Andrew Campbell

Scuttlebutt #2546 Rules Question

March 10th, 2008 in Monday Morning Tactician.

An interesting rules question went through the Scuttlebutt threads this week, and the rules were discussed and then corrected and explained. But, as often happens with rules discussions, the tactical ramifications of the scenario were not discussed. It is well and good to discuss the rules and debate their nuances, but without putting them in a tactical framework, they are useless to the everyday sailor. Here is the discussion from the Scuttlebutt #2546: 

RULES QUESTION…. CORRECTEDIn Issue 2545, we provided a rules question, but in our attempt toparaphrase the situation that is posted on the ISAF website, we apparentlymessed up the applicable rules. So much for a simplified system. Here is thesituation again, with some help from the ‘buttheads:Two boats are sailing closehauled, both on port, overlapped, and a half of aboat length apart with the leeward boat’s bow slightly ahead. They areapproaching the finish line, of which a committee boat is on the right sideof the finish with a finish line flag positioned halfway between the bow andstern.While the windward boat can fetch the finish line flag, she can’t fetch thebow of the committee boat. The leeward boat cannot fetch the finish lineflag, and her course is directly aimed toward the committee boat, and willlikely need to tack to both cross the finish and clear the stern quarter ofthe committee boat. Can the leeward boat hail to the windward boat that sheneeds room to tack, and is the windward boat obligated to keep clear?RULES ANSWER…CORRECTEDBecause the windward boat cannot fetch the committee boat, Rule 19.1applies, which permits the leeward boat to hail for room to tack due to theobstruction, wherein the windward boat must either tack as soon as possible,or immediately reply “you tack”, in which case the hailing boat shall tackas soon as possible and the hailed boat shall give room. However, if thewindward boat was able to fetch both the finish line flag AND the committeeboat, then Rule 19.2 applies, and the leeward boat would NOT be entitled toroom to tack under 19.1. However, in this situation, the windward boat muststill keep clear if the leeward boat wants to luff up and shoot the finishline flag.* Here is the link to the example on the ISAF website:http://www.sailing.org/1548.php

Now, let us filter the rules from this particular scenario into something that we can actually use to our tactical advantage. We’ll take a few perspectives: 1: as the windward boat fetching the anchor line, 2: as the windward boat not fetching the anchor line, 3: as the leeward boat not fetching the finishing pin, but on a collision course with the race committee boat’s transom.
Keep in mind… when you are coming into the finish of any race, it is of critical importance to realize that the race is not over as soon as you cross the finish line with you bow. At this point you are finished, but in fact you are still racing by definition until you have both finished and cleared the finishing area. This is why this rule question even comes up. The windward boat may be finished and the leeward boat may not yet be finished but they are indeed both still racing. That said, you need to continue using your tactical brain not only through the finish line, but out of the finishing area entirely. 
As the windward boat in the above scenario, and going into any finish for that matter where you are the boat keeping clear it is tactically sound to get the heck out of there as quickly as possible or get into a place where you are in the right of way. This scenario perfectly illustrates a Monday Morning Tactician-style situation where a windward boat has finished but then somehow manages to foul after the finish. You would come in from a day of racing kicking yourself in the head and giving your tactician the boot. If you are the windward boat overlapped with a leeward boat, and you can see that she will at some point be asking for “room to tack,” then it is your best course of action to get away from that guy as soon as tactically possible. There is a clear advantage to be had to putting pressure on that guy, but there is inherent risk in waiting until he asks for room to tack before taking evasive action. The safe move is always to avoid this type of questionable rules situation in the first place. 
If you are in the position of the leeward boat and you are going to lay the pin but not the anchor line, according to the rules you are enabled the right to ask for room to tack at the obstruction. With that in mind, there are a few things to consider. You also want to avoid questionable rules situations, so it is critical to make it clear to the windward boat well ahead of time that you will: one, be coming up to at least head to wind to cross the finish line and avoid the committee boat, and two may need room to tack. If you make it clear to that windward boat ahead of time, they are more likely to understand what is about to happen and may tack off earlier. Vocabulary is paramount. While sailing with the Georgetown team last week we had a long discussion of the very topic. If you do not use the words “I have an OBSTRUCTION… I need ROOM TO TACK” then there is simply too much grey area in the rules to depend on them. Using those words exactly when you mean them is the single most important part of this rule. In the case of a stationary obstruction like a committee boat, or a rock wall, or a kelp patty there is leeway only in the sense that you can better judge how much time and how much room you will need to tack. Remember that the windward boat only has two possible responses: He can tack away as soon as you ask, or he can say “You Tack” and then react to your rate of turn. However, as soon as he responds, you must then tack as soon as possible. If you ask for “Room to tack” and then get a 20 degree lift that just allows you to lay the pin and then you sail off away from the line on port… you have committed a foul. Even if you get a freak lift that allows you to lay the committee boat, if you have asked at any point for “Room to tack” then you must physically tack or risk being disqualified. 
If you are the boat to leeward and you cannot lay the committee boat end of the line then you had better start pinching. I’m only halfway joking. If you can pinch and make it so that you will need room to tack at the committee boat, then you are better off than driving off and attempting a last minute tack onto starboard and duck on the finish line. Anticipation all of a sudden becomes the biggest issue here. You need to sort out well ahead whether you are going to lay the finish, and if you cannot and are too close to the boat to windward to tack safely onto starboard without mixing up in a tacking-too-close situation, then your best move is to start footing away from your opponent as soon as possible. Optimally you will have gauged enough distance away from him by the time you get to the committee boat that you can safely tack onto starboard for a final approach to the mark. There is a whole can of worms to be opened at another time with this close tack onto starboard. Last winter there were a couple of Monday Morning Tactician columns written about the exact subject and how to improve your position within them. 
All things considered, avoiding mayhem at the finish is the most important thing. Taking a good look ahead of time at all the options will save you points and potential for disqualification. Any time you can get through a situation as tight as the one described above without incident it should be considered a victory. I’m off to Palma de Mallorca in preparation for the Trofeo Princesa Sofia to start next weekend. My next report will be from the European circuit.
    

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