Page 38 - Judge Manual 2017

F.4 Radio Sailing

Abbreviations
IRSA International Radio Sailing Association
SYRPH System for Reducing the Number of Protest Hearings

F.4.1 Introduction

Radio Sailing differs from all other forms of sailing as the crew handling the
boat is not on board. Competitors and race officials stand side by side on the
bank. As a result, Radio Sailing has developed specific rules set out in RRS
Appendix E, along with and practices for race judges and umpires.

Most racing is run without umpires. However, Radio Sailing has developed the
use of observers, who may be competitors not sailing in that heat, who hail and
record contacts between boats, and between boats and marks. These reports
are made available to parties to any protest hearing before the hearing opens.
A party to the hearing may then choose to retire. This procedure is set out in
IRSA System for Reducing the number of Protest Hearings (SYRPH).

No more than 24 boats may compete on the water at any one time. A system of
heats is used allowing events to be run with up to 84 competitors. In many cases
an incident has to be resolved by the protest committee before the next heat
can start, as one or more competitors involved may be scheduled to sail.
Amongst other elements, these heat systems modify RRS Appendix A,
Scoring. In particular, these changes introduce a significant difference in the
points for retiring or being disqualified.

Major events, for which an International Jury would be appointed, such as
World or Continental Championships are umpired. Umpiring for Radio Sailing
has been developed over a period of 15 years. The basic principles are now
clearly established, but further development continues.
Procedures for umpiring are set out in the International Radio Sailing
Association (IRSA) Addendum Q. This addendum recognizes that umpires
cannot resolve all incidents. If there is no decision from an umpire, then the
competitor still has the right to a hearing.

It is intended that umpiring should modify normal procedures as little as
possible. In this way, IRSA Addendum Q retains the use of competitor
observers, who work closely with the umpires. It provides pre-hearing
procedures in which parties are given access to reports from umpires or
observers before the hearing is opened.

Other recent developments include an Accelerated Protest Procedure, which
integrates (SYRPH) and an IRSA Case Book which gives guidance on rules
and situations specific to Radio Sailing.