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

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!

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.

North U Rules & Tactics Quiz 7:

A) Two overlapped close-hauled port tack boats are approaching a starboard tacker. The windward port tacker could cross the starboard boat. The leeward boat hails, “I need Room to Tack!” Now What?

B) Would it make a difference if they were approaching a finish boat?

Visit North U for answers to these quiz questions.

Learn all about the Right of Way Rules, their limitations and the Mark Room and Obstruction Rules, and related tactics at a North U Rules & Tactics Seminar, discounted for US Sailing members. 

For more on the rules, get Dave Perry’s Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing Through 2016 (which includes the complete rule book) and Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes available at the US Sailing Store.

New Racing Rules of Sailing App is now Available
The App incorporates Dave Perry's Understanding the Racing Rules Through 2016, and is available for the iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch on the App Store.

The Racing Rules are more accessible than ever. 

North U Rules & Tactics Quiz 6

The starting signal occurs at position 2.

1) What rules apply to these two boats at each position?

2) Does any boat commit a foul?

Visit North U for answers to these quiz questions.

Learn all about the Right of Way Rules, their limitations and the Mark Room and Obstruction Rules, and related tactics at a North U Rules & Tactics Seminar, discounted for US Sailing members. 

For more on the rules, get Dave Perry’s Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing Through 2016 (which includes the complete rule book) and Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes available at the US Sailing Store.

New Racing Rules of Sailing App is now Available
The App incorporates Dave Perry's Understanding the Racing Rules Through 2016, and is available for the iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch on the App Store.

The Racing Rules are more accessible than ever. 

North U Rules & Tactics Quiz 4

1) Is Yellow allowed to change course so close to Blue?

2) What rule(s) applies to Yellow’s course change?

3) If the answer to #1 is “it depends”, on what does it depend?

Visit North U for answers to these quiz questions.

Learn all about the Right of Way Rules, their limitations and the Mark Room and Obstruction Rules, and related tactics at a North U Rules & Tactics Seminar, discounted for US Sailing members. 

For more on the rules, get Dave Perry’s Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing Through 2016 (which includes the complete rule book) and Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes available at the US Sailing Store.

New Racing Rules of Sailing App is now Available
The App incorporates Dave Perry's Understanding the Racing Rules Through 2016, and is available for the iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch on the App Store.

The Racing Rules are more accessible than ever. 

North U Rules & Tactics Quiz 3:

For Sequence A
1) What rules apply at position 1, 2, 3 & 4? (Rule 14, Avoiding Contact, always applies)
2) Are any rules broken?

For Sequence B
3) Did Blue break any rule? If so, what rule, and what did she do that broke it?
4) Does it matter if the incident occurs at a finishing mark?

For Both
5) How are the rules different in the two scenarios?
6) Any tactical thoughts?

Visit North U for answers to these quiz questions.

Learn all about the Right of Way Rules, their limitations and the Mark Room and Obstruction Rules, and related tactics at a North U Rules & Tactics Seminar, discounted for US Sailing members. 

For more on the rules, get Dave Perry’s Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing Through 2016 (which includes the complete rule book) and Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes available at the US Sailing Store.

New Racing Rules of Sailing App is now Available
The App incorporates Dave Perry's Understanding the Racing Rules Through 2016, and is available for the iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch on the App Store.

The Racing Rules are more accessible than ever. 

US Sailing Rules and Tactics Seminar Quiz 1 & 2

North U Rules & Tactics Quiz 1:  
The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2013-2016 has 91 rules and 184 pages.

How many "Right of Way" rules are there?

North U Rules & Tactics Quiz 2: 
You’re on starboard tack racing upwind, and a port tack boat hails, “Tack or Cross?”
    A: What rules apply in this situation?
    B: How should you respond?
    C: What should Port do in turn?
 

Visit North U for answers to these quiz questions.

Learn all about the Right of Way Rules, their limitations and the Mark Room and Obstruction Rules, and related tactics at a North U Rules & Tactics Seminar, discounted for US Sailing members. 

For more on the rules, get Dave Perry’s Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing Through 2016 (which includes the complete rule book) and Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes available at the US Sailing Store.

New Racing Rules of Sailing App is now Available
The App incorporates Dave Perry's Understanding the Racing Rules Through 2016, and is available for the iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch on the App Store.

The Racing Rules are more accessible than ever. 

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 - North U. Seminars

With the new Racing Rule Sailing taking effect on January 1, 2013, North U. and US Sailing are preparing for the 2013 Rules & Tactics Seminars. Visit North U. for information on how to host a seminar at your sailing organization.

Daily Lift

The race committee’s action to score Boat X OCS is upheld. Rule 28.1, Sailing the Course, requires boats to “start”. The definition of Start states that “A boat starts when, having been entirely on the pre-start side of the starting line at or after her starting signal, and having complied with rule 30.1 if it applies, any part of her hull, crew or equipment crosses the starting line in the direction of the first mark.”No mention is made of “normal position.” Because X did not have her hull, crew and equipment entirely on the pre-start side of the line at or after the starting signal, she failed to start. Under the rule A5, Scores Determined by the Race Committee, the race committee has the authority to score X OCS without giving her a hearing.

Daily Lift

Do you have an iPhone or an Android phone? Search for the "Racing Rules of Sailing" to download the rulebook application to your phone! http://bit.ly/wa9oBI