors by the race committee, it is a good principle that any doubts be resolved in favour of the competitor.
Created: 23-Dec-09 23:09
John Christman
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Club Race Officer
National Judge
National Umpire
0
John A - In match racing there is a way for both boats to miss a mark and the course not become single point. That is when there is an offset at the windward mark used to negate the effects of a cross current. I have seen this done both here on San Francisco Bay and in Auckland NZ. If the boats don't go around the offset mark on either windward mark rounding then they have not sailed the course in a similar way to what we are talking about here. It is possible that one boat may sail toward the offset and then decide not to round it while the other boat never does sail towards it. Call N10 would still apply even though one boat initially sailed towards the offset and thus a different distance.
Created: 23-Dec-11 17:18
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John Allan
Nationality: Australia
Certifications:
National Judge
Regional Race Officer
0
Thanks John C.
Understand your scenario.
Created: 23-Dec-11 21:33
Mark Townsend
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
International Race Officer
International Umpire
International Judge
1
There are four 2025-2028 rules submissions changing 20 rules that address the ambiguity in the rules that has been discussed. The submissions propose changes to rules 28.1, 63.1, A4, A5, A5.1, A5.2, A6.1, A10, D1.2, D1.3, D2.1, D2.2, D2.3, D2.4, D2.5, D2.6, D3.1, D3.2, D3.3 and D3.4, and have a stated purpose to remove ambiguity, remove potential conflict, remove unintended changes, clarify, improve and simplify. There are two new rules of particular interest clarifying how to score a boat that has not sailed the course.
New rule D3.1(c) now makes it clear as to how the race committee should proceed in a team racing event.
D3.1 (c) When a boat finishes and has not sailed the course, 6 points shall be added to her score.
New rule A5.4 was also added, which means scoring a boat NSC is optional in fleet racing.
A5.4 In addition, the race committee may, without a hearing, score a boat that did not sail the course ‘NSC’. That boat shall be scored the same points as a boat that did not finish.
Under the current rules, submission 027-022 makes it clear that, although a race committee may score a boat ‘NSC’ that broke rule 28.1 by failing to sail the course, the race committee is not required to do so. Based upon submission 027-022 the race committee can score all the boats in their finishing place. The umpires can then decide if they want to protest the boats at the finish under rule D3.1(e)(1).
Purpose or Objective: To restore the scoring positions of boats with worse finishing places than a boat scored NSC in Low Point System which has been changed unintendedly by the new RRS in 2021.
Purpose or Objective: To make it clear that, although a race committee may score a boat ‘NSC’ that broke rule 28.1 by failing to sail the course, the race committee is not required to do so. Requiring all race committees to enforce rule 28.1 would put an unreasonable burden on race committees for local and regional events.
I think its within the possible solutions for the RC could have determined that using such a small mark in the conditions was an error on the RC's part, at no fault of the competitors .. and this error certainly made everyone's score worse (except for the last finisher). The RC could have filed a request for redress for the entire fleet and put it to the PC suggesting that they score the boats as they finished based upon the error of the RC.
No boat sails the course and finishes within the time limit. The race is abandoned in accordance with RRS 35.
1) Would you consider possible that you might decide to score the teams as finished? Would that depend upon the level of the event?
2) Any considerations for notice for the hearing? (In the US, the entire fleet would need to be given notice)
3) Any specific questions for the RC or competitors at the hearing that would be important to you?
What rule did the race committee break?
I'm assuming that the mark was a normal racing mark, maybe 24in cherry buoy, not some ridiculous 9in fishing float.
Its a standard digital N TR course. Competitors should know they have to beam reach from 3 to a position downwind of the finishing line. That would have put them in a position close enough to see mark 4.
I'm inclined to:
No entitlement to redress.
If a soft hearted protest committee did find an entitlement to redress:
RDG, the redress is to let the results (ABN) stand.
In John Allan's post he said
The last sentence of RRS 35 says “If no boat finishes within the race time limit, the race committee shall abandon the race.” All boats finished, so you can not abandon under RRS 35. The 2nd sentence of RRS 35 makes no mention of sails the course.
A boat does not have to sail the course to finish. Definition Finish. A boat finishes when, after starting, any part of her hull crosses the finishing line from the course side.
The second sentence of RRS 35 should probably have been written to say "If no boat starts, sails the course and finishes within the race time limit, the race committee shall abandon the race.
Sounds like a good question for the RC. Is a .6m mark sufficient in 1.5m+ seas?
Sounds like good questions for the competitors at the hearing. If notice of the hearing was properly provided to all competitors and they all say scoring as finished is fair and desirable?
That’s a good one. Let’s assume it’s your 9in fishing float or an empty gallon milk jug. Can we find that was an improper action or omission and if so, how would that be described?
Instead of sailing a digital N (Start-1-2-3-4-Finish) they sailed Start-1-2-3-Finish.
The original question was how do you break a race tie in team racing?
Under RRS D3.3 neither team has first place, so everyone's a winner. Both teams get 1 point.
Right … 2 different headspaces here .. the RC and the PC.
