I've been involved with scoring for youth & high school sailing regattas
for the past few years, but so far I've yet to find a definitive case
ruling or explaination regarding violation of a restricted start/finish
line. Some regattas state in the SI's that the starting line is
restricted but do not say what the penalty is for violating the
restriction is, others say the line is restricted and note that
violating the rule is cause for a DSQ (disqualification).

My question is: when the SI, or verbal instruction at the skippers
meeting etc., states that the start/finish line is restricted and does
not specifically state what the penalty is for violating this
restriction is, how should the violation be scored?

In all cases I have witnessed the violation is scored as a DSQ --
meaning that the DSQ is eligible for exclusion in the race series score.

However, RRS 88.3(b) states:

(b) When a scoring system provides for excluding one or more race scores
from a boat’s series score, the score for a breach of rule 2, rule
30.3’s next-to-last sentence, or rule 42 if rule 67, N2.2 or N2.3
applies, shall not be excluded. The next-worse score shall be excluded
instead.

My personal opinion is that sailing across a restricted line (or sailing
inside a standard course mark) is a violation of RRS rule 2:

"2 FAIR SAILING
A boat and her owner shall compete in compliance with recognized
principles of sportsmanship and fair play. A boat may be penalized under
this rule only if it is clearly established that these principles have
been violated. A disqualification under this rule shall not be excluded
from the boat's series score."

My reasoning is that by violating the restricted line requirement the
competing boat has not complied with the principles of sportsmanship and
fair play, and instead has attempted to gain an unfair advantage in the
race by sailing through the restricted line.

Opinions that I've received regarding this have been along the lines
of... "the competitor might have forgotten the restriction and the DSQ
is sufficient penalty", "RRS 88.3(b) is really a rule 69 release valve
and doesn't apply to a restricted line violation", "whats a DNE?", and
"don't worry about it -- it's a minor infraction, the boat is DSQ & who
really cares".

Perhaps a gross analogy of violating the restricted line would be if a
competitor only completed half the leg of a single windward leeward
course, and instead decided to make a left turn halfway up the windward
leg and headed directly back to the finish instead... or in another case
the boat desides to simply skip or cut inside a mark on the course in
order to gain an advantage on the other competitors in the race.

In both of the above situations the competing boat is clearly attempting
to gain an unfair advantage over the other boats in the race and is not
competing according to the "principles of sportsmanship and fair play".
Even in these extreme cases there doesn't appear to be any hard and fast
rule as to whether the boat should be scored DSQ or DNE -- and I suspect
that in most cases the PRO and/or RC will make a decision to score a DSQ
simply because that is what they are familiar with.

Does anyone have a US Sailing and/or ISAF case that can be referred to
regarding scoring a restricted line crossing and whether it should be
scored as a DSQ or DNE without specific scoring instructions stated in
the SI and/or verbal instructions at the skippers meetings?

I hardly think that's a rule 2 violation, any more that a port tacking
someone is a violation of rule 2. I can find no appeal or case that adresses
the subject.

Technically, I don't believe the r/c can unilaterally DSQ the boat without a
hearing.

Dennis Bartley wrote:

I hardly think that's a rule 2 violation, any more that a port tacking
someone is a violation of rule 2. I can find no appeal or case that adresses
the subject.

Port tacking seems to be well addressed in Part 2 Section A – Right of
Way and Section B – General Limitations, and also seems to be addressed
in Section A. Plus the penalties for this type of infraction seems to
be defined in 44 PENALTIES FOR BREAKING RULES OF PART 2, and for other
simiar infractions in 31.2, 44.3, etc.

However, failing to sail the course might be more applicable in this
case. I guess that my question regarding rule 2 and the restricted line
is more related to failing to sail the course a proper manner and at the
same time doing so in a manner that clearly gives the violating boat an
unfair advantage.


Technically, I don't believe the r/c can unilaterally DSQ the boat without a
hearing.



Good point. I think that you are correct here. The Appendix A Guidance
states:

"5. Race committees are reminded that, in the absence of a SI to the
contrary, they must give a finishing position to any
boat that starts and finishes as defined. If the RC believes that a boat
has not sailed the required course they must
protest her (under the last sentence of rule A5 they cannot disqualify
her without a hearing nor score her DNF)."

Dennis Bartley wrote:

I hardly think that's a rule 2 violation, any more that a port tacking
someone is a violation of rule 2. I can find no appeal or case that adresses
the subject.

Port tacking seems to be well addressed in Part 2 Section A – Right of
Way and Section B – General Limitations, and also seems to be addressed
in Section A. Plus the penalties for this type of infraction seems to
be defined in 44 PENALTIES FOR BREAKING RULES OF PART 2, and for other
simiar infractions in 31.2, 44.3, etc.

However, failing to sail the course might be more applicable in this
case. I guess that my question regarding rule 2 and the restricted line
is more related to failing to sail the course a proper manner and at the
same time doing so in a manner that clearly gives the violating boat an
unfair advantage.


Technically, I don't believe the r/c can unilaterally DSQ the boat without a
hearing.



