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JOHN ROWLEY
ON ROUNDING MARKS Why, if
there is a penalty in the rules for touching a mark during rounding, don't
we recognize this transgression as one of the simple rules? I started
racing in San Francisco Bay and the marks we rounded were great big
unyielding metal things. 31.1 While racing, a boat shall not touch a starting mark before starting, a mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg of the course on which she is sailing, or a finishing mark after finishing.31.2 A boat that has broken rule 31.1 may, after getting well clear of other boats as soon as possible, take a penalty by promptly making one complete 360º turn including one tack and one gybe. When a boat takes the penalty after touching a finishing mark, she shall sail completely to the course side of the line before finishing. However, if a boat has gained a significant advantage in the race or series by touching the mark she shall retire. Possibly, the reason it was left out of the ten simplified rules was a desire to be the ten commandments, after all there were never supposed to be eleven. Or maybe they were running out of space on the bar napkin. However, let's look at the situation and all the excuses that surround it. The argument heard most is that we cannot see that well. I say, get glasses, contacts, laser surgery, or give the mark a little more room. The person with excellent vision, and I have sailed with a few, may claim that touching the mark slows the boat down enough to be a penalty. That ignores the issue that it is a violation of the rules to touch the mark. It takes far more skill, and precious seconds, to make sure that you don't touch the mark by going far enough past it to clear it. Violating the rule (touching the mark) then claiming that the violation is penalty enough (hypothetical slowing down) is downright hypocrisy, and violators should exonerate themselves with a 360 degree turn "at the first opportunity". If no one in the fleet can get around a specific mark without touching it, they should walk down the course to get closer, if that doesn't work, the group should move the mark closer to where it can be better seen. I recently watched a regional regatta for another class, and the top sailors, who won the regatta, gave the marks ample room, and still were the fastest around the course, time after time. My opinion, and I think an important part of fair sailing! 'Nuff said. |
Where to?
Try hitting this one!
01/09/2006
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