Redress for Rendering Assistance to Vessel in Distress?

[savageseadog]

Not being familiar with the minutia of racing rules, hypothetical question but could have arisen recently on an offshore race. I realise Racing Rules of sailing can be amended in sailing instructions but would be interested to know how SI's might be written to accommodate the situation.


1) Is redress available for time lost giving assistance a vessel in distress?
2) Would distress have to be indicated by the vessel in distress for redress to be applicable?
3) Let's assume a yacht is in the lead and then unable to finish due to rendering assistance, can redress of any kind be applied?

 

[michael_w]

I've received redress for rendering assistance. The casualty in question sank near the Nab Tower at night. At the redress hearing the race committee gave us sufficent allowance to negate the time we spent. This lead to an equal second place in class and a rather nice bronze plaque courtesy of Mary Pera.

 

[lw395]

64.2 Decisions on Redress
When the protest committee decides that a boat is entitled to redress
under rule 62, it shall make as fair an arrangement as possible for all
boats affected, whether or not they asked for redress. This may be to
adjust the scoring (see rule A10 for some examples) or finishing
times of boats, to abandon the race, to let the results stand or to make
some other arrangement. When in doubt about the facts or probable
results of any arrangement for the race or series, especially before
abandoning the race, the protest committee shall take evidence from
appropriate sources.


So the protest committee was wide powers to do what it considers to be fair.

The SIs and scoring system may be significant too.

 

[DFL1010]

Shouldn't be any need for 'special' rules in the SI.

R1.1:
A boat or competitor shall give all possible help to any person or vessel in danger.

62.1 A request for redress or a protest committee’s decision to consider redress shall be based on a claim or possibility that a boat’s score in a race or series has been or may be, through no fault of her own, made significantly worse by

(a) an improper action or omission of the race committee, protest committee, organizing authority, equipment inspection committee or measurement committee for the event, but not by a protest committee decision when the boat was a party to the hearing;
(b) injury or physical damage because of the action of a boat that was breaking a rule of Part 2 or of a vessel not racing that was required to keep clear;
(c) giving help (except to herself or her crew) in compliance with rule 1.1; or
(d) an action of a boat, or a member of her crew, that resulted in a penalty under rule 2 or a penalty or warning under rule 69.2(c).


Obviously it's 62.1(c) that's important. Just make sure you comply with 62.2, and you're set.

A request shall be in writing and identify the reason for making it. If the request is based on an incident in the racing area, it shall be delivered to the race office within the protest time limit or two hours after the incident, whichever is later. Other requests shall be delivered as soon as reasonably possible after learning of the reasons for making the request. The protest committee shall extend the time if there is good reason to do so. No red flag is required.


A protest committee will then hear your request, hear from witnesses (if required), and decide what redress is due (see 64.2 above).

So,

1) Is redress available for time lost giving assistance a vessel in distress?

Very yes.

2) Would distress have to be indicated by the vessel in distress for redress to be applicable?

No. Here's the précis of Case 20:

When it is possible that a boat is in danger, another boat that gives help is entitled to redress, even if her help was not asked for or if it is later found that there was no danger.

And the decision:

B’s appeal is upheld. A boat in a position to help another that may be in danger is bound to do so. It is not relevant that a protest committee later decides that there was, in fact, no danger or that help was not requested. B is entitled to redress. The protest committee is directed to reopen the hearing and to grant appropriate redress following the requirements and advice given in rules 64.2 and A10.

For obvious reasons it's preferable to have boats standing by unnecessarily (and able to claim redress), than the opposite.

3) Let's assume a yacht is in the lead and then unable to finish due to rendering assistance, can redress of any kind be applied?

It's not easy to say what redress would/should be given. Leading 1 mile from the finish of a 600 mile race is of course different to leading one mile from the start of that race, for example. However, the first sentence of 64.2 is key:
When the protest committee decides that a boat is entitled to redress under rule 62, it shall make as fair an arrangement as possible for all boats affected, whether or not they asked for redress.

It is obviously unfair to all the other boats to give 'too much' redress but unfair to the boat requesting it to give too little. Not an easy call, but unless the PC gets it completely wrong, it's unlikely that others will complain about it under these situations.

 

[Woodlouse]

It happens and at all levels. A couple of Vendee globes ago Sam Davies lost her third place to a chap who got a redress on time he'd lost aiding another competitor.

 

[lw395]

It happens and at all levels. A couple of Vendee globes ago Sam Davies lost her third place to a chap who got a redress on time he'd lost aiding another competitor.

This is why I said scoring system matters.
Under the normal series scoring, I think a boat given redress would not result in another boat going down a place, for instance if redress pushes you up from 4th to 2nd, the boat orignally scored second gets equal 2nd, the next boat 3rd and there is no 4th. This might matter in a series.