Dave Perry's Racing Rules Quiz of the Week

With 30 seconds to go before the starting signal, Boat P (on port tack) on a beam reach is approaching Boat S (on starboard tack) who is on a close-hauled course. P proceeds to luff and then cross head to wind all in one motion, ending up to leeward of S.

Just after P passes head to wind she holds her course, telling S to keep clear because she is on starboard tack and a leeward boat. S luffs to avoid contact with P and protests.

You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this?

Dave Perry's Rules Quiz of the Week

Boats X and Y are sailing dead-downwind halfway down a run. X, whose boom is out over her port side, is clear astern of Y, whose boom is out over her starboard side.

X is blanketing Y’s wind and is catching up quickly. Neither boat has changed her course in the five or so lengths preceding the incident.

X finally catches up and her bow makes contact with Y’s transom. There is no damage or injury. Both protest each other.

You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this?

Dave Perry's Rules Quiz of the Week

Question

Boats S (on starboard tack) and P (on port tack), both close-hauled, are converging on a beat. P will safely cross S. However, when they are less than two lengths apart, the wind veers (shifts to the right) ten degrees. S luffs (changes her course) in response to the windshift, such that P is unable to keep clear. There is minor contact with no damage or injury, and both boats protest. You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this?

Answer

Boat S is penalized under rule 16.1, Changing Course. Rule 16.1 states, “When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear.” S changes course when so close to P that P is unable to keep clear and there is contact. Therefore, S failed to give P room to keep clear, thereby breaking rule 16.1. The fact that S’s change of course was in response to a windshift is not relevant to the application of rule 16.1.

P broke rule 10, On Opposite Tacks, but is exonerated (not penalized) under rule 64.1(a), Decisions: Penalties and Exoneration, because she was compelled to
break rule 10 by S’s breach of rule 16.1.

S also broke rule 14, Avoiding Contact; but as the right-of-way boat, she is exonerated (not penalized) for breaking rule 14 as the contact did not cause damage or injury (see rule 14(b)). P did not break rule 14, because S changed course so close to P that it was not possible for P to avoid the contact.

Dave Perry's 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes highlights specific aspects of the racing rules in a fun format designed to help you become more familiar with The Racing Rules of Sailing. Increase your knowledge of the rules and your racing will improve. Purchase this publication today!

Dave Perry's Rules Quiz of the Week

A race committee boat is anchored at the port end of the starting line. Boat X starts and immediately catches the race committee boat’s anchor line on her centerboard. Reacting quickly, X’s helmsman heels the boat while her crew goes to leeward, pushes the anchor line down and frees it from the centerboard. X does not touch the committee boat, nor does she do a turn after the incident. Boat Y protests. You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this?

Answer
Boat Y’s protest is disallowed. X does not break rule 31, Touching a Mark, because she does not touch the mark. The definition Mark reads, “An anchor line or an object attached accidentally to a mark is not part of it.” Furthermore, X does not propel herself by pulling on the anchor line; therefore she does not break rule 42, Propulsion.

Dave Perry's 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes highlights specific aspects of the racing rules in a fun format designed to help you become more familiar with The Racing Rules of Sailing. Increase your knowledge of the rules and your racing will improve. Purchase this publication today!

The Dos and Don'ts of Filing an Appeal

By Dave Perry

Dave Perry, Chairman of US Sailing Appeals Committee, presented the dos and don'ts of filing an appeal at the Sailing Leadership Forum last February in San Diego. Perry is the author of Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing and Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes. He is also a US Sailing Senior Certified Judge.

When filing your appeal do...

• Read Appendix R, rules R1, R2 and R3 carefully.
• Read the FAQ on the US Sailing Appeals page.
• Send your appeal within the 15 day time limit (see rule R2.1(a)).
• Include everything asked for in rule R2.2, including the names and email address of all the parties, and the chairman of the protest committee, and appeals committee if applicable.
• Be sure all documents are dated.
• Keep your grounds (the reason you are appealing) as brief and concise as possible.
• Organize your supporting documents so they are clearly marked, and consolidate any email threads into one well-marked file as much as possible.
• Be patient. The average time from receipt of an appeal to sending the decision is three months, and it can be much longer depending on the complexity of the case and/or the number of times the appeals committee must ask the protest committee for additional facts and information.

When filing your appeal don’t...

