Finish a Race on the Course Side of the Line

Background

Boats were finishing tonight's race from 24 to H.  The committee boat's finish line was not perpendicular to the last leg.  It really could not have been since boats in the other class were finishing from G.  It was clear when looking from the committee boat to 24 that H should be left to starboard by the finishing yachts.  It was also clear when looking at the finish line from 24.  The current was ebbing hard and boats were sliding south as they approached the finish.  Since they had slid so far to the right on their approach, they were not able to tell which side of the line they needed to cross in order to finish.  Some boats finished from the wrong side and then called on the radio to dispute that they should be allowed to finish from either side.  The following excerpts of the rules will attempt to show that there was only one side that they should have finished from and they were wrong to try and finish from the other side.  This has been an issue in two previous races from past years and I blogged about it both times.

Past Blogs

This blog from 8/19/2009 used the old set of rules to discuss a similar situation.

This blog from 6/1/2011 also covered a similar situation and references the proper case. 

My Own Observations and Race Decisions

Having blogged about finish line issues in the past, I began to be concerned as to which side to leave H on while we were on the second to last leg (F to 24).  As we approached 24, I instructed the crew to keep a careful eye on H and the committee boat to see if it was clear which side we would need to leave H to as we finished.  I talk mostly about H since it was much closer to the last mark than the committee boat, so we knew that we would be finishing right next to H.

At 24, we took a sight to H and the committee boat.  With H being much closer and to the right of the committee boat, we saw clearly that H would need to be left to starboard in order for us to finish from the course side of the line.  As we rounded 24, we sighted H against the bridge in the distance to make sure we did not lose gauge to it due to the current.  In other words, I wanted to have the boat head straight to H over the ground.  To do this, I had to steer a course 10-20 degrees to the left of H since the current was pushing us right. 

We were able to maintain a relatively straight line over the ground and it was clear the entire time that H would be left to starboard in order to finish properly.  Before finishing, I gave notice to the crew that if there was no horn, we would need to round H to port and cross the line from the other direction.  It seemed clear that we were finishing properly, but I thought it best to be prepared for any possibility, especially since we had a five minute advantage on the rest of the fleet.

As we passed H to starboard, I headed downwind to cross the line immediately.  The horn blew and we sailed on away from the line.  We had finished.

Observations on the Next Boats

The next two boats behind us sailed a different course.  It appeared that they pointed their boats at H for much of the leg.  As such, they were continually swept to the right.  As they got closer to H, they came from an angle that eventually put them on the wrong side of the finish line.  Since they sailed so far from the rhumb line, they could not tell which side to finish on.  They crossed from the wrong side.

Radio Misinformation

At least one of the boats instructed the race committee that they could finish from either side of the line.  This was wrong and should not have been broadcast.  They were correct in asking the race committee to take their time, but they should also record the time of their own finish.  The proper procedure is to request redress if you believe the race committee made an error.

Rules Involved

Finish A boat finishes when any part of her hull, or crew or equipment in normal position, crosses the finishing line from the course side. However, she has not finished if after crossing the finishing line she

(a) takes a penalty under rule 44.2,

(b) corrects an error under rule 28.2 made at the line, or

(c) continues to sail the course.

The definition of finish mentions that a boat must cross the finishing line from the course side.  Looking from 24 to the finish, it was clear that the pin should be left to starboard.  This was also evident after the race by looking from the committee boat back to 24 and seeing the pin to the left of the line of sight.  The difference was not slight.  It was at least 10 degrees from being parallel.

The boats may claim that the finishing line was laid so nearly in line with the last leg that it cannot be determined which is the correct way to cross it in order to finish.  This argument is illustrated in Case 82 of the rules. 

Case 82  

When a finishing line is laid so nearly in line with the last leg that it cannot be determined which is the correct way to cross it in order to finish according to the definition, a boat may cross the line in either direction and her finish is to be recorded accordingly.

This case would not apply to the race.  The case involved a committee boat that was swinging on anchor causing the line to swing from one side to the other from the last leg.  The line during our race did not vary in the steady wind and current.  It was clear before, during, and after the race that the pin should be left to starboard when finishing from 24.

The boats may claim that from where they were it was not clear.  That may be the case, but their error in allowing the current to sweep them far from the rhumb line does not mean the line was laid nearly in line with the last leg.  There was a clear way to cross the line and they crossed from the wrong direction. 

Rule 28.2 explains that you would have to go around the end of the line to re-finish.

