Battery Charging While Racing

[theoldsalt]

PRV on another thread "Basic nav lights question... " stated "But the only reason I can think of for wanting to do so would be for battery charging while racing,"

It is many years since I sailed in any races and even then I was not very familiar with all the regs which have probably changed over the years anyway.

Not because I intend racing, but just out of interest, is running your engine out of gear to charge batteries allowed ? In my youth this resulted in automatic disqualification if caught doing so between the five minute gun and the finish. The reason is obvious, you might be tempted to slip it into gear !!

As I have no connections with anyone familiar with racing rules, I thought I would saise the subject on this forum.

 

[sarabande]

yes, there used to be rules that engines went off at the 10 minute gun, and I can remember a number of AC boats all coming to a grinding halt on the Squadron line, and lots of rushing below to break out the kedges. Some were more successful than others at not going backwards.


What about on these Transat and RTW races ? Fridges, batteries, hydraulics, all need engines running quite a lot of the time.

 

[jpd85]

I guess the RTW racers use generators but for shorter races would they want all that extra weight? Never seen a wind genny on them. Solar perhaps?

 

[prv]

The big fancy round-the-world boats have diesel generators, but that's somewhat irrelevant to the question at hand.

I had always understood it was permitted to run the engine in neutral for battery charging while racing. However, I am not a serious or recent racer - the only racing I have done was a handful of events with the Army ten years ago. On one overnight race we were low on power (for nav lights I guess; we didn't have any kind of autohelm, plotter, radar, etc) and the skipper said we should run the engine and that it was OK under the rules provided we didn't put it in gear and made a note in the log when it was started and stopped.

Perhaps that was a local rule, or perhaps his decision to deviate from the rules in a manner which he believed (probably rightly) would be tolerated by other competitors and the committee.

Clearly there's no need ever to run an engine in a round-the-cans race, but on a two-day passage race there are some boats which will struggle to keep everything running without an injection of power, especially before the advent of LEDs etc. I would try hard to avoid having such a boat (bigger batteries, solar, less consumption, etc) but it's a fact that they're out there. So it doesn't seem all that unlikely for rules to permit charging, but I realise I don't know for sure. Obviously if I did any racing I would find out!

Pete

 

[sailorgirl]

Engines off before 5 min gun if using a 10 5 1 go start or before 4 mins if using 5 4 1 Go. During long offshore races engines may be used to charge batteries as long as not in gear and under some sailing instructions engines may be permitted to avoid dangers eg shipping but such use must be declared on completion of the race.

 

[Twister_Ken]

yes, there used to be rules that engines went off at the 10 minute gun, and I can remember a number of AC boats all coming to a grinding halt on the Squadron line, and lots of rushing below to break out the kedges. Some were more successful than others at not going backwards.

That would have been a bit dumb. On the few occasions it happened to me we would motor along the start line and drop the kedge a second after the engine went off at the 5 mins gun.

 

[fireball]

Not having an engine or anchor on my racing vessels we used to sail to the side and get out ...
Or most recently - pick up the mooring closest to the start line!!

 

[flaming]

Not because I intend racing, but just out of interest, is running your engine out of gear to charge batteries allowed ?

Yes. The wording is that engines must be out of gear at the prep signal. These days (if using the standard ISAF sequence) that is 4 minutes before the start. There is no rule that states that engines cannot however be running if not in gear. I have done this occasionally, especially on longer races (RTI / Cowes week courses) when the battery was on its last legs and couldn't run the instruments for the duration of the race.

I have however seen one SI that states that they cannot be run at all, but that is unusual, and I would bet results from some bad feeling surrounding suspected cheating.

 

[dt4134]

I've only ever done it when the SI's expressly permit it. Usually offshore racing.

I was in one round the cans race where one boat radioed up the committe boat to ask permission to run their engine in neutral and were flatly refused.

 

[flaming]

I've only ever done it when the SI's expressly permit it. Usually offshore racing.

I was in one round the cans race where one boat radioed up the committe boat to ask permission to run their engine in neutral and were flatly refused.

I don't see anything in rule 42 that prevents it. To my mind it has to be an SI to prevent it, rather than specifically allow it.

42 PROPULSION
42.1 Basic Rule
Except when permitted in rule 42.3 or 45, a boat shall compete by using only the wind and water to increase, maintain or decrease her speed. Her crew may adjust the trim of sails and hull, and perform other acts of seamanship, but shall not otherwise move their bodies to propel the boat.