Forum: The Racing Rules of Sailing
Exploring 61.1(a)3's "Inform" Requirement
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Angelo GuarinoNationality: United States
Certifications:
- Regional Judge
- Fleet Measurer
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This thread was inspired by an offline email conversation with Daniele Romano, a forum member (thanks Daniele for the ideas!). It is a follow-on from my last thread: "Hey, you missed the offset-mark!" vs "Protest! You missed the offset-mark!".
Rule 61.1(a)3: Informing the Protestee
[a] A boat intending to protest shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity. When her protest will concern an incident in the racing area that she was involved in or saw, she shall hail ‘Protest’ and conspicuously display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity for each. She shall display the flag until she is no longer racing. However, [3.] if the incident was an error by the other boat in sailing the course, she need not hail or display a red flag but she shall inform the other boat either before or at the first reasonable opportunity after the other boat finishes
Base Scenario
(In all scenarios, assume a written protest containing the required info is filed within the PTL)
(In all scenarios, assume a written protest containing the required info is filed within the PTL)
- Two 7-meter Asym Boats are racing. Course is LA2.
- Boat B misses the offset mark at the first windward rounding.
- Boat A, far behind Boat B, is approaching the the starboard layline on port such that Boat A is below the windward marks and has a clear view of Boat B's miss, but is too far away to hail Boat B.
- Boat B never corrects her course error.
Scenario #1:
- During the first downwind leg, Boat A catches up to Boat B and they cross each other on opposite gybes separated by 2 BL's,
- Boat A calls to Boat B, "I am protesting you", and keeps sailing away on opposite gybe.
- Boat B is completely confused as this is the first time Boat A and B were never near each other, nothing happened at this crossing and Boat B does not see a flag flying on A.
- Is Boat A's protest valid?
Scenario #2:
- Boat A never gets within hail of Boat B.
- Boat A can see Boat B cross the finish line and drop her spinnaker about 2 min's ahead. At this time, Boat A is sailing comfortably under spin with one crew on the rail.
- 10 min's after Boat A finishes, she catches up to Boat B under motor on the way back to the club.
- Boat A informs Boat B that she missed the mark and is going to protest Boat B.
- The SI's require all boats carry a VHF radio capable of monitoring channel 72, but do not require continuous monitoring of that channel by competitors.
- Boat A never thinks to use the radio.
- Is Boat A's protest valid?
Scenario #3:
- Same as Scenario #2, but ...
- Boat A finishes about 2 min's behind Boat B.
- After Boat A drops her sails and gets the boat moving under motor, Boat A reaches Boat B on the VHF CH72 and informs Boat B of her intent to protest her.
- The SI's require all boats carry a VHF radio capable of monitoring channel 72, but do not require continuous monitoring by competitors.
- Is Boat A's protest valid?
Scenario #4:
- Same as Scenario #3, except the SI's require all boats to both carry a VHF radio and to continuously monitor CH72 while racing and while in the racing area.
- Is Boat A's protest valid?
Comments
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In scenario #1 , I'm surprised that Boat A did not explain why they were protesting B.
I purposely left that out to explore what constitutes "inform" for a rule 28 violation prior to the boat finishing. Did that hail convey enough information? ... is the question there.
In regard to Scenarios #2, #3 and #4, I think it's worth considering whether or not S#3, and and more so S#4, satisfy " .... first reasonable opportunity after the other boat finishes".
In S#2, Boat A never thinks about using the radio and monitoring a radio was not required. If they thought they needed to motor up to the boat and tell them and it took 10 min's to catch up .. well .. that seems reasonable.
In #3 and #4 though, Boat A demonstrates that they are ready to use the radio for this purpose as demonstrated by the use. In both #3 and #4, Boat A [seemingly] has crew otherwise unoccupied when Boat B finishes ("Boat A is sailing comfortably under spin with one crew on the rail.").
Is waiting 2 min's until Boat A finishes (2 min after Boat B's finish), Boat A get's her sails down and gets going under motor " .... at the first reasonable opportunity after the other boat finishes".?
The difference between #3 and #4 is that in #4, Boat A should assume that as required by the SI's, that Boat B is monitoring CH72.
I think these can be interesting questions/ideas to consider.