• Send your appeal after the 15 day time limit has expired (see rule R2.1(a)).
• Send individual copies of many emails; or a lot of documents with no clear marking as to what they are.
• Copy your appeal to people who are not representatives of the parties or committees directly involved in the appeal.
• Send in an incomplete appeal (see rules R 2.1(a) and R2.2).

Learn more about this process.

Dave Perry's U.S. Match Racing Report

Sally Barkow Ranked #1 Match Racer in U.S.

Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.), winner of the Carlos Aguilar Grade 2 Open Match in the U.S. Virgin Islands is the number one ranked match racer in the U.S. Ranked #2 is Don Wilson (Chicago, Ill.), winner of the Richardson Cup. Ranked third is Dustin Durant (Long Beach, Calif.), who will be representing the U.S. at the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Finale in Denmark in August. David Storrs (Southport, Conn.) is sixth, winner of the Long Island Sound Match Racing Championship, followed by Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wis.) with a seventh place finish at the Carlos Aguilar, and Mike Quaglio who sails out of the Oakcliff Sailing Center in Oyster Bay, NY is #8.

Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.), Barkow and Genny Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.) remain the top three U.S. women match racers. Nicole Breault (San Francisco, Calif.) and Sandy Hayes (Scituate, Mass.) move into the number six and seven spots. Breault, on the strength of her win in the California Dreamin’ Series, and Hayes with her win at the Nations Cup Regional Qualifier, will represent the U.S. at the Grand Finale in Denmark.

Open Rankings
1.    Sally Barkow       
2.    Donald Wilson       
3.    Dustin Durant       
4.    Dave Perry        
5.    Christopher Poole   
6.    David Storrs       
7.    Stephanie Roble       
8.    Mike Quaglio       
9.    Brad Funk            
10.  Jonathan Singsen   

Women Rankings
1.    Anna Tunnicliffe       
2.    Sally Barkow       
3.    Genny Tulloch       
4.    Stephanie Roble       
5.    Becca Dellenbaugh   
6.    Nicole Breault       
7.    Sandy Hayes       
8.    Maegan Ruhlman   
9.    Andrea Cabito       
10.  Shala Lawrence   

A New Rule Interpretation by Dave Perry - Taking a Penalty

On  January 1, 2013, the new edition of The Racing Rules of Sailing went into effect. These rules are locked in through 2016. Dave Perry returns to the US Sailing Blog to explain some of the significant changes to the rules. Dave is a welcome authority on the rules, as chairman of the US Sailing Appeals Committee, Rules Advisor to the US Olympic Sailing Team and Artemis Racing, the Challenger for the America’s Cup, co-author of the North U Rules & Tactics seminar, and author of two books on the subject. Read Dave's interpretation of the rules regarding penalties:

A New Rule Interpretation by Dave Perry - Definition of Room

On  January 1, 2013, the new edition of The Racing Rules of Sailing go into effect. These rules are locked in through 2016. Dave Perry returns to the US Sailing Blog to explain some of the significant changes to the rules. Dave is a welcome authority on the rules, as chairman of the US Sailing Appeals Committee, Rules Advisor to the US Olympic Sailing Team and Artemis Racing, the Challenger for the America’s Cup, co-author of the North U Rules & Tactics seminar, and author of two books on the subject. Read Dave's interpretation on "the definition of Room":

A New Rule Interpretation by Dave Perry - Keep Clear

Rules authority Dave Perry helps explain some of the significant changes to The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2013-2016. Perry is chairman of the US Sailing Appeals Committee, and has served as Rules Advisor to the US Olympic Sailing Team.

One-Design Symposium Presentation Sneak Peeks

Dave Perry, Greg Fisher and Laura Jeffers are just a few of many presenters at US Sailing's 2013 One-Design Symposium, hosted by Cleveland Yachting Club in Rocky River, Ohio on January 11-13.

Greg Fisher & Laura Jeffers - "Attracting Young Adults and Making the College Connection"
There has always been discussion on the disconnect between college sailors and their future in the sport. Learn and discuss new and proven ideas to reach this generation and introduce them to one-design sailing. Learn what the Lightning Class has done to capture this interest through there highly successful Boat Grant Program.

A Helpful Tip from Laura & Greg:
Many college regattas might have space available to setup a boat (check with regatta organizers) and allow it be staffed by an enthusiastic fleet member. Better yet, have it in the water and allow the sailors to take it for rides to create the buzz.

