Rules question - interesting situation

I initially posted this under 'Racing' but know most people don't read that group as often...

We were racing this past weekend in Manistee, Michigan with Cramracing.com and had an interesting finish on Sunday that resulted in two protests being filed and a huge swing in the results. I would like to get input on best racing strategy, and confirmation if it was ruled correctly.

Downwind leg toward the finish line, 200 yards out, we had 3 boats abreast all heading towards the pin end of the line, all on starboard tack. We will call them boats 1, 2, 3. Boat 1 was leeward, boat 3 was windward. Boat 1 was clear ahead when the sequence starts, but was being overtaken by boats 2 & 3. Boat 3 was heading a clear course to just inside the pin end of the finish line.

Boat 1 realized he was being over taken, and yells 'Leeward boat!' and starts heading to the pin. Boat 3 on the far end holds his course, sandwiching boat 2, which hollers the name of the skipper on boat 3 (we are all good friends) and starts to give way. There is simultaneous contact between all three boats and boat 1 hollers 'Protest, Protest, Protest', as they all proceed to the finish line with boat 3 crossing 1st, then boat 2, then boat 1.

After hearing the protest of boat 1 and boat 2 (which did NOT yell protest on the course), it was decided that both boat 2 and boat 3 are disqualified and awarded points as number of registered boats +2.

It was very exciting racing, and although the contact seemed very coincidental, the change in the results was huge! Almost too much penalty as it significantly altered the final results. (Due to lightning the 1st day, we didn't get enough races in to throw one out)

What are your thoughts on the ruling, and the strategy here?

Thanks in advance. By the way, I was on race committee and didn't even realize all this was going on until we hit the beach 4 hours later and got the protests. I did watch the exciting finish, and just thought it was great racing!

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Steve
1979 Hobie 16 "Orange Crusher"
2017 Hobie 16 "Cayman" sails 114795

Rules at a downwind finish are exactly the same as a downwind gate.

Outside of the three boat length circle, when boats are on the same tack, a boat clear ahead has right of way over a boat clear astern. A leeward boat has right of way over a windward boat (with limitations depending on how the overlap is established).

Once inside the three boat circle, an inside overlapped boat or a boat clear ahead has right of way over an outside boat or a boat clear astern.

So it really depends on when the overlaps were established relative to the circle. If Boats 2&3 became overlapped prior to the circle, then they have to keep clear of Boat 1 up until the point that the first boat reaches the circle, at which point the outside boat (Boat 1) would have to give the inside boats room. If Boat 1 was clear ahead at the time she reached the circle, then she does not have to give room and the other boats must keep clear.

sm

Thanks SRM, that helps. So outside the 3 boat circle, boat 1 can drive the other two far enough that they can't head up and hit the pin. Is this a common racing strategy? Or kind of a jerk move? or both!

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Steve
1979 Hobie 16 "Orange Crusher"
2017 Hobie 16 "Cayman" sails 114795

Since Boat 1 was clear ahead and to leeward, there are no limitations on how far up she can turn, the boats to windward must keep clear. So yes, she could take them up above the pin, force everyone outside the circle, and then jibe for the finish line

sm

To complete the discussion a little...

As srm stated, Boat 1 can head 'em up as far as she wants outside the circle because the overlap was created by them overtaking Boat 1 to windward. If Boat 1 had overlapped them to leeward and within two boat lengths, she could sail no higher than her proper course.

It seems that, regardless of right-of-way, Boat 1 could have avoided the contact altogether but did not. If so, she technically broke Rule 14 (Avoiding Contact), and she is only exonerated from that if there is no damage or injury.

Point being that there are limits to just about everything one can do on the course, even when one has right-of-way.

Unless Boat 3 could roll the others and get clear ahead, she was sort of SOL...maybe jibe outta there and hope for better wind or a shorter course toward the other end of the line...and expect that Boat 1 would shut out 2. Boat 2 probably only had the latter option.

I don't have megatons of close encounter downwind finish experience, but in general it seems like it's very important to look ahead and get out of such situations early, rather than continuing in hopes that things will improve when they usually just get tighter/more limited.

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16

Thanks, all. It is rare to see a race so close. When the overlaps started they were probably all like 1.5 boat widths apart, and slowly got to within a foot of separation. Boat 2 finally turned away about the same time boat 1 turned down, and their sterns tapped, about the same time that the bow of boat 2 tapped the bow of boat 3. It was all minor, incidental contact.

We did discuss rule 14 briefly, but dismissed it for the reasons you mentioned. All three competitors know each other well, and knew they were testing the limits of their knowledge of the rules, so we had an open discussion at the 'trial' in front of all the competitors to learn from it, which may be unusual, but very appreciated by everyone.

Lastly, we don't specify the penalty for a DSQ in the Sailing Instructions, and I don't see the scoring penalty spelled out in the Racing Rules of Sailing. We will add this to our SI in the future. Did I miss it somewhere? Or is it not specified?

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Steve
1979 Hobie 16 "Orange Crusher"
2017 Hobie 16 "Cayman" sails 114795

Rules A5.3 and A6.1 in Apppendix A.


By the way, it probably depends on some of the particulars, but if Boat 3's failure to head up prevented Boat 2 from being able to keep clear of Boat 1, I believe Boat 2 should have been exonerated.

Sounds like y'all handled the situation well.

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16