Which rules on the books do you nullify?


A class Championship rule.

"16. RADIO COMMUNICATIONS: No transmitting equipment, radio receivers and portable phones shall be carried on board of any competing boat."

I carry a handheld on my person.

Tradewinds
13. COMMUNICATION
Competitors shall not make or receive radio or mobile telephone transmissions while racing.

I would not hesitate to use hand held to notify RC over a safety issue and would NOT RAF the race.

US Sailing /USCG prescription on boats over 16 feet must have a throwable.

I don't now and I know of no A cat that does..... (if the fleet culture changed and the majority choose to comply... I would also comply and bitch about it)

Tradewinds
11.1. In accordance with US Sailing Regulation 10.01 D USE OF PERSONAL FLOTATION, “Competitors...shall wear a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) approved personal flotation device (PFD) while on the water, other than for brief periods while adding or removing clothing”. Failure to comply with this rule can result in disqualification as deemed appropriate by the protest committee.

I don't know if my current Lotus PFD is CE or CG approved. I choose the gear that works best for my safety.

Any other rules that you choose to nullify?

Any and all that suit me, although I do face DSQ as a result if some other person chose to protest

likewise...
do you add any to my list?

I'm with you, depending on the regatta. For in-shore buoys, I usually have VHF or cell for emergency or RC communication, don't usually carry aa throwable floatation device, don't have an anchor, nav lights, or signal flares, and I think my lifejacket is USCG type II not the big one

I'm not familiar with the A-Cat class rules, so I can't comment on their specific application.

RRS 1.2 "Life-Saving Equipment and Personal Flotation Devices" states: "A boat shall carry adequate life-saving equipment for all persons on board, including one item ready for immediate use, unless her class rules make some other provision...". In my opinion, "item ready for immediate use" is intended to mean a lifering, horseshoe, or other throwable device rigged at the ready. If the class rules don't specify otherwise, I think that means a throwable is required.

The US SAILING prescription to RRS 40 says "...every boat shall carry life-saving equipment conforming to government regulations that apply in the racing area...". In the USA, that includes USCG-approved PFDs, throwables on boats over 16ft, and other national, state, and local requirements. I realize that US SAILING doesn't want to be involved with the PFD certification issue, but as a judge, I really dislike being in the position of interpreting the law. That's not my area of expertise.

In previous versions, there used to be a rule limiting radio communication, but it was dropped as the issue is covered by RRS 41 "Outside Help".

Again, I understand why classes might want to prohibit radios, but I think rule 41 covers the real problem.

Rule 1.1 "Helping Those in Danger" states "A boat or competitor shall give all possible help to any person or vessel in danger". "All possible" includes phoning or radioing for assistance. If class rules or sailing instructions prohibited use of phones while racing, and a boat was disqualified for using it to aid someone, I would consider that grounds for redress.

I hope that helps,
Eric

Is a PFD on your person considered" ...ready for immediate use"?

Yes.. I think rule 41... the Outside Help rule does the job...

but fact is... the SI 's and NOR's usually reflect the ancient custom of radio communications limitations and put that into the regatta specific documents... (see tradewinds USSA documents).

What this language wants to mean... (eg Rule 41) gets lost in the creative syntax of the OA/PEO for some reason who keep the old provision in the current SI/NOR.

The throwable and certification issues are just one of those catch 22's of life... you get the choice... nullify or comply.... and a choice as a competitor... protest or not.

The A class prohibits any communication device on the boat. and the class has not been quick to get the language updated.
In part because there is a legit debate on what technology to allow... and a casualty is the communication device blanket ban... when rule 41 ... no outside help would be enough to solve the basic problem.

I don't know of any other class specific issues that fleets typically nullify. Last one might have been the F18 class's furler rule... or perhaps the F18 unresolved batten pocket rule.

for this one... you need one additional fd ... on the boat... NOT in a hull or requiring 5 minutes of pulling to get out of a pocket. of course the coasties could also write you a citation if they saftey check your boat.

The CE thing is handled by stuffing one of those cheap orange pfd's into a hull and using what you currently use.

so maybe some sort of inflatable on a hook/loop (velcro) attached to the back of the boom?

The NASCAR rule that states women can't wear mini skirts in the pits.

We change the rule so the Junior teams may receive outside assistance with out penalty.

NASCAR used to not allow women in the pits at all.