The RC might think that it was entirely their fault for not using a sufficiently sized mark (for instance) and put to the PC in a R4R.
The PC looking at that might determine a few things.
Under RRS D3.3 neither team has first place, so both teams win and get 1 point.
That’s a great #4.
4. Under RRS D3.3 neither team has first place, so both teams win and get 1 point. Therefore, neither teams score was made significantly worse (redress denied).
RC "We'd like to request redress for the competitors in race x."
Competitors from race "We don't want it, were happy with the 1 point for the win."
I could not find anything that seemed relevant in the Race Management or Umpire Manuals.
D3.1(e)(1) does not seem to apply as the race committee has scored the boats NSC without a protest.
There are three ways teams' total points are equal and D3.3 needs to be applied.
While people may want argue that because no boat finished none was in first place and thus both teams get a point, I would argue that all the boats were in first place, i.e. they each have the lowest score and thus are all in first place. Therefore, there is no winner and both teams get 0 points. That kind of makes more sense as neither team is rewarded with a point because both sailed the same wrong course.
Can you cut and paste that full SI as written? As shown in your post, it seems to be missing language for it to be a valid change of a rule.
Neither was I, and when I got there, I wasn't sure I was in the right place.
I looked at A7 Race Ties and it didn't seem to provide a solution.
I am also noting that D3 does not deal with how you would score a dead heat (both finishing at exactly the same time) between two boats on different teams. What if the two boats were tied for first place? Did both finish in first or did neither? How would you score them? Now extend that thought to having 3 dead heats of two boats each? Would the scores for each team be 1.5, 3.5, 5.5? If it were 3 boats in a dead heat, would it be the sum of the places divided by 3?
Since they both did not sail the correct course part of me also wants to say to both teams
But then again, I have never been a fan of the match racing practice of allowing a race to stand if both boats sail the same wrong course as I don't think it is fair to all the other competitors. It is a fair competition between the two boats in the race, but not in the overall scheme of a round robin.
RRS D2.4(b) provides that if fewer than 80% of the races in a round-robin stage are completed the round-robin shall not be scored. Jacopo stated that 4 of 24 "matches" had been completed. I assume (always a risk) that by "matches" he meant races. Therefore only 16% of the races had been completed and the stage (regatta?) shall not be scored.
As fewer than 80% of the races in the round-robin stage were completed the round-robin was not scored. I interpreted the question as, had 80% or more of the races been completed how should a race where all boats are NSC be scored?
I agree with John C's answer "I would think each should get 0.5 points." However, I can't find a rule that says that.
MR CALL N10
Question
As Yellow and Blue approach the leeward mark, the race committee signals a change of position of the windward mark. Both boats round the leeward mark and sail to the original windward mark, round it and finish. Neither boat rounded the new windward mark.
The race committee protests both boats for breaking rule 28.1.
The protest committee finds that both boats broke rule 28.1 as neither sailed the course correctly. How should the match be scored?
Answer
Unless there is evidence to the contrary, the protest committee should find that the breach of the rule has had no significant effect on the outcome of the match and decide that the boats should be scored in their finishing positions. See rule C6.6(b)(3).
It so happens that I was able to discuss this with one of the umpires at the World Youth's MR Champs yesterday.
The first thing he said was 'That call applies where both boats sail around the wrong mark, not when they miss a mark altogether'.
It's a very MR specific call. It relies on the following:
As I said earlier, for this particular TR scenario
RRS D3 and D4, effectively rewrite Appendix A for Team Racing.
RRS D3.1(a) apparently missed the memo about the introduction of NSC without a hearing in the 2021 rewrite, so the only option is for the race committee or another boat to protest, unless some sort of SI change is made as discussed in the OP.
The SI wording quoted in the OP
"in relation to a possible infringement of RRS 28 the umpire will report the fact, at the end of the match, to the race committee. The RC will later classify the boat as NSC without a hearing"
Apart from the somewhat outrageous idea that a boat can be penalised without a hearing for a 'possible' breach of a rule, purports to change RRS D3.
It does not contain the magic words required by RRS 85.1. IMHO it does not validly change RRS D3
So, even though they have not sailed the course, boats shall be scored points equal to their finishing places.
If the umpires or the race committee is unhappy with that, they need to protest the boats.
So, all boats have finished and should initially be scored in their finishing places.
I don't see any need or scope to 'relax' the rules.
If you want 'relaxed' rules use Green Fleet rules.
See above.
This would be a classic fleet NSC case.
Before you can consider redress for boats that have been misled, you have to penalise them.
So first thing is one or more protests. Should probably be all heard together and the notification should so schedule them.
Then redress. Everyone will be there in any case.
The 'suitability' of the mark can have no effect on the NSC protest hearings.
Once you are considering redress, you'd want to be getting details of the mark, how it compared with 'ordinary' marks used, and argument from the RC and parties about whether it was suitable, and if unsuitable, whether that was an improper action by the race committee.
Consider Appeal RYA 1989/10
Redress may be given for a race committee's failure to provide suitably equipped marks. In cases involving errors by the race committee, it is a good principle that any doubts be resolved in favour of the competitor.
Understand your scenario.