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Rule 49.2

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BernieM
1st Mate

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Initially Posted - 06/05/2013 : 10:18:48

Rule 49.2 was brought up on a Wednesday night after a guest of mine who has never been sailing stuck his body out under the lifelines, still facing inboard inside the cockpit. According the the rule, if lifelines are required by class rules or the SIs, torsos must remain inside of them.

My question is: If I am racing in a mixed PHRF fleet, and not a race only involving the C25 class, does that make the "class rule" provision invalid? I understand that for safety we should not be positioned outside the lifelines unless necessary, but I am wondering if this is a protestable offense in my case.

Rule 49.2: When lifelines are required by the class rules or the sailing instructions they shall be taut, and competitors shall not position anypart of their torsos outside them, except briefly to perform a necessary task. On boats equipped with upper and lower lifelines, a competitor sitting on the deck facing outboard with his waist inside the lower lifeline may have the upper part of his body outside the upper lifeline. If the class rules do not specify the material or minimum diameter of lifelines, they shall comply with the
corresponding specifications in the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations.

Bernie

1983 C25 TR/FK #3501 "Songbird"
Sailing on Atwood Lake, Sherrodsville, OH

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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Response Posted - 06/05/2013 : 14:42:13

I don't know the answer, but will give you my thoughts, for whatever they're worth.

Rule 49.2 appears to incorporate the class rules of all the classes of sailboats, including the C25, into the Racing Rules of Sailing, by reference. In other words, the Racing Rules of Sailing adopt the C25 Class Rules. By doing so, the class rules would apply to any yacht of that class whenever it is racing in an event that is governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing.

At a glance, I don't see a C25 rule that expressly requires lifelines. But, the C25 Rules do prohibit the torso to extend beyond the boat's sheer. That's like saying, you don't have to have lifelines, but crew members still can't extend their torso outside the boat's sheer.

You can never predict with accuracy how any local race committee will interpret a racing rule, because they generally don't possess expertise in interpreting the rules (and I'm not an expert regarding this question either, even though I have studied the racing rules for about 40 years). Usually, they're just volunteers who are doing their best to answer a complicated question. But if you have crew members who are extending their torso outside the sheer of the boat, I think you would have a hard time defending a protest.

The obvious intent of both the Racing Rules of Sailing and the C25 Class Rules appears to be to prohibit the extending of the torso outside the sheer of the boat, regardless of whether or not the boat has lifelines. I think it would be a hard uphill battle to persuade a thoughtful race committee to rule otherwise.

Duane Wolff is a Race PRO. Maybe he, or others, will have insight to offer.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9087 Posts

Response Posted - 06/05/2013 : 16:28:39

My understanding of the general reference to class rules in PHRF (or other handicap) racing is that each boat's handicap is determined based on the boat being equipped and sailed according to its class rules. They define the "standard boat" for a rating. Therefore, going beyond those rules, with equipment or techniques, should invalidate the boat's rating, and be grounds for protest.

In this case, the class rule appears to have been made for the safety of crews in C-25 class regattas, keeping the races from becoming contests in acrobatics, and preventing squashed legs, arms, etc., around the starting line or in a tight rounding. Similarly, some one-design classes do not allow anyone out of the cockpit. But the purpose of the rule is open to speculation... so "a rule is a rule."

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 06/05/2013 17:56:27

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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Response Posted - 06/06/2013 : 06:45:20

I'll add one more thought. Unless you are going to rig a trapeze, so your crew can hang waaaay out, the benefit you are likely to get from allowing your crew to hang out a bit farther is not likely to be much. When the likelihood of the RC approving it is not very great, it's a bad gamble. If you sail a great race and finish first, it would be a shame to lose it on a protest over a dubious rules interpretation. Besides, it's much more satisfying to win a race on the race course, rather than in a protest room.

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BernieM
1st Mate

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Response Posted - 06/06/2013 : 15:44:13

I agree with you, Steve, I also do not think here is an advantage in having your torso outside the lifelines. In my case, my guest just did it unknowlingly and someone called me out on it-no red flag, just a friendly reminder. I was just looking for an interpretation of the letter of the law and if the class rules apply even if it is not a class race.

Looking further with regards to Steve's initial response: I would think if the C25 class rules don't specifically require lifelines (only a reference to the boat sheer), then RRS 49.2 ,by the letter, would not apply. The rule does not invoke all class rules, only a lifeline rule.

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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Response Posted - 06/06/2013 : 17:53:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BernieM
 In my case, my guest just did it unknowlingly and someone called me out on it-no red flag, just a friendly reminder. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> IMO, that's the sportsmanlike way to do it. Personally, I would only protest something like that if the racer persisted in doing it in subsequent races, after having it brought to his attention. I think most racers would be reluctant to protest it, except perhaps in a national regatta, or other major event. Some folks become hair-splitters when a major title is at stake.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Looking further with regards to Steve's initial response: I would think if the C25 class rules don't specifically require lifelines (only a reference to the boat sheer), then RRS 49.2 ,by the letter, would not apply. The rule does not invoke all class rules, only a lifeline rule.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> One of the reasons why these questions are so difficult to answer is because the Racing Rules of Sailing are not the only rules that must be considered. Most races are also governed by the PHRF rules for your locale, and the local Sailing Instructions, and perhaps the Class Rules, in addition to the Racing Rules of Sailing. As I understand it, (Chesapeake) PHRF requires that boats carrying a PHRF rating must comply with it's class rules. I'm not sure whether that incorporates the C25 prohibition of hiking outside the boat's sheer, but let me tell you how the local club would address the issue if forced to do so. If you found a "loophole" with regard to hiking, they would meet and adopt a new local requirement in either the local club rules or Sailing Instructions, they would prohibit it, and then they would be irked at you for forcing them to do it. It isn't worth it. It's only a boat race.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I haven't studied the Chesapeake PHRF rules in depth since I started racing here, but I follow all the rules that are fairly universal everywhere, and have never got myself in trouble.

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BernieM
1st Mate

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Response Posted - 06/07/2013 : 09:33:56

I did find something under the definition of "rule" in the RRS. (d) the class rules (for a boat racing under a handicap or rating system, the rules of that system are 'class rules')

So it would seem that it defaults to the PHRF rules in this case. I would think then, that the PHRF rules would have to specifically require lifelines.

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