I received an email from Larry Robinson on an interesting oops in the rules. The following email is on rule 18.2.a and the problems it can cause.

I am sure that you, like I, have heard of or received proposals to 'fix' various rules. Unfortunately, I think that it is often more difficult than it sounds.

As an example for your amusement, I wonder how many of us spotted the problem with the current RRS 18.2 (a). I sure did not. And its been staring me in the face for a number of years now. As you read this, imagine being on an ISAF racing rules committee and being responsible for finding things like what follows when new rules are proposed.

Dick Rose discusses the problem in his column in the September issue of Sailing World, and I'll abstract the pertinent stuff for you here:

[editor's note: Dick Rose, for those who may not be familiar with the name, was the chairman of the ISAF committee that wrote the 'new rules' (RRS 1997 - 2000), and is currently on 3 ISAF rules committees, as well as being a past chairman and current member of the USSA racing rules committee. In addition he writes and lectures extensively on the rules.]

The problem with RRS 18.2 (a) does not occur with port roundings, and because most full size boat races use port roundings, it has not been noticed much. However in match racing, starboard roundings are the norm, and starboard roundings often have to be used in radio sailed races because of course layout concerns.

The current rule:
18.2 Giving Room; Keeping Clear
(a) When boats are overlapped before one of them reaches the two-length zone, if the outside boat has right of way she shall give the inside boat room to pass the mark or obstruction, or if the inside boat has right of way the outside boat shall keep clear. If they are still overlapped when one of them reaches the two-length zone, the outside boat's obligation continues even if the overlap is broken later. This rule does not apply if the outside boat is unable to give room when the overlap begins."

Imagine a situation with starboard roundings, where two boats, A and B, approach the weather mark. Suppose Boat A is on the starboard layline to the mark and has just entered the zone. Now suppose Boat B, having approached on Port, tacks onto starboard into a leeward overlapped position. Notice that the boats were not overlapped when one of them reached the zone. RRS 18.2 would apply only if the boats were overlapped before entering the zone. Therefore RRS 18.2 (a) does not apply, and B does not have to give A room to pass the mark under this rule. This was not what the ISAF RRC intended to happen according to Dick. He should know!

USSA is going to ask ISAF to change the above rule to avoid the problem in the next installment of the RRS.

Because this problem crops up in match racing, and the Americas Cup Trials are fast approaching, the ISAF RRC has worked on several solutions. On June 1 1999, Appendix C (which deals with match racing) was changed so that for match racing RRS 18.2 (a) becomes:

18.2 Giving Room: Keeping Clear
(a) Except when Rule 18.2 (b) applies, when boats are overlapped, if the outside boat has right of way she shall give the inside boat room to pass the mark or obstruction, or if the inside boat has right of way the outside boat shall keep clear. If they are still overlapped when one of them reaches the two-length zone, the outside boat's obligation continues even if the overlap is broken later. This rule does not apply if the outside boat is unable to give room when the overlap begins.

I do not know if this wording, or some other solution, will be proposed as a general solution for the 2001-2004 racing rules.

(Incidentally, RRS 18.3 would not apply in the situation described because boat B's tack was not 'to pass the mark or obstruction'. It still has one more tack to make to pass the mark, rounding it to starboard.)

The problem with the current RRS 18.2 (a) was not that obvious on first glance, and I think this does emphasize the difficulty of writing rules.

Larry Robinson
AMYA RRC Chairman