It's not from the Fizz Cup itself, but it is from a recent graded Fizz Race. Bea gave me the facts, the graphics and the question earlier this sunday. I will leave it open for a few days, then add my response.
Facts:
In position 2: Yellow enters the zone on a port tack. Blue, still outside the zone, hails "Starboard".
In position 3: Yellow tacks in the zone onto Blue lee bow (Blue not in the zone yet). Yellow passes head to wind, then fetch the mark on a stb tack. Blue has not to change her course, and thanks to a higher speed, Blue comes overlapped windward ahead to Yellow (Position 3 to 4).
In position 4: Overlap, Yellow inside hails for mark room.
In position 5: Blue doesn't give mark room to Yellow, and rounds the mark. Yellow has to slow down to round behind Blue and protests.
Protest Hearing:
Yellow says:
- I protested under 18.2 (a) and (b). (First in the zone, overlapped, inside…)
Blue will argue with rule 13 and 18.3, stating that 18.2 can't apply because she was fetching the mark when Yellow tacked. (If two boats were approaching a mark on opposite tacks and one of them changes tack, and as a result is subject to rule 13 in the zone when the other is fetching the mark, rule 18.2 does not thereafter apply.)
Decision:
Judges will agree with Blue, and will dismiss Yellow protest arguing with 18.3.
Yellow appeals:
Yellow appeals, stating that this case is not a 18.3 case, that she fully respected 18.3 because she didn't cause Blue to sail above close-hauled to avoid her nor prevent Blue from passing the mark on the required side, and that Blue did not become overlapped inside her, but outside.
Your decision? (Beware of FUD ;-)
My decision would be to DSQ Blue for breaking rule 11. See comments for insights.
I'm waiting with baited breath having nodded a lot to what both blue and yellow were saying.
ReplyDeleteMy gut feeling is yellow sailed fair but that might not be the same as rule correct.
Blue is correct. 18.2 doesn't apply because 18.3 does.
ReplyDeleteYellow is correct too. She didn't infringe 18.3.
But Rule 11 still applies and Blue infringed it. The protest committee should have DSQ'd Blue under Rule 11.
JP, my gut feeling was the same. Had to think a little to figure out why. Tillerman nails it pretty good. 18.2 does not apply, 18.3 does. Yellow does not break 18.3 as Blue is fetching and makes no direction change to avoid Yellow. So at position 5 it all comes down to rule 11, which Blue breaks.
ReplyDelete