Forum: The Racing Rules of Sailing
Question regarding RET
Joe Rockmore
0
There used to be a scoring decision RAF = retired after finishing, which, I assume, was for boats who took some action that would disqualify them and either failed to exonerate themselves or the action was not exoneratable (such as sailing through a restricted area). It was changed to RET, which, I assume, means more-or-less the same except it can happen before finishing (such as by radio to the Race Committee). If my interpretation is correct, then a boat that voluntarily decides to stop racing is scored DNF, not RET, in spite of the fact that many racers will radio the Race Committee saying, "we are retiring." If voluntarily deciding to stop racing is scored RET, then what is DNF for? I would score a boat DNF if they failed to finish by the time limit, but is that the only reason for a DNF? It would be if voluntarily stopping racing is scored RET. I would like some clarification on when to score a boat RET and when DNF. Thank you.
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Details of the reason for this are not readily available (Elvstrom just talks about 'entirely revised and reworded'. Maybe Dave Perry's book for 2001 will have some more details).
RAF was replaced with RET in the 2013 rewrite, and the explanation given in Submission 184-11 as follows
Purpose or Objective
To provide correct scoring abbreviations for boats that (1) take a penalty by retiring during a race, or (2) are penalized when the sailing instructions provide for a penalty other than disqualification
Reasons
At present, there is no scoring abbreviation for a boat that takes a penalty by retiring during a race (rule 44.1(b)) or retires as required by Appendix P2.2 or P2.3. In these circumstances, the race committee either scores the boat RAF or DNF. RAF is incorrect, since the boat retired before finishing. DNF does not adequately describe the situation.
RET is the appropriate abbreviation to use for a boat that retires in these circumstances. There is no reason to maintain RAF, since RET covers any retirement, whether before or after finishing.
Every boat that advises the race committee that it has retired should be scored RET.
Yes, the only remaining case where a boat should be scored DNF if is that there is a race time limit specified, and she does not finish within that time limit (and has not retired).
Generally race committees can take any boat that is known to have left the racing area (or seen motoring, and evidently no longer racing) without finishing as having retired and score her RET, even if she has not explicitly advised the race committee that she has. If a boat then complains, this can easily be remedied by the race committee correcting her score to the appropriate score.
Scores for the following boats:
A boat breaks RRS 14 with damage and takes a penalty by retiring from that race - RET
A boat is protested on the water and does not take a two turns penalty, later during the same race, she determines that she did break a rule and takes a penalty leaving the course - RET
A boat receives her second or third RRS 42 infraction, Appendix P, and takes a penalty - RET
A boat takes a post-race penalty per Appendix T1 or V2 - SCP
A boat ashore after racing realizes she missed an offset mark and informs the RC - RET. Some here may propose that NSC would be appropriate, but since the competitor took the penalty
by retiring, I think RET is appropriate. If the RC realized she missed the offset after racing without the sailor retiring - NSC
A boat has an equipment failure, mainsail halyard parts, and cannot continue in that race - DNF
During a race the breeze pipes up above a sailors comfort zone and informs the RC he/she is leaving the race - DNF
A competitor is tired and decides to return to shore during a race - DNF
I believe the purpose of RET is to show that the boat took a penalty, but is commonly used by sailors to report to the RC that they are not going to finish the race.
Its nobody's business why a boat retires, except that a RO may ask in order to ensure an appropriate safety response.
From a protest committee point of view under RRS 64.2 a boat that has retired should be regarded as having taken an applicable penalty without any enquiry about why or when she has retired.
Can you describe more the point you are making? Just that they are ID'ing diff things or that the possibility of TLE being prescribed in the race docs precludes the use of DNF on any boat in the race?
Scenario - 20 minute finishing window, One boat informs the RC vessel at the weather mark they are dropping out of the race due to a mechanical issue. All the other boats finish within 5 minutes.
By your logic, I would need to wait at least 15 minutes after the "last" boat finishes to initiate another starting sequence. 15 minutes is a long time when you're on a small boat waiting for the RC to do something.
Please consider the following scenario in which the SIs include a TLE score, but is silent on DNF:
A 50 boat fleet of ILCA 4s. Third and last race of the day. The wind is piping up to the upper limits. At the weather mark of leg 1 of 4, a boat notifies the RC that they are done and are headed in. All other boats sail the course, but 15 are scored TLE or 36 in this example. Should the sailor who left the course after 1 leg be scored 36 or 51? I believe DNF, 51, is the correct score.
