Page 66 - Misconduct a Reference for Race Officials

Notice of Race
RRS 55 will be changed by adding the following sentence to the rule: 'However,
discarding elastic or wool bands when setting a sail will not be considered a breach of rule
55.’
Sailing Instructions

RRS 55 is changed by adding the following sentence to the rule: 'However, discarding
elastic or wool bands when setting a sail will not be considered a breach of rule 55.’

RYA Recommendations

The objective should be prevention rather than penalisation. Organising authorities should
use draft sailing instruction L24 to encourage and enable competitors that are likely to be
afloat in small boats for lengthy periods to dispose of trash onto support or official vessels.

If for reasons of safety or proper seamanship clauses are included in notices of race and
sailing instructions as suggested in World sailing Q&A N003, the RYA recommends that only
natural or organic material (such as cotton and wool) is permitted.

The environmental impact of any particular type of discarded matter will vary. A glass bottle
has a near-infinite life in water, whereas the remains of a sandwich will disperse and
degrade relatively rapidly. It is clear that there can be a very wide range of possible
breaches of rule 55. Reflecting this, in 2017, rule 55 was amended to state ‘The penalty for a
breach of this rule may be less than disqualification’, i.e. this rule has been made subject to
discretionary penalties (DPI) from the protest committee (see separate RYA guidance on
Discretionary Penalties).

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