Windward Leeward

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Windward Leeward

Postby Jon Luscomb » Fri Aug 31, 2012 4:23 pm

Jon and Chuck were having a very tight race in the last race of the Arctic Regional Winter Series. Their hands were really cold and both were pressing their thumbs on the TX knobs so tightly that they had imprints dug into there thumbs...a freak condition commonly known as "Al Dion Thumb". It happens that they were tied for the lead and whomever beat the other in this race would win the coveted and very tasty Frozen Elephant Seal Trophy and would qualify for the largest EC-12 regatta: The World Orca Cup in Satiago, Chilie. ALL EXPENSE PAID!

They rounded the top mark very close, overlapped and without incendent. Jon, a tad ahead, had to sightly shoot the mark and as he rounded tightly on the inside, Chuck stayed clear of Jon (but just barely). The tight rounding slowed Jon slightly and Chuck made a slight gain and was half a boat length ahead, still overlapped, still close and now to windward as they cleared the zone. The next leg of the course was a reach to a gybe mark. Jon began to hail Chuck to come up and began to luff Chuck. Chuck hailed back "Mast abeam you can't come up you dummy!" Jon continued to luff Chuck and very light contact occured with no damage or decrease in speed to either sailor. Jon was really ticked and in a cloud forming scream yelled "You jack@** there is no such thing as mast abeam, when was the last time you read the rules...the rest was inteLligble for Jon had gone apoplectic and bowed up. Chuck said "shut up ding wad and sail your boat . I don't think you touched me anyway bone head!" Spitting, Jon yelled " Jon Protests Chuck, Jon Protests Chuck. Chuck says "you big baby, even if you did touch me it was incedental contact and you were not harmed"..."just sail your boat"! As the heated discussion continued and elevated between them, the remainder of the fleet made huge gains because these two sailed way off course and luffed as they yelled at each other. Once Jon and Chuck saw what was happening and with the whole regatta at risk, both sailed on without another word, acknowledgement or any circles. Jon beat Chuck (but just barely). Reichart Greer, a polar bear vetrinarian, saw this heated exchange and after the finish lodged a third party protest against both Jon and Chuck with two witnesses (Ricky and Becky Bobilou, a cute newlywed eskimo couple) that would attest to what happened between Jon and Chuck. If both Jon and Chuck were tossed, Reichard Greer would win and sail in the prestiges all expense paid World Orca Cup. If Jon were tossed Chuck would win and Reichert would place second. Judge Ken Morris and Budist rules guy Tom Germer would hear the protest.

What rule(s) would apply for Reichert's use? How would it come out? Can Jon protest Chuck still? Does mast abeam mean anything to any of you?


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Re: Windward Leeward

Postby tag1945 » Sat Sep 01, 2012 9:40 am

Jon and Chuck incident Two

Jon Protested Chuck for not keeping Clear (Rule 11).

Reichart Greer Protested both Jon and Chuck for Misconduct (Rule 69).

The Protest Committee calls the hearing to order.
Facts Found:

https://home.comcast.net/~tagermer/Jon%20and%20Chuck%20incident.jpg

1. Jon is a dummy, a ding wad and a big baby
2. Chuck is a jack@**
3. Jon and Chuck were overlapped on the same tack (Rule 11).
4. As Jon and Chuck entered the zone of the weather mark, overlapped, (Rule 18.2b) required Chuck to provide mark-room for Jon.
5. Chuck provided mark-room for Jon and both boats rounded the weather mark on a starboard reach to the gybe mark.
6. After both boats had left the zone, they remained overlapped with Chuck about a half boat length ahead and windward of Jon.
7. Jon hail Chuck to "come up" and began to luff towards Chuck.
8. Chuck hailed back "Mast abeam, you can't come up".
9. Jon got angry shouted "you jack@**, there is no such thing as mast abeam" and continued to luff up towards Chuck.
10. Chuck responded "shut up ding wad and sail your boat!"
11. Jon continued to luff and hit the aft port quarter of Chuck's boat without any damage and then Jon yelled "Jon Protests Chuck" twice.
12. Chuck said "even if you did touch me, it was incidental contact and you were not harmed", "just sail your boat"
13. As the argument continued between, both Jon and Chuck sailed way off course and the fleet made huge gains on them.

