Thanks for the input, everyone. Just for those who are interested, we
use a mid-course start / finish line for our Thursday night beer can
races. We use two drop marks (in addition to the start and finish
marks) that are always in the same position, and a government channel
marker. Sometimes we get windward legs, sometimes the entire race
consists of reaches. All boats sail three legs, and the spinnaker
boats additionally sail to the "weather" mark and back to the finish.
This results in boats finishing from both directions simultaneously.
We therefore have separate finish lines for the two fleets, with the
committee boat in the middle.

The most interesting thing about our racing is the Navy operations
that often occur in the area. We often get Seals jumping out of
helicopters into our race area, and then they get retrieved. We also
get an occasional antisubmarine sled towed through the course. Not
great for "real" racing because of the requirement for us to stay well
clear of these operations, but good enough for this level of
competition.

We normally have about 20 nonspinnaker boats and 10 spinnaker boats
registered. Most are learning to race or trying to improve racing
skills for the more important weekend races with other clubs.

Thanks again,

Jim Williams




On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 16:20:14 GMT, "R. G. Newbury"
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 13:46:02 UTC, "Garry McGonigal"
wrote:

The main question is whether the SIs have to use the word
"obstruction" in defining the area to be avoided, or is the fact that
it is a prohibited area enough to make it an obstruction for the
purposes of Rules 18 and 19?

"Obstruction... an area so designated by the sailing instructions...."
RRS Definitions.


If you are writing the sailing instructions and you want it to be
treated as an obstruction, then be sure to use the word "obstruction"
in your declaration as well as "prohibited". That way the SIs will
communicate clearly to the racers that it is to be treated as an
obstruction. It may or may not be a legal requirement, but it never
hurts to be explicit.

The word 'prohibited' is not strictly actually necessary as it is
essence of being an obstruction that requires it to be sailed around
(rather than through)... But there is no doubt that adding this word
makes the meaning clearer.
Of course, making it clear only applies to that subset of the racers
who read the instructions, and among those, to the subset who actually
understand the instructions....So 24 point bold type might be in
order!

There are a few other problems associated with a SI that indicates the
Finish Line is a 'prohibited area' unless finishing.

(1) Light air starts, class just gets across the line, air shuts down,
current pushes them back through the start-finish line. Now what?

If your SI's are screwed up then this is a problem. If the SI's say
'Except when starting or finishing, the line is ...(prohibited)' then
you deserve every problem which arises....
If your SI's say 'When proceeding from mark 1 to 3 or mark 3 to 4, ...
the line is (prohibited)' then you have no problem as your recent
starters are not yet on a leg when crossing the line is prohibited.

In part, this is why I would and did nominate the line ends as marks
of the leg when prohibiting passage between them. Under the old rules,
marks only had 'sides' when on a leg which that mark began, ended or
bounded. And more racers understand room at a mark than understand
room at an obstruction...

(2) Most of the SI's identify the situation as 'prohibited' or wording to
that effect but do not spell out a consequence of going through the finish
line before a finish. So, off to the Protest Committee, and the Committee
says fine, but what is the penalty -- none spelled out in the SI's.

Denominating them as marks provides a penalty through 'sailing the
course'..

(3) Due to rough weather, the RC Boat gets moved around and in effect so
does one end of the Finish Line. Along come boats on a leg, trying to
figure out where one end of the Finish Line is so as to stay clear, but the
RC boat is all over the place, perhaps the line 'grew' substantially from
when the classes were started, and boats searching for the outer pin,
unknowingly cross through this new finish line. It happens. Happened to us
two seasons ago, we were in the lead, and we retired once we figured out
where the heck the other end of the line was (behind us and maybe a few
hundred yards further out and back in relationship to the RC boat). Yes, we
could have continued and appealed, but at the time we did not know the RC
boat was pulled off its position. And since the Start-Finish line is at
times in the middle of some legs, you either take it on the pin or on the RC
boat sides.


This is the major stupidity involved in having the RC in the middle of
the arena.

Bad setup, bad result.

Realistically, if you figure you absolutely must have the RC in the
middle, exactly WHY is it so important that the line be closed?
Except for the RC's convenience? If it is because the RC likes it that
way, they are not doing their proper job.


Geoff