Re0crossing the finish line?

flaming

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After finishing the race, can you turn around and cross the finish line, the wrong way?
Thanks.
If the SIs make no mention, then yes. In fact you don't actually have to completely cross the line to finish.

Finish
A boat finishes when, after starting, any part of her hull crosses the finishing line from the course side. However, she has not finished if after crossing the finishing line she
(a) takes a penalty under rule 44.2,
(b) corrects an error in sailing the course made at the line, or
(c) continues to sail the course.

28.1 A boat shall start, sail the course and then finish. While doing so, she may leave on either side a mark that does not begin, bound or end the leg she is sailing. After finishing she need not cross the finishing line completely.

However, it is reasonably common for the SIs of large events to insert rules about what boats must do/ not do after finishing. For example Cowes Week this year had the following.

12.4 Keeping clear after finishing After finishing, boats shall endeavour to keep clear of all boats that are racing, of all finish lines and shall take extreme care to avoid all commercial shipping.

Which is nicely catch all, whilst also using "shall endeavour" rather than "must".
 

Praxinoscope

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Unless the race sailing instructions specifically stipulate otherwise I don’t think there is any rule preventing you from doing this….But as matter of courtesy to those other competitors yet to cross the line it is really incumbent upon you to clear the line as quickly as possible to avoid impeding those still racing.
 

SaltIre

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Unless the race sailing instructions specifically stipulate otherwise I don’t think there is any rule preventing you from doing this….But as matter of courtesy to those other competitors yet to cross the line it is really incumbent upon you to clear the line as quickly as possible to avoid impeding those still racing.
Courteous also to the Race Committee who are trying to see and record the times of the other finishers.
 

The Q

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I suspect if you recrossed the line and blocked someone who would otherwise win the series trophy, you might find yourself having your results thrown out..
At our club you often have to recross the line to get to your mooring or the club quay... We're on a river..
 

flaming

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I suspect if you recrossed the line and blocked someone who would otherwise win the series trophy, you might find yourself having your results thrown out..
Yes, you would break rule 23.1
23.1 If reasonably possible, a boat not racing shall not interfere with a boat that is racing.
If you did so deliberately, you would almost certainly fall foul of rule 2, which is not a good rule to be the wrong side of....
 

Praxinoscope

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Thanks Saltire (#4) I should have included that in my post.
I have re-crossed the line only once after finishing a race in almost 50 years, simply to avoid some idiot in a RIB that thought it fun to buzz up and down our finish line, I still ‘endeavoured’ to avoid obstructing any of the other yachts nearing the finosh, thus adhering to the rules as Inunderstand them.
 

Chiara’s slave

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We have to re cross our finish line fairly often. As long as there’s room for your endeavours not to impede other boats still racing, theres no problem. It’s the reason our outer distance mark is so far out.
 
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