28.2 A string representing a boat’s track from the time she begins to approach the starting line from its pre-start side to start until she finishes shall, when drawn taut,

(a) pass each mark on the required side and in the correct order,

(b) touch each rounding mark, and

(c) pass between the marks of a gate from the direction of the previous mark.

She may correct any errors to comply with this rule, provided she has not finished.

 

 

 

 

Summer Race #10

Winds were good from the SW between 4-8 knots.  Skies were clear.  Full moon rose early in the evening.  Current was ebbing.  Course for A&B was from H to K to G and back.  C sailed H to G and back.

We motored out of the harbor at 17:30 and put up the main and jib.  It was a nice tight reach to the starting area.  We sailed upwind a bit and it seemed like the right side would be favored.  We went to the starting line and found it to be square to the wind with maybe a slight advantage at the port end.

We were surprised when the announcement came over the radio that all divisions would go to G as the first mark, since K was the upwind mark.  The original course selection was also odd since boats would be finishing on opposite sides of the same line.  After some complaining from the A&B division boats, the course for them was changed and they were given a true upwind leg.

For us in C, the course remained G and back.  It was a reach to reach course with very little strategy involved after the start.  So we looked over the line again and found the pin end to be much closer to G than the boat.  Since the line was mostly square, if not pin favored, we knew we would start at the pin. 

As the start approached, we ran the line on port and flipped over to starboard with 45 seconds to go.  There was a C2 boat in position to win the pin, so we took an aggressive shot head to wind to slow ourselves and then settled into a reach to get that speed back up for the starting gun.  We hit the line on time and held a close-hauled course for the first half of the leg.  I wanted to make sure we did not have boats going over the top of us.  Once we were on the windward edge of the fleet, we headed down for more of a reach and got to G in a hurry. 

We were first around, but had to navigate through the other 15 boats that were headed to G on starboard.  Once through them, we had an easy sail to the finish.  One boat was close to passing us as we got close to G, but they failed to adjust their sails to the reaching angle we were on close to the mark and slowed down.  Other than that, it was a quiet race.

Looking back at the fleet on the reach.

A&B fleets reaching to G from K.

We never tacked during the race.   It was a close reach followed by a slightly broader reach.  The whole affair took about 30 minutes.  We were done by 18:45.  The course should have sent us to K for the first mark.  Buoy races should always start with an upwind leg if possible.  You want the boats to have a chance to separate and use tactics in the race.  A reach to reach race is all about the start and then boat-speed. 

After the brief race, we sailed around for another hour or so.  The wind was nice and the full moon made for a nice evening of sailing.  When it finally got really dark around 20:00, we headed in and went over for pizza.  This time we made it in time to get some fresh slices.

With the season over, I would like to thank John Nonenmacher and John Edwards for their hard work putting this whole series together. Many boats and their crew also deserve praise for doing their turn as Race Marshall. It was a great season and I look forward to next year.

Moon at 19:14, shortly after rising.

19:30, still enough sunlight to see Gusto and the moon is taking over.

Summer Race #9

Winds were light from the SSW between 2 and 8 knots.  Current was slack, moving to ebb.  Skies were partly cloudy.  Course for all divisions was from H to K to G and back to H.  

Tonight was a east side favored night for the upwind leg.  We recognized this before the start.  The line was fairly square, so we decided to run the line on starboard and start near the pin.  As the start time was approaching, we had a lot of steam and we were early to the pin by at least 10 seconds.  With 40 to go, a boat tacked right in front of us, so we headed down to hook them to leeward.  At this point, we were going way to fast and came up tight while easing the sails to try and slow down.  This worked for our boat speed, but it forced the other boat over the line early.

We dipped back down with 20 seconds to go and began to get some speed.  With 8 seconds to go, we headed back up to the line and trimmed in for speed.  We got off the line on the end we wanted.  Unfortunately, we did not stick with our pre-race plan and found ourselves on the right side of the course.  The left was favored with current and possibly with wind too, but we missed it. 

After some back and forth up the course, we settled back into the left side and were able to get around K ahead of the fleet.  We held off the fleet for the entire leg and then stretched out on the final leg for a win.

Many boats got caught in the time limit.  It is important to note that the time limit for the early start races is 20:15, not 20:30.  I believe this was a new addition for this year. 

After the race, the wind was light, but we kept sailing.  Soon a NW wind filled in and we were back to sailing in a decent breeze.  This kept us going for another 45 minutes before dying out and then we headed in.

The Half Moon was back on the bay.  Here is a rough video.