Good point. I think that you are correct here. The Appendix A Guidance
states:

"5. Race committees are reminded that, in the absence of a SI to the
contrary, they must give a finishing position to any
boat that starts and finishes as defined. If the RC believes that a boat
has not sailed the required course they must
protest her (under the last sentence of rule A5 they cannot disqualify
her without a hearing nor score her DNF)."











..

Port tacking seems to be well addressed in Part 2 Section A – Right of
Way and Section B – General Limitations, and also seems to be addressed
in Section A. Plus the penalties for this type of infraction seems to
be defined in 44 PENALTIES FOR BREAKING RULES OF PART 2, and for other
simiar infractions in 31.2, 44.3, etc.

However, failing to sail the course might be more applicable in this
case. I guess that my question regarding rule 2 and the restricted line
is more related to failing to sail the course a proper manner and at the
same time doing so in a manner that clearly gives the violating boat an
unfair advantage.

Yes, as you point out, this is a violation of rule 28. Since it isn't part
2, you can only correct it by unwinding the string properly, not a 720 (or
other alternative penaly). Should he not fix the mistake, the only penalty
is DSQ.

What would be a violation of fair sailing is if it were something like the
last race of the series, all he needed was to push one boat back in the
fleet, intentionally violated a rule so he could get on top of this one
boat. A similar incident

Missed the last part of this story...

... a similar incident ocurred in the 1984 Olympic Finn qualifiers. One boat
would win even if he was last, as long as another competitor didn't finish
in the top 10 (or something like that). So he crossed the line early, then
sat on top of his friend for the race, and when he pushed his friend to last
place at the windard mark, retired. This is the basis for IYRU case 34.

Dennis Bartley wrote:
Port tacking seems to be well addressed in Part 2 Section A – Right of
Way and Section B – General Limitations, and also seems to be addressed
in Section A. Plus the penalties for this type of infraction seems to
be defined in 44 PENALTIES FOR BREAKING RULES OF PART 2, and for other
simiar infractions in 31.2, 44.3, etc.

However, failing to sail the course might be more applicable in this
case. I guess that my question regarding rule 2 and the restricted line
is more related to failing to sail the course a proper manner and at the
same time doing so in a manner that clearly gives the violating boat an
unfair advantage.


Yes, as you point out, this is a violation of rule 28. Since it isn't part
2, you can only correct it by unwinding the string properly, not a 720 (or
other alternative penaly). Should he not fix the mistake, the only penalty
is DSQ.


OK... now it's clear to me -- thanks.


What would be a violation of fair sailing is if it were something like the
last race of the series, all he needed was to push one boat back in the
fleet, intentionally violated a rule so he could get on top of this one
boat. A similar incident



Missed the last part of this story...

.. a similar incident ocurred in the 1984 Olympic Finn qualifiers. One boat
would win even if he was last, as long as another competitor didn't finish
in the top 10 (or something like that). So he crossed the line early, then
sat on top of his friend for the race, and when he pushed his friend to last
place at the windard mark, retired. This is the basis for IYRU case 34.


IYRU Case 34 & the other Rule 2 cases are an interesting read. While
there I learned something about individual recalls (cases 31, 65, 71 &
79)that I had questions on -- thanks again!

Gary

Dennis Bartley wrote:
Port tacking seems to be well addressed in Part 2 Section A – Right of
Way and Section B – General Limitations, and also seems to be addressed
in Section A. Plus the penalties for this type of infraction seems to
be defined in 44 PENALTIES FOR BREAKING RULES OF PART 2, and for other
simiar infractions in 31.2, 44.3, etc.

However, failing to sail the course might be more applicable in this
case. I guess that my question regarding rule 2 and the restricted line
is more related to failing to sail the course a proper manner and at the
same time doing so in a manner that clearly gives the violating boat an
unfair advantage.


Yes, as you point out, this is a violation of rule 28. Since it isn't part
2, you can only correct it by unwinding the string properly, not a 720 (or
other alternative penaly). Should he not fix the mistake, the only penalty
is DSQ.


OK... now it's clear to me -- thanks.


What would be a violation of fair sailing is if it were something like the
last race of the series, all he needed was to push one boat back in the
fleet, intentionally violated a rule so he could get on top of this one
boat. A similar incident



Missed the last part of this story...

.. a similar incident ocurred in the 1984 Olympic Finn qualifiers. One boat
would win even if he was last, as long as another competitor didn't finish
in the top 10 (or something like that). So he crossed the line early, then
sat on top of his friend for the race, and when he pushed his friend to last
place at the windard mark, retired. This is the basis for IYRU case 34.


IYRU Case 34 & the other Rule 2 cases are an interesting read. While
there I learned something about individual recalls (cases 31, 65, 71 &
79)that I had questions on -- thanks again!

Gary

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 21:15:08 -0700, in message

glgxg wrote:

My personal opinion is that sailing across a restricted line (or sailing
inside a standard course mark) is a violation of RRS rule 2:

I don't think one can break rule 2 by mistake, whereas one can
definitely sail inside a mark or across a line by mistake.

Ryk

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