Forum: The Racing Rules of Sailing
Code of Conduct - Instructions to Competitors by Race Officials
P
John AllanCertifications:
- National Judge
- Regional Race Officer
1
In the past it has been said that the RRS give no power to race officials to direct, or give instructions to competitors, for example I understand that Race Signals N over H was originally given the meaning ;All races are abandoned. Return to Harbour', and it was changed to 'Further signals ashore' to avoid giving an instruction. There have been various discussions over the years about the propriety or wisdom of race officials in safety vessels directing individual competitors to cease racing for 'safety reasons'.
On the other hand, I have recently been at some events where traffic management of cars and trailers accessing hardstand and cranes, cranage, and management of docking and berthing, in small spaces required positive control and direction by officials of the organising authority.
You also frequently see a requirement to comply with instructions in the [post race] Measurement and Inspection SI.
Appendix LG now contains
4 CODE OF CONDUCT
4.1 [DP] Competitors and support persons shall comply with reasonable requests from race officials.
I would change 'requests' to 'instructions'.
Has the time come to include this Code of Conduct requirement, routinely in NOR/SI?
If so should it eventually go into the RRS themselves? Would the debate around a submission to do so in the WS RRC and Council be useful?
On the other hand, I have recently been at some events where traffic management of cars and trailers accessing hardstand and cranes, cranage, and management of docking and berthing, in small spaces required positive control and direction by officials of the organising authority.
You also frequently see a requirement to comply with instructions in the [post race] Measurement and Inspection SI.
Appendix LG now contains
4 CODE OF CONDUCT
4.1 [DP] Competitors and support persons shall comply with reasonable requests from race officials.
I would change 'requests' to 'instructions'.
Has the time come to include this Code of Conduct requirement, routinely in NOR/SI?
If so should it eventually go into the RRS themselves? Would the debate around a submission to do so in the WS RRC and Council be useful?
Comments
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I'm not troubled about 'reasonable'. It's a common qualifier used for clauses like this. Judges construe and apply 'reasonable' all the time: Conflict of Interest, RRS 14, Case 50, RRS 23, RRS 44, RRS 61, RRS 62.2, etc, etc, etc.