Forum: The Racing Rules of Sailing
World Sailing Eligibility Code and RRS 75
Michael Rowe
Nationality: Australia
0
If an organising authority wishes to limit competitor eligibility for a particular event, is RRS 75 the sole means for organising authority to limit competitor eligibility? Consider for example a junior event where eligibility is restricted by age or a womens event where eligibility is restricted by gender.
Or are there alternative sources of power for either the organising authority or national authority to limit competitor eligibility?
And i assume the principle of competitor eligibility in Regulation 19 is always subject to limits imposed by the orgaising authority. under RRS75
Or are there alternative sources of power for either the organising authority or national authority to limit competitor eligibility?
And i assume the principle of competitor eligibility in Regulation 19 is always subject to limits imposed by the orgaising authority. under RRS75
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I presume that you meant "RRS 76" since RRS 75.1 only requires that a boat being entered by:
"(a) a member of a club or other organization affiliated to a World Sailing member national authority,
(b) such a club or organization, or
(c) a member of a World Sailing member national authority."
RRS 75.2 requires competitors to comply with Regulation 19, but that's pretty general and, in most cases, just means that you can (and should) reject the entry of a banned person.
RRS 76, OTOH, allows the OA to exclude a boat or competitor, which is how junior or gender-specific events are limited to their intended audience.
In the US, US Sailing has a prescription to RRS 76 that says:
"US Sailing prescribes that an organizing authority or race committee shall not reject or cancel the entry of a boat or exclude a competitor eligible under the notice of race and sailing instructions for an arbitrary or capricious reason or for reason of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or age."
US Sailing has an "interim policy" regarding gender identification as well.
Thanks for mentioning the US prescriptions under RRS 76. Since writing the post i also came across YA Case RYA2019-01 https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/cases/1470
With regard to junior races and the like, I had anticipated that age limits would be set out in the NOR as a "requirement of the organising authority" under RRS75 for a valid entry to the regatta.
"75.1 To enter a race, a boat shall comply with the requirements of the organising authority of the race. She shall be entered by..."
In other words eligibility would be limited at the NOR stage under RRS75 and boats are not "entered" unless they comply with the requirements on the NOR - https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/cases/1440
But as you say, RRS 76 seems to contemplate the express rejection of proposed entries which do not conform with the NOR (as well as the cancellation or entries which comply with the NOR and have been accepted already) .
regards