Racing Ettiquette

[bedouin]

A few days ago we were on passage from Plymouth to the Solent, just passing Totland Bay at the same time as the tail-enders in the Americas Cup Jubilee were returning from rounding their mark (Bridge Buoy?).

Tide was against us so we were keeping close to IoW to keep out of the main stream. We were close to a run with Preventer rigged and genoa polled out on the opposite side. One of these racing types was overtaking us and when he was abeam he decided to gybe - thereby ending up heading directly towards us and only about 40 feet away. He was obviously then struggling to control the boat and just managed to clear our stern with only a few feet between his boom and our stern. We were then subjected to a torrent of abuse from the crew. As well as the usual range of illiterate abuse this included the classic phrase "we're racing".

I am all for making allowances for racing yachtsmen - but I regard this behaviour as out of order on several points.

Firstly it was bad seamanship - there was no need for him to gybe just at that moment - 30 seconds later he would have cleared our stern, one minute later he could probably have crossed our bows (albeit rather close).

Secondly there was nothing we could do to get out of the way. Under Colregs - as overtaking boat it was his absolute duty to keep clear of us, and our duty to maintain course and speed. Since we didn't know which way he was going to turn and action we might have taken could have caused, rather than helped to avoid one.

I'm not sure if his abuse was caused by his ignorance of Colregs, his arrogance, or his guilt at almost taking off our stern.

To be honest I can forgive the near miss - after all he did miss us (just), and had he acknowledged his fault with an apology or a wave we would have waved back and smiled - but to add insult to bad seamanship really got our goat.

But what can we do?
I don't know if non-competitors can protest racing boats. I've thought about writing a letter to the secretary of his club (RYS) but I suspect that would either be ignored or receive an 'our members are always right' reply.

 

[Guest]

It probably ended up as one of the 'bloody weekender in his silly boat got in the way' bar stories from the racing gents .... after losing the race !

They do not learn, they do not want to learn ...... they never will !

 

[bedouin]

Actually, far from being weekenders we were on passage back from the Fastnet race this year. I wonder if they would have been more polite had we still had the Rolex decals on our bows, or been flying the racing pennant.

 

[Guest]

Please I apologise ....

Please, I did not mean that you WERE weekenders .... no I was just commenting on some of the 'bar stories' that I've heard from of these types ....

Years ago, I learnt my lesson from these know-it-alls ..... In the Spinnaker, opposite Moodys I was waiting for my pint at the bar ..... 2 guys next to me arguing about tide / current / leeway calculations for crossing the Channel .... Silly me, I was only a professional navigator, who though I would help these two gents out .... Excuse me I couldn't help but hear your discussion ..... can I help ..... drew a forces triangle on the back of a beer-mat and showed the way to work out CTS, SOG, COG etc. etc. Well that provoked a 'knock-down' .... to the tune of "what do you know about it, it CANNOT be THAT easy .... " and of they went still arguing ....

Ignore them, do your best to stay out of trouble, do as I do .... keep well away from them as much as possible, even if you have to make BOLD and obvious moves NOT in strict following of COL REGs ..... thats the only way I keep out of their unfair attitude ...

 

[bedouin]

Re: No need!

I understand what you meant - but I was wondering whether the guilty party's us/them attitude might have been modified had he counted us as 'us' rather than 'them'. Probably not though as we were flying a Red Ensign!

 

[Twister_Ken]

Go for it

Why not write to the Commodore of the RYS (presuming it's not Prince Philip!) with a brief description of the incident, including boat name and any foul language used (by them), a request that they apprise members and competitors that being engaged in racing gives no right of way under colregs, and a rather hurt comment that "Frankly, you expected rather more from a member of the RYS, and perhaps he could have a quiet word with the gentleman concerned".

Noblesse oblige, etc, so you might get a result.

 

[Guest]

As I'm sure you are aware, 90% of racers give the rest of us a bad name !! ( joke)
In all sports there are those that take it all too seriously and dont have the ability to match, hence frustration, arrogance etc.
The fact you said "tailenders" says it all - the really good guys dont get in that position.

I was anchored with about 50 other yachts just under Hurst on the Tuesday when about a third of the fleet decided to gybe over to that side. Boats like "Bear of Britain" came through the anchored yachts under full kite, gybing and passing within 10-15 feet of us, totally under control and having time to wave acknowledgment. The only shout was to ask what was in the sandwiches !

Dont get uptight about not having a crystal ball - sail a common sense course, stay within col-regs and keep the insurance payments going... oh and wear the Fastnet shirt as often as possible ! -- well done for slogging round to the finish.

 

[bedouin]

Re: Slogging is just about right

The last eighteen hours from Bishop's Rock to Plymouth are best forgotten - but the sense of achievement remains. I imagine your experience was similiar to mine - they were not ideal conditions for Bendytoys. Even so I was surprised you retired so near the finish.

