Racing skipper fined £2000

[Guest]

A racing skipper has beeen fined £2000 by Portsmouth Magistrates for holding his course, despite repeated requested to do so, and forcing a US Nuclear sub and its UK escorts to alter course. Time of year last July in the Solent.

It has always appeared to me that a small number of racing skippers of all sizes of craft seem to think that they have a divine right of way over everybody else....I am unsure whether it is through ignorance or simply a mindset that the race becomes before all else.

thoughts?

Pete

 

[Guest]

Did the report say what actual collision regulation he was breaking ? If he wasn't as far as I understand it the rule is still sail has right of way but what cruising skipper would wan't to split hairs with a nuclear sub. Most of us must have experienced racing skippers who think they have absolute right of way but by the sound of it this one slightly overdid it. I once witnessed a Thames barge shout PORT !!!! at a bunch of yachts racing towards him on the starboard tack. Funnily enough that day the racing skippers saw sense and kept out of his way.

 

[Guest]

On more than one occasion, The Skipper of the boat I live on has been heading into a harbour when a race has been in progress and has proceeded with due care and caution to exercise his equal right to use the waters, adhering to the colregs, only to be shouted at by some irate person in the race who thinks that all other traffic should make way for the race. The Skipper always shouts back very politely, but firmly, "We are one of the hazards that may be encountered by any other vessel in these waters, just as other vessels are hazards for us. You should have taken us into account, friend. Good luck!" Up until now he has usually received a polite reply but once in a while someone cuts up rusty. Some of the language I have heard in recent years has led me to conclude that, if yacht racing was ever the sport of gentlemen, it most certainly belongs to some other breed these days!

 

[Guest]

I suspect that it was a harbour byelaw that he fell foul of, rather than the IRPCS.

 

[Guest]

He was a fool and lucky to get away with only £2000.

Being in the Solent the sub and escorts were probably in restricted waters and very restricted in their ability to manoevre. Typical racing idiot.

 

[Guest]

Too true Linnet. I once had a close encounter with a dinghy in a narrow channel while under engine. When I gently, well gently for me, reminded him that there was a local club racing rule that vessels travelling in the channel had right of way, he wasn't at all grateful for the little nugget of information. I can't remember his exact reply but the origins of my birth definitely came into it.

 

[Guest]

QHM

I suspect that it was in an area controlled by QHM that does extend quite a way outside Portsmouth and hence the size of the fine. I was told last night by a friend who wears a funny suit that it could have been upto £5000 plus incarceration so he probably was lucky. I also got the impression he was skippering one of the well known corporate charter/racing fleet boats.

Pete