Daily Lift - Rules Quiz

As the powerboat approaches the sailboat from astern, the overtaking powerboat must keep clear. The overtaking boat must keep clear regardless of whether it is a powerboat or another sailboat. The one exception is large barges or vessels that are confined to deep channels of water.

Daily Lift - Rules Quiz

A sailboat is being approached from astern by a powerboat. The powerboat is rapidly gaining on the sailboat and is on course to run over the sailboat. Which boat must keep clear? Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift - Penalty Turns Continued...

Boat T’s protest is disallowed. Rules 44.1 and 44.2, Penalties at the Time of an Incident, permit a boat that has touched a mark to take a one-turn penalty by getting "well clear" of other boats as soon as possible before promptly making one turn that includes a tack and a jibe . Boat Q properly complies with rule 44.2, and is exonerated for touching the mark.

Daily Lift - Penalty Turns

Boat Q touches the windward mark. Instead of bearing away around the mark, Q continues on a close-hauled course for a few boat lengths. When well clear of the other boats, she promptly executes a penalty turn and continues racing. Boat T protests her for not doing a 360 degree turn immeditately after touching the mark. You are on the protest committee; has Q fulfilled her penalty obligation appropriately? Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift - Rules Quiz Answer

No, Boat X does not break a rule. Rule 50, Setting and Sheeting Sails, does not require the tack of the spinnaker be in close proximity to the outboard end of the spinnaker pole when it is in use.

Daily Lift - Rules Quiz Question

Boat X rounds the windward mark to begin the run. She immediately sets her spinnaker but for several minutes the tack of the spinnaker is at least two feet from the outboard end of the pole. Has X broken any rule? Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift

Immediately before the starting signal, the crew on Boat X hikes out and momentarily extends his arms straight out over his head. At the starting signal his hands are on the course side of the starting line but the boat’s hull is behind the line. The race committee signals an individual recall, and subsequently scores X as OCS (On the Course Side) because she did not return to the pre-start side of the line and start thereby breaking the rule 28.1, Sailing the Course. X requests redress under rule 62.1(a), Redress. At the hearing, X claims that the race committee has erred in that her hull was behind the starting line at the starting signal, and her crew’s hands were not in a normal position at the time. You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this?

Daily Lift

In 18 knots of breeze, Laser X is about 10 seconds early for the start, so her helmsman leans back and drags his upper body in the water for 5 seconds, effectively slowing the boat and permitting a proper start. Having witnessed this, a competitor protests Laser X. You are on the protest committee; how do you decide this? Come back tomorrow for the answer.

Daily Lift

Boat M’s request for redress is denied.  Rule 26, Starting Races, states that “Times shall be taken from the visual signals; the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded.”

Daily Lift

Five seconds prior to the start, Boat M is reaching along the starting line awaiting the starting gun so she can luff to close-hauled and start the race. Five to eight seconds later, and still no starting gun, some boats luff to close-hauled and start.  Ten seconds later the gun sounds and M starts.  She finishes poorly in the race are requests redress under rule 62.1(a), Redress.  At the hearing the race committee chairman explains that the class flag was lowered precisely at the correct time but the shotgun misfired several times until it finally went off ten seconds late.  You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this? Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift

Boat P is penalized under rule 10, On Opposite Tacks.  Under rule 21.1, Starting Errors; Taking Penalties; Moving Astern, S does not lose her right of way until she is sailing back towards the pre-start side of the starting line or its extensions.

Daily Lift

Immediately after the starting signal, the race committee signals an ‘Individual Recall’ and clearly hails Boat S’s number.  S (on starboard tack) luffs her sails in an attempt to slow down so that she can clear herself from other boats and return to the start.  Boat P (on port tack), on a collision course with S, decides that S is a “premature starter” with no rights , and tries to cross ahead of S.  S bears away ten degrees to avoid P, and protests.  You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this? Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift

Boat S is penalized for breaking rule 14, Avoiding Contact.  Given that she “accidentally” hit P, the presumption is that it was “reasonably possible” for her to have avoided contact with P had she been more careful.  However, S, as a right-of-way boat, cannot be penalized for breaking run 14 unless the contact causes damage or injury to either boat.  In this case, S was damaged and therefore she is penalized for breaking rule 14.  She could have exonerated herself by doing a Two-Turns Penalty, but she failed to do so leaving disqualification as the only penalty available to the protest committee (rule 64.1(a), Penalties and Exoneration)

Daily Lift

Boat S and P, two close-hauled dinghies, are approaching each other on a collision course in medium breeze.  P fails to keep clear and S bears away to pass astern of P.  As she passes astern of P, S accidentally hits the starboard corner of P’s transom, putting a small crack in S’s bow and a 12-inch scratch along her starboard bow.  She is safely able to continue in the race.  P immediately does a Two-Turns Penalty and protests S.   You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this? Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift

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

Daily Lift

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? Come back tomorrow for the answer!