 

[Eric]

Protest

I believe you can actually protest as an outsider. A friends of my was disqualified once after a sport fisher protested because he came to close to his boat and his lines (and I believe some words had been exchanged as well).

Regards
Eric

 

[Guest]

Re: Slogging is just about right

I agree they are not ideal, but the boat was handling the conditions better than the crew. We were far enough behind you to make our position dangerous late that Friday night.

Anyway, well done

 

[bedouin]

Re: Bendytoys

I agree the boat handled it well enough, but on ours I felt that features of the boat contributed to crew fatigue and poor morale. The internal layout was not really suitable for life at 35 degrees of heal, and the comparatively flat hull shape meant that the motion was fairly bumpy.

The boat could have kept it up indefinitely but by the Friday night/Saturday morning the strain was telling on crew.

Nonetheless it was a great experience - I am already considering 2003, but next time I'll be in 'Bedouin of Cove'

 

[Guest]

Re: No need!

IT WAS A BLUEY !!!!!! I should have guessed !!!!!

 

[Guest]

I don't have much to add to the pearls of wisdom above and below other than to relate what happened to us last week (funnily enough 2 hrs before we encountered Bedouin!).

We were on starboard tack and were keeping an eye out for a 12metre class yacht coming up on us from our port side on port tack. I held my course because there were other 12m yachts around. The 12m on collision course did not change course and caused me to alter to port nearly clipping their side. Other than a torrent of abuse no damage done other than the fact that we then had a couple of interesting minutes avoiding other 12m yachts because of our avoiding action had brought us onto collision course with them.

Now, whilst I would have been technically correct to hold course the 12m would have sunk us, it was doing 10+ knots at the time. So what do you do? Keep your course in the knowledge that your insurance will sort it out and sink or dodge? Does anyone know for a fact about protesting to the organising body? It seems to me that if a racing type knows that they can be disqualified for this dangerous behaviour then they will have the incentive to adher to the colregs.

Chris Enstone, Rival Spirit

 

[Guest]

Chris

there is provision for the Race committee to protest a yacht providing the information is not supplied by an interested party. There can also be a protest by the Protest committee over any incident that may cause serious damage or injury.

( See rules 60 and 61 of 2001-2004 racing rules )

HOWEVER, protests must be made within the time limit of the race which, for an inshore race such as the one you were caught up in was probably similar to the Cowes week limit of 19:00 or 2 hours after the first finisher, whichever is later.

I would still report it and the owner may get taken aside for a quiet word by a "blazer" but in future, I suggest you find out the racing channel and call the race committee ( I know, easier said than done but if there are other competitors around you might be lucky ).

Incidentally, while racing I was told at Cowes Week to get out of the way by a Mumm 30 because "they were faster"! and when crossing a fleet of reaching port tack Hunter 707's while on Starboard was told I was a selfish bastard - the fact that I couldnt see a gap between the first 30 boats was obviously my fault !

At the end of the day, avoid where reasonable, stay the right side of col-regs and ignore the bullies who have to have their shout. ( Oh, and if you feel you may have been a little to blame, dont wear the Rugby shirt with the boat name on that evening !!)

 

[PeteMcK]

Rule 69

Up here, many of our sailing instructions and club rules warn that impeding other vessels may result in the race committees taking action under the dreaded Rule 69.1 - Gross Misconduct and "bringing the sport into disrepute". All you need do is report the incident to the committee (see http://www.sailing.org/rrs2001/part5.html). Rule 69 is, however, the ultimate sin in racing and will (not may) involve the offender being reported to the national authority if the committee imposes a penalty. The consequences are so dire that I believe the committee at one major series a year or two ago put pressure on a Rule 69 protester (he wasn't aware of the consequences) to withdraw his complaint about the obscenities hurled at him by another crew during a race. The committee can issue a warning under the rule and it need go no further. It sounds like it should be highlighted more often: I suppose it depends on how responsible the clubs in your area are ...

 

[Bergman]

Re: Racing Ettiquette - An oxymoron - NM

!

 

[Guest]

Mental State of a Racing Yachtsman

The longer a race goes on the worse the state of mind I would say. They become consumed with winning, or at least doing well, that a normal reasonable person becomes a menace to everyone else. This is proved by the legislators HAVING to create a rule that they MUST go back if anybody falls off can you believe !

When I go to my boat I often see the same thing on a long country road with racing cyclists - you know the ones with numbers on their backs. All road sense leaves them completely in the pursuit of speed and it's up to us to keep them alive.

Is this just total self indulgence with no respect to the rest of us or man going forward and we ultimately benefit ?