I race model yachts, but we use the same rules as the bigger versions. Due to the distances involved and the fact that model yachts change course much more quickly there are many infringements of the rules of racing.
During 'off the water' discussions someone mentioned that when someone breaks a rule they should do their penalty turn but ALSO end up behind the wronged boat.
Like this... Boat A on STBD is fouled by Boat B on PORT, as is the nature of model yacht racing BOAT A is forced about by the collision with B.
BOAT A is slow to resume his course.
BOAT B does a quick 360 and carries on leaving A in his wake.
The inference of our discussions was that B should wait until such time as A had 'in effect' overtaken B.
Is this right?
I have to say I have not heard of this in over 40 years of racing big boats, but rules do change, I accept that.
They have rules interpretations and rulings.
When a boat gains an advantage despite her penalty turn, she must keep making turns until she has no longer an advantage resulting from her violation.
IRSA Case Book:
https://www.radiosailing.org/about/rc-committee/rc-news/67-radio-sailing-call-book-now-available-for-download
Case P4
Rule 44, Penalties at the Time of an Incident Rule E4.3, Taking a Penalty
A boat that gains a significant advantage in the heat or race by breaking a rule of Part 2, or rule 31, despite taking a penalty shall take an additional One-Turn Penalty. If she still maintains a significant advantage she shall continue to take additional penalties until she is exonerated.
Assumed Facts
Following a breach of a rule of Part 2, A has taken a One-Turn penalty. Despite taking this penalty, A still has a significant advantage over the boat she infringed. A takes an additional One-Turn Penalty but, even then, is still ahead of the infringed boat.
Question 1
When a boat has gained a significant advantage in a race or heat after taking a One-Turn Penalty in accordance with rule 44.2, will a single additional One-Turn Penalty under rule E4.3(b) exonerate the boat irrespective of the advantage gained?
Answer 1
No. The first part of rule E4.3(b) states ’if the boat gained a significant advantage .…. by her breach despite taking a penalty’.
This condition must be applied after each One-Turn Penalty taken. If, after taking a One-Turn Penalty, the boat has still gained a significant advantage as a result of her breach, another One-Turn Penalty is required before she is exonerated.
Therefore, it is possible that a boat will need to complete multiple turns in order to exonerate herself from a breach of a rule of Part 2 or rule 31 if she had gained a significant advantage by that breach.
When a boat causes serious damage or, by breaking a rule of Part 2, causes another boat to become disabled (as defined in rule E1.1), rule E4.3(c) applies and she must retire
...
In addition, Case B2 makes clear that the penalty applies regarding ALL boats the violating boat gained an advantage over, not just the immediate victim.
I remember distinctly that a competitor of mine put their spinnaker in the water when outside in the zone. Their bow spun up when they stoppage of movement caused loss of flow on their rudder. They hit us hard and pushed us into a position where we couldn't round the mark and they could. They did their two-turn penalty faster than we got back around the mark with the other traffic in the race causing us to need to wait quite some time. After their turns, they saw this happening and simply let their sails luff. They waited until we were at least 5 boat lengths past before they trimmed to go again. This left no doubt that they hadn't gained advantage. We viewed it as very sportsmanlike given the clear crew error that caused the collision and us missing the mark. They met us at the dock, apologized, and let us know that the minor damage would be fixed by morning (the guy who hit us was the boat builder).
RRS E4.3
"The Additional Penalty of RRS E4.3(b) requires additional turns while significant advantage remains. "
There has been some discussion/debate with regards rule E4.3 and the interpretation of "significant advantage in the heat or race ", and whether or not the advantage is in relation to the boat infringed against or the position in the heat or race of the boat that infringed. That is, if the infringing boat, after having taken a penalty, is ahead of the boat infringed, yet in the same or worse place in the race, has she gained a significant advantage?
One could argue that, certainly the infringer has gained a significant advantage over the infringed, and that advantage occurred in the heat or race, so she must take an additional penalty. On the other hand, one could say the infringer did not gain any places in the heat or race, so has not gained a significant advantage in the heat or race. Personally, I would lean toward the former as a fairer outcome for the boat infringed.
A breach could lead to avoidance of place loss or a distance or time gain without place gain.
Easy examples are forcing a mark rounding with mark contact in current and a forced port tack entry at a starboard layline parade.
A proper approach could take minutes longer than a two turn penalty.
The rule demands fairness to the fleet as well as to the infringed.
1. sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention;
2. important or noticeable.
These are just two of the common language meanings of the word "significant". In the example described by Geoff Webber, boat B did gain a noticeable advantage over boat A in the race by her breach. With regards boat A, that advantage most certainly would be sufficiently important to be worthy of attention. Whether or not boat B gained a significant advantage over any other boat in the fleet, or the rest of the fleet as a whole, should be irrelevant at that point. A singular significant advantage is all that is needed to satisfy rule E4.3(b).
Murray Jones' view regarding the additional penalty in rule E4.3(b) certainly has merit. The penalty for a breach is a one-turn penalty, which, once taken, exonerates boat B for that breach. If, at that point, B has gained a significant advantage over A by the breach, B satisfies E4.3(b) by taking another one-turn penalty and, as written, the rule requires no additional penalties to be taken ( 'a' and 'an' are both singular determiners).
As pointed out by Philip Hubbell, " advantage need not be measured by places gained." Perhaps then, the words for change that Murray Jones' suggested could be:
Replace E4.3 (b) with:
"...her penalty shall be to retire or one or more additional...until the advantage is eliminated."
The current rule is an attempt to provide a solution It is not perfect and IRSA is working on revising the rule. One difficulty is to identify if any advantage is due to the infringement or to later actions of an infringed boat. Another is that the current rule refers to the advantage gained by the infringer and does not take in to consideration any disadvantage suffered by the infringed boat.
For example a boat P on port is lying 6th in the heat. She does not keep clear of a boat S on starboard. As a result S gets stuck in irons, partly because she has a rig that is too big for the current conditions. After taking a penalty turn P is 9th n the race but S is behind P.
P has no advantage, because he has not gained a place but S is distinctly unhappy! Should P take a penalty because she is now ahead of S?
Gordon