Dave Perry - "The Racing Rules and Their Tactical Uses, including the Changes for 2013"
I intend to focus on several common race course situations, including starting and finishing line situations, close crossings upwind and down, and crowded mark roundings. I'll take a close look at the rules that apply in each, and some successful tactics based on knowing those rules. I also plan on explaining the changes to the racing rules that go into effect January 1, 2013. This includes the changes to the definition of Finish, Mark-Room and Mark, and the changes to Rule 41 about helping people in the water, Rule 42 about pumping, and the new Appendix T about percentage penalties taken ashore.

A Helpful Tip from Dave:
When racing upwind on port tack with another boat close to leeward, Rule 20 allows that boat to hail you for room to tack if she needs to make a major course change to avoid an approaching starboard-tack boat. Rule 20 requires you to respond by either tacking as soon as you can, or hailing back to her "You tack!" In almost all circumstances, it is better for you to hail, "You tack!" Rule 20 then requires the hailing boat to tack as soon as possible, and you now have the option of tacking close to leeward of the hailing boat (leebowing her), or ducking her and the approaching starboard tacker and continuing on port tack. Remember, if your plan is to duck the hailing boat when she tacks, be sure to create enough separation so that when she tacks, you can bear away and duck her without hitting her!

Learn more and register for the Symposium.

Daily Lift - Ideas for Teaching the Rules

Ideas for Teaching the Rules by Dave Perry

On the Water
• Practice starts with “live coaching” (vary the favored end)
• Starting line too short for all boats to fit at same time
• Extremely short beat (upwind start) or run (downwind start) – or start upwind, then reverse fleet and have them race to a nearby leeward mark
• Videotape races or sessions and do debrief on shore
• Pull boats aside right after incident and debrief while still fresh (have small dry-erase board in coach boat)
• Race around tiny track, keeping boats compressed
• Have sailors raise hands as they enter the zone; give feedback
• Create drills for ducking / slam dunking / lee-bowing
• Simulate rules situations right off the dock (with good sailors in boats and class on dock watching with an instructor doing “play by play”)

Daily Lift, Dave Perry's Racing Tip #6

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:

#6 Only try to win the start at the leeward end when you are 100 percent sure that you’ll win it.

For more tips and advice from Dave Perry see his book Winning in One Designs

Daily Lift - Dave Perry's Starting Tip #5

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:
#5 If you feel like being conservative and hanging back at the start, do it only at the windward end.

Come back next week for more Dave Perry starting tips!

Daily Lift - Dave Perry's Starting Tip #4

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:
#4 Don’t ever go in to leeward of a boat in final seconds before the start unless you are 100 percent sure you’ll make it out into clear air on the other side.

Remember to come back tomorrow for more starting tips from Dave Perry!

Daily Lift - Dave Perry's Starting Tip #3

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:

#3 Start as close as possible to the boat to windward of you, and as far as possible from the boat to leeward of you.

Remember to come back tomorrow for more racing tips from Dave Perry!

Daily Lift: Dave Perry's Starting Tip #2

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:
#2 Start close to or at full speed, regardless of where you choose to start.

Remember to come back tomorrow for more starting tips from Dave Perry!

Dave Perry's Starting Tip #1

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:

1. Don’t get to the line too early and have to stop and wait for the gun.

Come back tomorrow for another starting tip from Dave Perry

Daily Lift - Dave Perry Racing Tips

Dave Perry on laylines: tack about a minute before the layline. You are far enough under the starboard layline that there is little reason for a crossing port tacker to tack right on you. If a port tacker is just slightly ahead, you can wave them across so they don’t leebow you.

Daily Lift - Dave Perry Racing Tips

Dave Perry highly recommends getting a line sight unless you are 100% certain that you are starting right at the boat.  This is a simple and highly effective tool that is often overlooked by some of the best sailors.

 – Winning in One Designs, Dave Perry, p.88

Daily Lift

Racing tip by Dave Perry - Avoid Denial: In most situations, you know if your start is going to be good or not by the final minute before the gun. The sooner you can realize you aren’t going to break on through to the front row; the sooner you can tack and head for the right, while looking for a better hole or a lane on port tack in clear air. Remember, no one can go anywhere before the gun, so use all the time before the gun to find a better position.