The Racing Rules of Sailing
No Flag No Foul
In another post I said I would quite like to see the construct of RRS 44 changed so that time for a boat to take an on-water penalty ran from the hail of 'protest'."
Tentatively, the change would be to replace 'the incident' in RRS 44.2 and 44.3 with 'the hail of "protest" and, if required, the display of a red flag'
What I had in mind (with some trepidation) was moving towards a 'No Flag No Foul' approach.
If there is no hail of 'protest' and if required display of red flag at the first reasonable opportunity, I am proposing that the there should be no obligation on a boat to take a RRS 44 penalty.
If there is no If there is no hail of 'protest' and if required display of red flag at the first reasonable opportunity there can be no valid protest and no hearing.
I think it is fair and just to say that a boat should not be required to voluntarily take a penalty when there is no power to give an involuntary penalty.
Maybe an interpretation of 'promptly take an appropriate penalty' would be needed as follows:
A boat may promptly take an appropriate penalty by:
- taking a penalty in accordance with RRS 44;
- taking a post-race penalty in accordance with RRS T1; or
- accepting, subject to any request for re-opening or Appeal, the decision of a protest committee penalising her.
Created: Today 00:12
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I predict 'Mad Max Thunderdome' in very short order.
How does that fit with Basic Principles ?
See the suggested interpretation of 'promptly take an appropriate penalty'.
I remember a case during the Fastnet some years ago. We had a RRS 14 hearing the protestor had very serious damages obliged to sail back to Cowes (incident taking place just after the start)
Questions to the protestee:
«jury - did you see the serious damages on the other boat after the contacte?
Boat - yes
Jury - what didn’t you retire
Boat - the other boat didn’t sink »
Game over 😇
If there is no hail of 'protest' and if required display of red flag at the first reasonable opportunity, I am proposing that the there should be no obligation on a boat to take a RRS 44 penalty. "
My old sailing sailing mentor - Paul Elvstrøm would be doing 360's in his grave if he heard your proposal............
I think this would be a very big step in the wrong direction
Exactly how do you think the suggestion is not fair?
It's exactly what we do in Match Racing. Are you suggesting that Match Racing isn't fair?
If a boat thinks she may have broken a rule, she may take a RRS 44 penalty (RRS 44.1). RRS 44 does not require a boat to take an on-water penalty.
OK, maybe the thread title was a little bit glib and possibly misleading. I'm not suggesting that somehow if there is no hail and flag then no rule has actually been broken. What is suggested is that a boat is not required to take a RRS 44 penalty.
Part of the justification for that suggestion is that in most cases, without a hail and flag, there can be no valid protest and a protest committee could not penalise the boat.
In the case of injury or serious damaged:
So, there was serious damage, there was a valid protest and the boat was penalises.
That's exactly how we all know the rules work.
Whist taking rules classes I lay a lot of stress on this self -enforcing aspect for fair play. Most parents of young sailors often agree on the impact this particular aspect can have on a young individual's personality development.
The suggestion of "no flag no penalty" would lead to diminishing this spirit of self-policing by the sailors and thus affect the "fair play and the sportsman spirit".
To me it is definitely a thought leading in the wrong direction
Perhaps viable for social racing like twilight racing and club social regattas etc - we have one such regatta coming up here soon and will see if the OA is interested in 'trialing' this approach (NOR/SI language) and just gauge how it goes. Above that local level of racing, I would think that the current RRS stands, for the reasons given.