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Denholme Sailing Club
Amendment to Rules
At its November, 1997 Annual Meeting, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) made six changes in the Racing Rules of Sailing for 1997-2000 effective as of January 1, 1998 (unless made effective earlier by individual national authorities). This page contains an unofficial explanation of these changes. [W = windward boat, L = leeward boat]
1.
Definition of Keep Clear
Replace "could change course" with "can change course in both
directions" so the last clause of the definition reads "if the leeward
boat can change course in both directions without immediately making contact
with the windward boat."
The prior language "could change
course without immediately making contact with the windward boat"
meant that W was keeping clear of L if L could turn in either direction
(at least one, but not both directions) without immediately contacting L. Thus,
W was keeping clear of L in Diagram #1 because L could turn away from W
without immediately contacting her.
The new language "can change course in both directions without immediately making contact with the windward boat" means that W is keeping clear only if L can change course in both directions without immediately contacting W - in other words, if L has "wiggle room" or the space to turn a small amount in both directions, not just one. Now, W is not keeping clear of L in Diagram #1 since L cannot luff (even a small amount) without making immediate contact with W.
In Diagram #1, whether W should be
penalized for breaking rule 11 depends on how the boats got into the situation,
not simply on whether or not W is keeping clear of L. In Diagram #2, if L
luffs quickly and without warning and denies W "room to keep
clear" of her as required by rule 16 then L breaks rule 16. Although W
is not keeping clear of L (and thus is breaking rule 11), her failure to
do so is caused by L's breach of rule 16 so W is not penalized for breaking rule
11 (she is "exonerated") and L is penalized for breaking rule 16. In
Diagram #3, on the other hand, W and L are sailing on slowly converging courses.
W is penalized for breaking rule 11 because at position 3 she is not keeping
clear of L and her failure to do so is caused by her own inaction (she has
plenty of "room to keep clear") and not by L's breach of
rule 16.
2.
Definition of Obstruction
Replace "to keep clear of her or give her room" with "to keep
clear of her, give her room or, if rule 21 applies, avoid her" so the last
sentence of the definition reads "However, a boat racing is not an obstruction
to other boats unless they are required to keep clear of her, give her room
or, if rule 21 applies, avoid her."
Under the prior language, a boat racing which has capsized is not an obstruction to other boats (and so rules 18 and 19 do not apply) because other boats do not have to keep clear of her, only "avoid" her under rule 21. Under the new language it is clear that a boat to be "avoided" because rule 21 applies (because capsized, rendering assistance, anchored or aground) is an obstruction and rules 18 and 19 will apply to other boats as they approach her.
3. Rule
14(b)
Add "under this rule" after "penalized" so the provision
reads "(b) shall not be penalized under this rule unless there is contact
that causes damage."
Under the prior language it was not entirely clear whether a right-of-way or entitled-to-room boat which did not act reasonably to avoid contact could be penalized for breaking a rule other than rule 14 if the contact did not cause damage. The new language clarifies that the exclusion enjoyed by right-of-way and entitled-to-room boats under rule 14(b) for contact without damage only applies to rule 14 itself and these boats can be protested and disqualified if they break a rule other than 14 in the same incident.
4. Rule
17.1
Delete the current rule and replace it with "A boat clear astern
that becomes overlapped to leeward and within two of her hull
lengths of a windward boat shall not sail above her proper course
while the boats remain overlapped and less than that distance apart,
unless as a result she falls astern of the windward boat."
There are really 3 changes that the
new language of rule 17.1 implements. First, a single national authority
(Canada) had interpreted the prior language to mean that whether or not rule
17.1 could apply depended on whether or not L had taken some action which caused
the overlap to be created (basically, the '93-'96 match racing
interpretation). This interpretation was not intended and was contrary to that
in effect in the rest of the world. The new language makes clear that it is
irrelevant which boat (if either) may take action which creates an overlap.
In Diagram #4, it does not matter that the overlap was created because W
turned down, only that at the time the overlap was created L was clear
astern of W and within two of her hull lengths of W (note - W breaks rule
17.2 if her new course is below a proper course for her).
Second, the new language clarifies that if L moves more than two of her hull lengths from W then the "proper course" limitation stops applying to L and does not reattach if L later moves back within that distance of W (during the same overlap, of course; the overlap is not broken just because the boats become more than two of L's hull lengths apart). In Diagram #5, L is restricted to a "proper course" at position 2 but not at positions 1, 3 or 4.
Finally, under the prior language of
17.1 if L desires to tack away and can get clear astern of W by doing so
then she is not subject to the proper course restriction. However, the
term "clear astern" cannot apply to boats on opposite tacks
unless rule 18 applies so if L passes head-to-wind (thus becoming on the other tack)
before breaking the overlap with W then she can never become clear
astern of W. The phrase "falls astern of" is now used instead and
should have the same basic meaning as "clear astern" except
that it can apply to boats on opposite tacks. In Diagram 6, at position 2
L has passed head-to-wind and is on port tack and as a result cannot
become "clear astern" of W. However, she will "fall
astern" of W and therefore under the new language does not break rule 17.1
by sailing above a proper course.
5. Rule
49.1
Delete the current rule and replace it with "Competitors shall use no
device designed to position their bodies outboard, other than hiking straps and
stiffeners worn under the thighs."
There was disagreement among national authorities as to whether hiking pants with back-of-the-thigh stiffeners broke this rule. The new language makes clear that such clothing is legal unless rule 49.1 has been modified by class rules or in the Sailing Instructions.
6. Rules
Q1.3 and Q1.5
Replace "country" with "national authority" and
"countries" with "national authorities".
There was some confusion concerning the composition of International Juries and whether jury members from different national authorities associated with a single country should be considered from the same or different "countries" (for example, the US Virgin Islands and USA). The new language eliminates references to "countries" and replaces it with "national authorities" to clarify that such jury members should be considered as belonging to different entities.