During a race, can a significant wind shift (greater than 30 degrees) be valid grounds for abandoning the race under Rule 32 of the World Sailing Racing Rules of Sailing, or is it considered fair—since it affects all competitors equally—and therefore the race can continue to the finish?
World Sailing Guidelines
15. Adjusting The Course To A New Wind Speed Or Direction
15.1 Change in wind direction:
(a) With a persistent wind shift of 10° or less the course will not be changed unless necessary to adjust for current or to provide a square run.
(b) Between 10° and 15° consideration will be given to adjusting the course to the new wind provided that the race management team is confident that the shift is likely to persist.
(c) With a persistent wind shift of more than 15°, the race management team will attempt to change the course to the new wind.
(d) With a persistent wind shift of more than 45°, the race management team will consider its influence on the race. Under these circumstances, the race management team may either change the course or abandon the race.
(e) Frequent and violent oscillations: Under these circumstances the race management team may not be able to adjust the course sufficiently or quickly enough to maintain a race of the required standard. In this case the race may be abandoned.
(f) Changes in current or a difference in the angle of the current relative to the wind may justify variations from these guidelines.
First the rules question you asked ..
The RC " may" .. so unless other documents state otherwise (Race Doc's, CR, Championship/Race Conditions), it is the opinion of the RC as to what is "fair". When a committee "may" do something, it's completely their option to do something or not. Neither decision (abandon/not-abandon) is an improper action or omission by the RC eligible for challenge in a redress hearing.
Beyond that, you can see if there are any "Conditions" set for the regatta.
Conditions for racing can be directed, with differing degree of "force", on what is necessary for the regatta. Sometimes these have wind-shift limits within them and the actions suggested/required. Conditions can be built into the NOR/SI for regattas of importance, the Class Rules or for Championships at different levels.
You do not have to abandon though.
13. Abandonment
Separate document. Someone asked for redress because of big shifts and did not follow guidelines. Lo and behold they are not used for redress
RACE MANAGEMENT POLICIES
I guess one important point to make is that RRS 32 is not restricted from change in an NOR/SI by RRS 86. So, a Class can work with the OA/RC to get specific abandonment requirements in and change RRS 32.1's "may" to a "shall" under specific circumstances.
In that case, an RC not following the rule would be an error/omission and potentially redressable.
So the quantitative criteria are intended to apply at the highest level of racing and officiating. I would suggest that, certainly at club level those numbers should be considerably expanded.
I think 11.5 is particularly useful.
11.5 The race committee may abandon the race when a new wind has caused the fleet to invert.
I think, applying this at club level, the race committee should not normally abandon a race unless the fleet inverts (or as mentioned in 11.1, there is a major change early in the first leg).
Looking at 12.1, I'm inclined, at club level to add 10 degrees to most of the numbers given there.
Classes often do this, (or else put it in their class rules conditions for racing) to establish upper and lower wind limits. If they do this it's their risk that they may lose a lot of racing.
If Classes try to mandate wind shift abandonment, they may get a lot of races abandoned and/or spend a very long time under AP.
For my new thread on "changing case types" I was rereading Case 44. I think it provides insight into what a Class might also want in their NOR/SI's if they actually want to be able to enforce these limits.
Here is an excerpt ...
So here is an example of a Class getting specific conditions in their SI's ... the RC not following the SI's, and the PC finding .. well .. that's OK ... let the race stand .. because an individual boat can't show her score was effected.
Seems to me that if a Class wants a way to be sure that they can enforce their race condition SI's, they need to modify RRS 61.4(b). Assume the race condition is in SI 12.5.
... or something like that.
In Case 44 the situation was more or less unavoidable. Perhaps if the RO had overlooked or wilfully ignored the requirement and just launched the class off on a reach, the pc decision or the appeal decision may have been different.
We should give the protest committee some credit for considering overall fairness, even though the entitled to redress trigger in RRS 61.4(c) does operate. I would expect any decent protest committee to at least give some thought to whether boats other than the requestor were likely to have been disadvantaged and if they thought necessary, consider calling a hearing to consider redress for those boats in accordance with RRS 61.1(c). The US Sailing Prescription to RRS 63.1 (See Note 1 below) would take care of this.
If the Class is represented on the race committee they can try to persuade the race committee to abandon the race.
If the Class is represented on the organising authority they can try to persuade the organisin authority to direc the race committee to abandon the race in accordance with RRS 90.1.
Otherwise, where there are numerous classes, each with their own axes to grind, I think keeping the class associations at arms length from the conduct of racing is not a bad idea.
Note 1: US Sailing Prescription to RRS 63.1
Maybe there is a case to be made that such conditions might be better placed in the NOR, as it might influence a boats decision to enter.
PS: FWIW .. of all the USS Rx's, USS 63.1 is the one I see written-out most often
I hate championship instructions, i hate extra restrictions. As a ro i want all the tools avaliable to produce the best possible racing.
Racing is not a fair sport, but if conditions step out of bounds the ro will generally spot it and react, if he hes been provided with the resources, signalling ribs etc.
Without flexibility and resources it if hard to. Provide great racing.
Trust your race officer, and choose the right one!