Forum: The Racing Rules of Sailing
Trash Talk - new Rule 47 & sail stops
Tim Hohmann
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
- Umpire In Training
- Regional Judge
0
New rule 47 is just a renumbering of the old rule 55 which prohibits intentionally putting trash in the water. I believe this has been interpreted as including sail stops, bands or gaskets used to keep a spinnaker from filling while hoisting. I've seen several instances where sailing instructions have changed rule 55 specifically to exempt "biodegradable materials used to band spinnakers" and I expect that some sailors on some classes of boats would characterize use of such stops in some conditions as a safety matter with no appreciable environmental impact.
But rule 86.1(a) has been changed to disallow changes to rule 47 by prescription and, extending into (b) and (c), by NOR, SI or class rules. So the SI exemption for biodegradable stops is no longer available.
However, rule 47 also states that "the penalty for a breach of this rule may be less than disqualification." Would it be kosher for NOR or SI to state that for a particular event (or class within an event) the penalty for use of biodegradable sail stops would be nothing? Essentially allowing use without changing the rule?
Thoughts?
But rule 86.1(a) has been changed to disallow changes to rule 47 by prescription and, extending into (b) and (c), by NOR, SI or class rules. So the SI exemption for biodegradable stops is no longer available.
However, rule 47 also states that "the penalty for a breach of this rule may be less than disqualification." Would it be kosher for NOR or SI to state that for a particular event (or class within an event) the penalty for use of biodegradable sail stops would be nothing? Essentially allowing use without changing the rule?
Thoughts?
Comments
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I've wondered what is defined as 'trash' in this context. Googling gives a definition of trash as 'discarded matter, refuse'. Refuse is defined as 'matter thrown away or rejected as worthless, trash'. Does tossing the last bits of a sandwich into the water break the rule? Would a piece of string made entirely of coconut fiber be ok? With your solution you might wind up in a situation where you are forced to try define 'biodegradable'. There are "biodegradable plastics" that simply break up into very tiny pieces which we are now learning are very bad for the environment but don't really degrade into a material that appears in naturally in the water (although I am not sure Wonder Bread does either :-)).
I have heard that there are sailmakers who are adding velcro patches on the leeches of sails as an option but I don't know how well this works.
I thought this issue was behind us. Haven't sailmakers figured out ways to comply with this rule? E.g., stops that are attached to the sail so they don't fly off when the sail is released, or tethering the stops together so they can be retrieved after they break? If not, somebody should show some ingenuity and initiative, and solve this problem.
This does not change the rule.
I support the rule and its time to move on to sails that don't generate trash.
My personal opinion.
But they also made a point in the Q&A of saying that (back then) an OA or RC could change rule 55 to allow disposable stops - but that in order to comply with the Basic Principle of Environmental Responsibility only biodegradable materials should be exempted.
The yarn remnants can be cleared away occasionally - before the sail starts looking too shaggy.
Similarly thin, weak Velcro straps can be stitched to one tape.
Hmmmm .... that seems to me a bit thin. Sort’a like ....
“Well, you see, we expected the coal-soot to fall into those buckets we aligned at the base of the smoke stack.”, said Henry Fumée, spokesperson for the power plant.
Depends on the standard you're trying to prove to. "Balance of probabilities" likely wouldn't be too difficult to make with most judges, who know that the common expectation is that they will fall in the water or if they do happen to land on deck will probably quickly blow overboard.
Given that WS has previously specified that sail stops, even biodegradable ones, are trash and has now disallowed OAs from changing rule 47 to exempt them, I think this is at least in part what the rule was written for. The issue of sail stops was specifically included in the submission (147-17) that led to the change to 86.1(a).
Why not flogging?