Autopilot allowed in races?

[BobPeters]

Round The Island will be my first yacht race; I've only raced dinghys and cruised yachts. So, I realise this will seem like a very simple question, but am I allowed to use my (battery powered) autopilot whilst racing? No doubt it does cover this in the racing rules, but I couldn't see where.

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[Twister_Ken]

Never used to be possible, but I haven't done an RTI for several years. Got a bit fed up after I realised I'd done 25. One sneaky thing in the regs used to be that anchors had to be taken off of bow rollers. Dunno if that's still the case, but worth looking out for.

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[bedouin]

No - the standard rules prohibit the use of an electric autopilot, and also for that matter electric winches and the like. Races which have a two-handed division usually allow autopilots for them

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[Andy_H]

Yes, anchors do need to be taken off the bow roller. At the request of the insurance companies I should think!

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[qsiv]

Certainly still current in Cowes Week SI .. actual phrase is along the lines of 'no anchoring gear forward of stem'. Technicaly this poses problems for projecting stemhead rollers, but I suspect that clariification with race comittee would sort it out.

Double handers are allowed autopilots, and electric winches should be allowed if the rating certificate is endorsed to that effect (we certainly use ours).

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[Twister_Ken]

Have you thought about the consequences?

> electric winches should be allowed if the rating certificate is endorsed to that effect (we certainly use ours).<

I protest. Electric Winches. Bad idea. Now what are rugby forwards going to do during the summer?

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[Gunfleet]

Re: Have you thought about the consequences?

<<what are rugby forwards going to do during the summer? >>
Well I used to play cricket.

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[Twister_Ken]

Re: Have you thought about the consequences?

Cricket vs Rugby

Missiles vs Muscles

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[Chris_Robb]

Watching paint dry

Seriously sad past time!!!!

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[qsiv]

Re: Have you thought about the consequences?

I'd agree - but the boat isnt really a race boat, and everything is organised round two big (Andersen 66) electric winches. We cant get enough people 'at' the winch to work the cockpit properly - so sometimes we need to run them as electric self tailers - which is awful as they so slow compared to a motivated grider/tailer combo.

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