Saturday 5 April 2008

Returning to start? | 2

In last Saturday's post there were a couple of questions regarding rights and obligations when two boats were approaching the starting line from the course side after the signal had gone.










I received an analysis by Brass which pretty much covers everything, except if the outcome would be different in Match-, Team- or Fleet Racing.

This is what Brass send me: (I've added my comments in red)

Questions:

Does RRS 18 apply?

If Y sails below the pin, leaving it to port, Is B entitled to room or not?

If Y sails above the pin, leaving it to starboard, is Y entitled to room or has B to keep clear?

When does RRS 20.1 come into play?

Analysis

RRS 18 doe not apply at a starting mark when boats are approaching it to start (RRS 18.1)

A boat cannot be approaching a mark to start until it is approaching it to pass it on the required side (MR Call book; UMP 13) + this also depends on time and speed in the prevailing conditions and the time remaining before the starting signal.

Arguably at Position 1 the pin mark has no required side: B and Y may pass on either side of it (would be different in an I flag start), BUT not later than when the Y reaches the 2BLzone she is EITHER going to be about to round the mark on its required side OR she is going to pass the mark not on its required side: she must make an election and she must make it sufficiently far away (See UMP 10), but with a small mark this might not be very far.

If Y elects to, then RRS 18 is OFF (but RRS 16.1 remains ON)

SITUATION 1

SITUATION 2

Y elects to round the mark on its required side + it’s after starting signal

Y elects to pass the mark not on its required side

B and Y are approaching a starting mark to start because they are approaching the mark to pass it on its required side.

B and Y are not approaching a starting mark to start because they are not approaching the mark to pass it on a required side.

Therefore RRS 18 is excluded by RRS 18.1: RRS 18 is OFF.

Therefore RRS 18 is not excluded by RRS 18.1: RRS 18 is ON.

B is overlapped at the 2 BL zone but is not entitled to room to round the mark because RRS 18 is OFF.

Y is overlapped at the 2 BL zone and is entitled to rights and room to pass to port of the mark (RRS 18.2(b)).

ALTERNATIVELY, it can be argued

UMP 13 only applies before the start/starting signal, and boats coming near a starting mark in this case ARE approaching the mark to start and RRS 18 is OFF (RRS 18.1(a)).

Here I disagree, even when returning (Ump13) you cannot be approaching a mark to start until approaching to pass the mark on the required side

B is not required to give Y room under RRS 18.

B is required to keep clear of Y (RRS 11).

BUT B is required to keep clear of Y (RRS 11).

IN EITHER CASE:

IN EITHER CASE:

B keeps clear of Y and Y does not fail to give B room to keep clear: No rule is broken.

B keeps clear of Y and allows Y room to pass the mark: No rule is broken.

As for RRS 20.1, see my previous post.

As for RRS 20.1, see my previous post.

At Positionn 4 Y is completely on the pre-start side and so is NOT sailing towards the pre-start side, so, if B IS sailing towards the pre-start side, B must keep clear, although B appears to be sailing neither towards nor away from the pre-start side, BUT B must keep clear of Y in any case (RRS 11).

At Position 4 I'm inclined to say that Y is sailing towards the pre-start side until she is clear on the pre-start side, so at Position 4, RRS 20.1 does not apply between B and Y because neither is sailing other than towards the pre-start side

At Positions 5 and 6 RRS 20.1 does not apply because B is not sailing towards the pre-start side.

At Positions 5 and 6 RRS 20.1 does not apply because B is not sailing towards the pre-start side.

If I was wrong in my decision that at 4 Y was sailing towards the pre-start side, and it was held that Y WAS NOT sailing towards the pre-start side, then B would be required to keep clear of Y by RRS 20.1, but B is required to keep clear of Y by RRS 11 in any case

IN EITHER CASE:

IN EITHER CASE:

B keeps clear of Y. No rule is broken

B keeps clear of Y. No rule is broken

This situation will most likely happen in a Match Race, but the outcome doesn't change if it happens during a fleet or team race.


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