Page 56 - Judge Manual 2017

• How does it compare to other boats?
Possible Sculling
• Are the tiller movements forceful?
• Are they propelling the boat in any direction or preventing it from moving
astern?
• Is the boat above close hauled and clearly altering course towards a close-
hauled course?
• Is the sculling offsetting previous sculling?
• If the competitor is backing the sail, is the sculling preventing the boat from
changing course?

Repeated Tacks or Gybes

• Do the individual tacks or gybes increase the speed of the boat?
• How close together and how frequent are the tacks and gybes?
• Does the boat change direction because of the gybes?
• Can the tacks or gybes be justified for tactical reasons or wind shifts?

General

Judges must remember to monitor all rule 42 infringements, even those not
mentioned above, such as propelling a boat by fending off others and
decreasing speed by dragging feet or the body in the water.

I.7 Regatta Procedures (Fleet Racing)

Judges must be very familiar with Appendix P, Special Procedures for Rule
42. This appendix outlines the penalties and procedures for on-the-water
judging of rule 42. Judges must also be very familiar with rule 42, and with the
interpretations of rule 42. Before going afloat each day, a Judge should re-read
rule 42 and the interpretations to the rule so that it is fresh and clear in the
Judge’s mind.

During a race, the Judges on the water should do their best to cover the entire
fleet, but the major focus shall be on the first third of the fleet, as the top
competitors generally set the example.

Rule 42 breaches divide into two types: tactical and technical.
• Tactical infringements are of short duration and committed in order to achieve
an immediate advantage. They typically occur at the start, while crossing a
right of way boat, near the zone from a mark, or at the finish.
• Technical infringements of rule 42 occur around the course and are part of
the competitor’s normal style of sailing.

Under normal circumstances, both Judges in the boat should agree on a
technical infringement before they penalize a competitor. While the benefit of
doubt remains with the competitor, once the Judges are sure of the infringement
they should penalize promptly and protect the fairness of the competition for
the other sailors.

- 5