It's the other way around. DNF is listed in Appx A ... it's TLE that needs to be written in.
Your Q would depend upon how the scoring is setup .. and if there was a distinction. In the ILCA class with the winds too high ... there is no engine ... the boat simply sails home .. so I think they are all scored the same (in your case).
The harder issue is when we have zero wind and we include boats with a motor ... or maybe ILCA's being towed-in by a support boat.
The Racing Rules of Sailing use the term retire 25 times in the following definitions and rules; Racing, Sportsmanship and the Rules, 44.1(b), 90.3(a), Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix D, Appendix E, Appendix F, P2,2, P2.3, P2.4.
The usage in the rules is consistent with retirement being a penalty that a boat takes during or after a race. A boat does not retire simply because she stops racing. A boat needs to take a positive action to retire, either by completing a penalty report form acknowledging she broke a rule or informing the race committee of her intention to retire for breaking a rule.
When a competitor informs me they are "retiring" from a race, I will ask, "Is everyone OK? Do you require any assistance?" (same as Matt B) Unless a boat makes it clear she is taking a penalty, I score them DNF.
A request for redress, rule 62.1(b), amongst other things requires that the injury or physical damage was because of the action of a boat that was breaking a rule of Part 2 and took an appropriate penalty or was penalized... If the race committee scores everyone who failed to finish RET, how will the protest committee determine if the boat took an appropriate penalty or was simply given a penalty by race committee.
Submission 184-11
If the SIs invoke TLE, I do not believe that that, in itself, eliminates or replaces DNF.
Please consider the following scenario in which the SIs include a TLE score, but is silent on DNF:
A 50 boat fleet of ILCA 4s. Third and last race of the day. The winds are light and have been all day. At the weather mark of leg 1 of 4, a boat notifies the RC that they are done and are headed in. All other boats sail the course, but 15 are scored TLE or 36 in this example. Should the sailor who left the course after 1 leg be scored 36 or 51? I believe DNF, 51, is the correct score.
Thank you Matt and Mark.
Supporting my point that we should evolve a term that is diff from "retire" that boats can use that clearly conveys their intent to the RC ... "dropping-out" or more direct to DNF "Will not finish" might be clearer.
I respectfully disagree.
The Definition of racing states
Racing A boat is racing from her preparatory signal until she finishes and clears the finishing line and marks or retires, or until the race committee signals a general recall, postponement or abandonment.
Other than when the race committee signals a general recall, postponement or abandoment, the only way that a boat can cease to be racing, other than by finishing is to retire.
In my opinion any time a boat states that she is retiring or states that she is no longer racing, she should be scored RET.
Mark Townsend
said
In my opinion the last clause of Basic Principle Sportsmanship and the Rules '... take an appropriate penalty or action, which may be to retire' means that to retire is to take an appropriate penalty (except where the appropriate penalty is DNE). A boat that retires 'takes' a penalty: she is not 'given a penalty by the race committee.
Where a boat takes a penalty by retiring, there is no requirement in the rules to make any connection between an incident and the retirement.
Matt Bounds
I guess you were responding to my stastement
Any boat that does not finish within the Finishing Window shall be scored TLE. This leaves no room for a boat to be scored DNF.
OK, I should have qualified it: Any boat that does nor retire or finish within the Finishing Window ...
She has told you she is no longer racing, she has not finished, you have not postponed, or abandoned: she has retired, all boats that are going to finish have finished. You can safely roll into your next starting sequence.
Perhaps in a future quad the rule makers need to introduce a new score, such as "RTP Retired, Took Penalty" for circumstances such as those covered by Rule 44.1? Then the score RET can continue to be used for boats which stop racing because of illness, injury, or damage and consequently withdraw to a place of safety.
I think that only leaves DNF - does it then serve any purpose?
The Basic Principles, RRS 63.1 and RRS 64.2(a) seem to support that retirement is a penalty and a boat "takes a penalty" and is not given a penalty without a hearing.
John Allan does point out that the definition of racing doesn't allow a boat to stop racing unless she retires (takes a penalty). This creates some interesting issues.
Almost everyone uses the finishing window sailing instruction.
So ... under above the boat exiting can still be penalized.