Racing Rules of Sailing

[Dan Tribe]

My grandson entered his first Optimist open meeting last weekend at Humpybong Yacht Club, Queensland.
I noticed this in the Sailing Instructions.
Rule 1.1
All sailors are required to participate in the spirit of fun at all times.
Violators of Rule 1 may be made to dance the Macarena.

I think this rule should be made compulsory for all yacht racing.

 

[RichardS]

Macarena has a boyfriend named
(Macarena tiene un novio que se llama)

His last name is Vitorino,
(Que se llama de apellido Vitorino,)

That in the swearing of the flag the boy
(Que en la jura de bandera el muchacho)

He messed with two friends
(Se metio con dos amigos)

Well ............ the spirit of the song is definitely very nautical, even down to the ensign, but I think that the last line (Hello Sailors) is perhaps not really suitable for children.

Richard

 

[johnalison]

We did a three-day regatta with the German HR agents back in 2006. I found the race instructions somewhat baffling since my German doesn't get much further than 'Achtung', but there was one paragraph that turned out to state that any skipper making a protest must do so in front of the race committee while standing in a cold shower.

 

[Stemar]

Two rules in urgent need of adoption.

I have one more: Any racing boat who claims priority over a cruising stand on vessel because "I'm racing" has to buy the post-race drinks

 

[Concerto]

Reminds me of an event a couple of years ago. I was beating up the River Medway and could just clear Kingsnorth Jetty. A couple of Wayfarers and a Flying Fifteen were lazily under spinnakers and just to my lee and the last one complained that I took their wind and they were racing. I just called back, I was racing to, but singlehanded in my Fulmar! With no ensign and a class flag on the backstay he should have known it to. No return of comment.

 

[Bobc]

I did an event once where the rules stated that the cost of lodging a protest was a case of champagne, and that protest hearings would take place at 3am.

Funnily enough, there weren't any protests lodged.

 

[TernVI]

I did an event once where the rules stated that the cost of lodging a protest was a case of champagne, and that protest hearings would take place at 3am.

Funnily enough, there weren't any protests lodged.

I wouldn't enter a cheat's charter event like that.

 

[Dan Tribe]

Reminds me of an event a couple of years ago. I was beating up the River Medway and could just clear Kingsnorth Jetty. A couple of Wayfarers and a Flying Fifteen were lazily under spinnakers and just to my lee and the last one complained that I took their wind and they were racing. I just called back, I was racing to, but singlehanded in my Fulmar! With no ensign and a class flag on the backstay he should have known it to. No return of comment.

On Sunday a yacht shouted "we're racing" at me on the Crouch. We were well clear, not in his wind and going in the opposite direction.
My crew called back, "well, you're not very good, try and keep up with the others"

 

[Stemar]

I did an event once where the rules stated that the cost of lodging a protest was a case of champagne, and that protest hearings would take place at 3am.

Funnily enough, there weren't any protests lodged.

I wouldn't enter a cheat's charter event like that.

It wouldn't bother me if the case was returned for an upheld protest. I seriously dislike the kind of competition where the rules are used to gain advantage rather than to ensure fair play.

 

[Stemar]

On Sunday a yacht shouted "we're racing" at me on the Crouch. We were well clear, not in his wind and going in the opposite direction.
My crew called back, "well, you're not very good, try and keep up with the others"

It's always them isn't it, never the good ones, who simply treat errant wafis (from their point of view) as one more obstacle, seen well in advance and suitable action taken before it's an issue.

 

[flaming]

It wouldn't bother me if the case was returned for an upheld protest. I seriously dislike the kind of competition where the rules are used to gain advantage rather than to ensure fair play.

Nature of yacht racing. Sometimes the rules are a shield to enable you to sail your course, and sometimes they are a sword to enable you to make the opposition go somewhere they don't want to.

And of course sometimes the opposition has the sword.

The point though is not to see them as antagonistic, they aren't. They're just the rules of the game.

 

[johnalison]

Nature of yacht racing. Sometimes the rules are a shield to enable you to sail your course, and sometimes they are a sword to enable you to make the opposition go somewhere they don't want to.

And of course sometimes the opposition has the sword.

The point though is not to see them as antagonistic, they aren't. They're just the rules of the game.

I think the rules work fairly well over a range of classes and competitiveness. As well as racing where the rules were just one stage above optional, and where normal attention to rules was applied but protests were few, I do quite enjoy watching something like an Olympic regatta where the rules become part of the sport and forcing one's opponent into breaking a rule to gain an advantage is a necessary skill. I'm just glad that I am not involved.

 

[Mudisox]

I think the rules work fairly well over a range of classes and competitiveness. As well as racing where the rules were just one stage above optional, and where normal attention to rules was applied but protests were few, I do quite enjoy watching something like an Olympic regatta where the rules become part of the sport and forcing one's opponent into breaking a rule to gain an advantage is a necessary skill. I'm just glad that I am not involved.

It's called Match Racing, and a very good way of learning and adhering to the "Rules"

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Two rules in urgent need of adoption.

I have one more: Any racing boat who claims priority over a cruising stand on vessel because "I'm racing" has to buy the post-race drinks

Nice idea but they'll be the ones that don't go to the club afterwards because they haven't won a prize.

 

[Dutch01527]

We were once told to “F”*** O** “ by the Duke of Edinburgh at Cowes week when he had to alter course at close quarters to avoid us. We were both racing and it was our right of way. He was in an small open classic boat with 3 crew.

Our anti royalist bowman replied “Learn the rules you senile old git” which caused much amusement on both boats, including the DoE who laughed.

 

[Stemar]

it was our right of way

 

[flaming]

View attachment 101245

Put the popcorn away, in the RRS the concept of Right of Way does exist.

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

I once got shouted at "What's your handicap?" - I wasn't racing that day so shouted back "Wooden leg!"

 

[Dutch01527]

View attachment 101245

ok, just for the pedantic, the senile old git was helming the give way vessel and if he had not given way we would have taken the necessary avoiding actions?

 

[Lucky Duck]

ok, just for the pedantic, the senile old git was helming the give way vessel and if he had not given way we would have taken the necessary avoiding actions?

As flamming points out, you were right the first time.