Just wondering what the insurance company that provides a fleet/clubs regatta insurance is going to do if a situation occurs where throwable could have saved a life. Throwables can be used to save a person who isn't part of the event but happens to be in the vicinity. Since the RC can protest any competitor, if it doesn't then does it become liable? Of all the things to be stubborn about safety shouldn't be one of them. Just saying.

It seems to me that rule 41 doesn't cover the same issue that "no radios onboard" cover, although it would cover a "no cellphones" rule.

Rule 41 specifically allows "help in the form of information freely available to all boats;" and certainly a radio broadcast is freely available whereas a cell phone call is not.

Maybe Race Organizers and Rule authors should avoid mentioning US Sailing prescriptions, especially the prescript for Rule 40 which is blatant material prejudice at best. I hope US Sailing will rule on the side of sailing athletes rather than unsafe USCG practices and fiscal politics.

We simply require that beach cat competitors wear a pfd while racing. I have not seen throwables on beach cats since the early '80s.

An informal discussion during the Sunfish Midwinters resulted in preference of the Zhik or other such product. My grandson campaigned a Laser and 420 with a flotation vest from Hawaii this past summer. I guarantee that hit the spot with a member of the US Sailing Laser OD team.

Now that youth cat sailors are hitting the big time, US Sailing should look at things that will enhance athletic performance not profit - making performance.

If a class, or a race organizer wants to restrict VHF and/or cellphone/smartphone use during a race, I advise them to look closely at rules 41(c) "Outside Help" and 86.1(c) "Changes to the Racing Rules", as well as US SAILING Appeals Question 93.

It may seem draconian to prohibit radios and phones on boats altogether and could potentially be seen as a safety issue. A common-sense alternative would be to allow the devices, but prohibit their use to receive outside help.

Unfortunately, that represents a change to rule 41, and class rules are not allowed to do that. Such a change would need to be written into the NOR and SI's of each affected regatta. That's one reason why the class rules just make a blanket ban.

If no rules are changed, then RRS 41(c), as clarified by US SAILING Appeals Question 93, does allow a boat to listen to public radio broadcasts, such as NOAA weather and (if the operating channel is disclosed) RC communicaion about wind/water conditions and RC intentions. Boats are also permitted to use smartphones to access free internet weather forecasts and live weather radar. That falls under the category of "information freely available".

I hope that helps,
Eric

RE: regatta OA liability on pfd issues.... I don't think this is an issue... The responsibility is left to the sailor. The OA does not safety check out a boat.... The RRS leaves it up to sailors to protest each other for rules violations.

If the OA wants to emphasize safety... they list the required gear in the NOR/SI's etc ... and spot check participants/winners at the end of a regatta.... you are DSQ'd if you do not carry the required gear.

Thanks,
I am always learning something about NOR's and SI's.

Why elements are included or excluded in the standard SI's is lost when the regatta is handed over to the next team the following year. When you customize it each year and make a minor change...you may find out that what seams like common sense can run afoul of the RRS. You never even think about some of the ramifications.

Ha.. Hobie figured this out years ago... They print the one set or SI's for world wide use and don't let you change anything. The downside is... when you have a multiclass regatta and have to create a new SI's... you do need to know the reasoning behind all of the requirements.

Wow. Just, wow...

I suggest more of you spend some quality time in seminars and serving on protest committees at larger (non-cat) regattas. Not to learn the rules (although, clearly, some of that is needed here), but to understand why simple is good, and accepting the rules as written is most often the best way to go.

Having said that, I do agree that a good rule change would be to allow boats to continue racing after receiving help when a crew member is in the water. It's not easy to imagine a scenario where they will gain an advantage doing this, without breaking Rule 2. [Edit: And by rule change, I mean an actual change to the RRS.]

Mike

I wondered when someone would bring up "Fair Sailing". The rules are part of the game. If you don't like them, work within the system to change them.

It seems Hobie has updated their radio rule. They used to be banned from being aboard. Now it must be stowed at the warning signal. If you turn it on you are expected to acknowledge that and retire unless it is an emergency.

I said this in another forum. One of these days someone will cop an attitude seeing a competitor using a CE approved PFD. Rather than protesting he will call Deputy Dog and he will be waiting at the windward mark pulling everyone over to check their PFDs.

Explain that to the Judge, then write the check to the state.