by Capt. Flak » Sat Jun 13, 2015 3:20 pm
Boy I tell you, you read the rules all the time and each time you find something you didn't notice before.
Not sure why they would delete this rule except that maybe it has never really mattered. Let's just say Scott and I have a small tangle prior to the start and I decided to sail my boat ashore for a quick check. I am taking myself out of the sequence of a good start and will most likely be late or in a bad position when I do start. So why make me also hold the boat until the bell? Except for whatever foul between Scott and I, I have not broken any racing rules by touching my boat.
I have only seen one person win a start while being forced to hold his boat until the bell. That was Danny Thomas in Charleston and the mark just 15 feet or so from the shore with the fleet all working for position at the far end of the line. After he got done fixing his boat he held it by the transom with the sails already set for the fast reach to the mark. He simply let go of the boat when the bell sounded and he got to the mark just in time to have clear air and a great lift to cross the fleet on Port tack. Quite impressive, but I doubt he could repeat it. The distance the mark was from shore and the wind shift at the exact right moment made it work.
My point is, had he not been required to hold his boat during the one-minute, he surely would have let it go sooner and he might have sailed further down the line and not have been in as good a spot for the start.
We have always known of the rule to not touch your boat prior to the start, but has anyone ever explained why? Maybe they thought about it long and hard and said we don't need this anymore.
Unless there becomes a trend for holding your boat on shore and trying an old fashion Gran Prix start, I say we change our SI and let people touch their boats during the one-minute. If a problem shows itself, we can discuss going back to using E4.5 again if need be.
Joe Walter #24