The Protest committee did not hear evidence that would allow the committee to determine if Rule 17 applied to Jon's luffing rights. No evidence of how the original overlap, between Jon and Chuck, was presented to the committee.

If Jon had obtained and overlap to leeward of Chuck from Clear astern within two boat lengths, then Jon would be the ROW boat (Rule 11) but (Rule 17) would limit Jon from sailing above his Proper Course while the overlap continued within two boat lengths.

While approaching the weather mark, Chuck did keep clear and provided Mark-Room to Jon to round the mark (Rule 18.2b). After passing the mark and leaving the zone, Jon did luff above his Proper Course. Without evidence to conclude if either Rule 17 limited Jon from luffing or not, the Protest Committee dismissed Jon's protest.

Jon also made contact with Chuck, without damage, and broke Rule 14. Both Jon and Chuck had the opportunity to avoid contact and did not take any action to avoid this contact. Because Jon was the ROW boat and there was no damage, Jon would be exonerated for the breach of Rule 14. Chuck also broke Rule 14 by failing to avoid contact. If Chuck had presented evidence that Rule 17 was in effect, then Chuck could be exonerated for breaking Rule 14 by Rule 64.1c. If Chuck believed that Jon was limited by Rule 17, he was still required to avoid contact! Since the protest committee could not establish how Jon and Chuck’s overlap began, no further action will be taken by the committee for Jon’s protest.

Rule 69.1 (a) When a protest committee, from its own observation or a report received from any source, believes that a competitor may have committed a gross breach of a rule, good manners or sportsmanship, or may have brought the sport into disrepute, it may call a hearing.

Reichart Greer's Protest of misconduct by both Jon and Chuck was heard by the committee with the following facts found.

1. Proper procedures for communication between skippers were not followed. Yelling and Cursing are not permitted and may have brought the sport into disrepute. Chuck's response to Jon's protest should have been an acknowledgement of Jon’s protest, not an argument. Jon's name calling in response to Chuck, also will not be permitted.
2. Our sport has many people who come to participate or just watch with their children at our regattas and displays such as Jon and Chuck presented are not acceptable!
3. Two witnesses, Ricky and Becky Bobilou, confirmed the conduct between Jon and Chuck.

Rule 69.1b spells out penalties that the Protest Committee can award for this kind of gross misconduct. This Protest Committee awarded DSQ for both Jon and Chuck for the heat in question. This DSQ cannot be excluded from boat's score. Jon and Chuck were further warned that this kind of conduct will not be tolerated and can result in being awarded DSQ for all remaining heats in the regatta. This DSQ awarded could possibly prevent either Jon or Chuck from winning the regatta.

The committee reminded both Jon and Chuck that respect for the rules and their conduct while racing, is seen by spectators and other skippers. The rules are there to ensure that all competitors have an equal opportunity to enjoy this great hobby, sport and bring in new skippers.

Note:
To be successful at a protest hearing you must take time to ensure that the Protest Committee has all the necessary information on the incident to make a fair decision. It is important that the Sailing Instructions and at the skipper’s briefings, remind all skippers of conduct that will not be tolerated.

What happened before the incident?
(how overlap began?)
What happened at the incident?
(details of the incident)
(witnesses to the incident)
What happened after the incident?


Mast abeam is no longer in the rules. Rule 11 and limitations to the ROW boat, from rule 16 and 17, cover luffing limitations.

Mast abeam
a racing term, no longer in the rules, is called by the helm of a windward boat during a luffing match to curtail the luff of a leeward boat when windward boat is abeam of the leeward boat's mast.

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