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Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
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Author:  SaltySailor [ Thu Sep 03, 2009 1:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
After a 15-year absence from Hobie racing (and pretty much sailing, in general), I'm going to be entering some Hobie regattas in the coming months. I've kept pretty much all of my strategy/tuning books (Rick White, Phil Berman, etc.), but I suspect that some of the rules/strategies in certain racing situations have changed. Even the name of the governing organization has changed from IYRU to ISAF.

What would you say are the 2-3 most significant rule changes impacting Hobie racing that have occurred since the early 90's?

TIA
Author:  mmiller [ Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
Race courses, especially gates (leeward mark). No more A-B reaching. Mostly windward leeward courses.
Author:  MBounds [ Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
The zone around marks has grown from 2 boatlengths to 3 boatlengths.

There's no such thing as "mast abeam" anymore.

Starting sequence has gone from 10 minutes to 5.

Mid-race course changes to account for wind shifts are much more prevalent now.
Author:  SaltySailor [ Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
mmiller wrote:
No more A-B reaching.


You mean, no more wicked pitchpoles!?! :lol:
Author:  SaltySailor [ Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
MBounds wrote:
The zone around marks has grown from 2 boatlengths to 3 boatlengths.


Thanks, that's a biggie!
Author:  Hammond [ Sun Sep 06, 2009 11:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
Are you required to give room at a downwind finish? i.e. Port Starboard or inside overlap?
Author:  MBounds [ Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
Hammond wrote:
Are you required to give room at a downwind finish? i.e. Port Starboard or inside overlap?


Yes. Each end of the finish line is a mark. If you're coming in on port tack, by definition, you're overlapped with all the starboard tack boats. Once you're in the zone, you can call for room, but you need to bear off / jibe at the left hand mark (looking upwind) to preserve your rights.
Author:  h17cat [ Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
:D See "Rules in play", Hobie Cat Hotline March/April 2009, by Matt Bounds. Good overview of rules, with pictures.
http://www.hca-na.org and go to the online issue.
Caleb Tarleton
Author:  h17cat [ Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
mmiller wrote:
Race courses, especially gates (leeward mark). No more A-B reaching. Mostly windward leeward courses.

:) Our regattas in the North West this year, all featured the return of the "B" reaching mark. More fun to use all the numbers on the Hobie Course card. Also, makes you check the course at the start.
Caleb Tarleton
Author:  Little Wing [ Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
I'm confused... is it important to know the rules or not?
Author:  J_Eaton [ Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
Little Wing wrote:
I'm confused... is it important to know the rules or not?
If you know at least these rules, you'll be able to get safely around the course.

http://www.ussailing.org/rules/RulesInBrief.htm

I sense someone may have told you that you didn't need to know the rules to come to a regatta? Which is true, just make sure you announce this as your first "goat roping" and someone can sit down and review the basics with you. If you have a situation on the course your unsure of, ask questions afterwards.

Most sailors are eager to help the newcomer understand the rules so they'll have a good time and keep coming back. You'll soon learn the more boats on the course the more fun racing becomes. The more knowledge, imparted to others, helps the new and seasoned racer become better sailors...you rise to the level of your competition :)
Author:  MBounds [ Wed Sep 09, 2009 12:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
Little Wing wrote:
I'm confused... is it important to know the rules or not?


It's important to understand the basics. After all, the racing rules are derived from the basic rules of the "road" (International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea - IRPCAS, formerly known as COLREGS).

Would you drive a car without knowing the rules of the road?

It's not important to understand the nuances of the rules until you gain more experience. By contunuing to race, you build up a "situational experience knowledge base" so that you know what to do in a particular situation, without necessarily knowing the rules behind why you do what you do. That's when it's beneficial to do a more scholarly review of the rules - to understand "why".
Author:  Little Wing [ Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
So I will rise to the level of the competition after how many races? Why not just learn the rules to start with so I'm not a hazard on the course to myself and others, plus i won't have to announce that this is my first goat roping. Sounds to me like there is a differing opinion as to general course set up. One says AC, some one else says we did races with a B mark, all season. But then this is determined by the race committee correct?
Author:  MBounds [ Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
Little Wing wrote:
So I will rise to the level of the competition after how many races?

Depends on how fast you learn. I've been doing this for 36 years and I'm still learning stuff. That's what keeps it interesting.

Little Wing wrote:
Why not just learn the rules to start with so I'm not a hazard on the course to myself and others, plus i won't have to announce that this is my first goat roping.

It's much easier to learn by doing. I think it's more important to get out sailing, get proficient and confident with your boat handling than to know the rules chapter and verse. You're making this a bigger deal than it is.

Little Wing wrote:
Sounds to me like there is a differing opinion as to general course set up. One says AC, some one else says we did races with a B mark, all season. But then this is determined by the race committee correct?

The RC sets the course, but it's the competitors that let the RC know what they want. Windward/Leeward courses provide more passing lanes than triangles, which tend to turn into parades. Triangles provide the excitement of high speed reaching, as long as there's wind. There's the "crash & burn" factor with tight reaches.

It depends on what the competitors want.

At the H-14 NAs in Toronto last month, the ride back to the beach was a screaming reach over a mile long. It was a hoot doing that in 6' waves and 15 kts! Especially after 5 winward/leeward races. We probably should have had at least one course 3 (S-A-C-A-B-C-F), but the RC wasn't set up for it. Wasn't a big deal.
Author:  Little Wing [ Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Most significant rules changies in past 15 years?
Well....that clears things up...... I think I'll stick to being the guy that is out there taking the mile long reaches, all day long, not on the course.
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