Going backwards?

[Charles]

This is a question for the rules experts!

I was recently at a start of season Dinghy Instructors conference & we were pretending to be trainees on a Start to Race course, with an Instructor Coach showing us how to run the course. We were in a fleet of Toppers, OK for the youngest DI at 19 yrs old, 5' & 8st wet through, but a bit tight for the rest of us !!!! We didn't have time to get our rule books out, so here goes:-

I got into irons on one of the starts & backed my sail to get out of it, reversing into another boat in the process, having hailed him to say I was in reverse. I got disqualified under rule 21.3 - a boat moving astern by backing a sail shall keep clear of one that is not. As we were in the last minute before the gun this rule applied.

If I had NOT backed my sail, but remained in irons what rule would apply? There isn't a proper course at that point, Rule 12 - on the same tack, not overlapped? or IRPCS 3.f. - not under command, or IRPCS 13 - overtaking boat? Or some other rule?

I ask the question as it is particularly relevant to cats which get into irons more easily than monos & take longer to get out. The situation also occurs more often in cats on the race course. From a common sense point of view if I get in irons I always hail to let others know & I have never been asked to do a turn by another competitor in this situation, similarly I would always take avoiding action if I see a boat in irons & I would not ask for redress.

Come on usual suspects, tell me how obvious an answer it is!

P.S. The lone cat sailor showed the mono sailors how to do it on their home turf over the race series!!

[Brian Phipps]

Charles this is how I understand it, having aske the question a number of times to an number of jury persons before. If you are sailing your boat backwards ie, pushing your sail out, steering with your rudders etc you have no rights. If you are stopped head to wind and drifting backwards whilst it can prove a gray area, agreed you are an obstruction.
Within the protest room nothing is ever clear cut , but I would suggest the onus would be on you to prove that you were not sailing backwards and that that the other boat had opportunity to keep clear.
If you put a tack in, clear of all boats, make a hash of it and end up in irons , provided other boats have room and time to keep clear you are ok, if you crash tack close to another boat on a opposite tack and make a hash of it and he has to take avoiding action , it is likely you would be seen to be tacking in their water.
I would take care what words you used in the potest room if it came to that.
Other views on the situation from informed sources welcome.
Brian Phipps
Windsport Catamaran Performance Coaching Team

[Andrew Hannah]

Whilst I am no expert on these things, consider the following: Suppose the wind is very light and there is a strong adverse tide.

A Shadow is on port tack and just "making" over the tide. A Mirror dinghy is on starboard, but going backwards. I would say the Mirror dinghy still has rights over the Shadow.

[Brian Phipps]

Hi Andrew I agree, the Mirror is not sailing backwards just moving backwards.
Brian Phipps
Windsport Catamaran Coaching Team.

[Charles]

Brian

Thanks, that's pretty much what I had guessed my way to after trawling the rule book. So the I'll work on the premis that I shouldn't try too hard to get out of the way (backing my sail to reposition the boat) when I fluff my tack or get to the start a little early!

[Jim Coleman]

I think Case 99 of the Rules Interpretations answers your question.
When you're in irons you are out of control and I would argue in a condition covered by one or all of the following rules in RR Part 2.
Sailing backwards, or overlapped by ROW boats to leeward, or on Port, or tacking, all of which mean you must keep clear of ROW boats.

"CASE 99
The fact that a boat required to keep clear is out of control does not entitle
her to exoneration for breaking a rule of Part 2......"

[Charles]

Thanks Jim, so I've just got to get it right then... damn, more practice necessary!