Who's Foul vol. 3 - Optical Illusions and Old Arguments revisited!

Another near - simultaneous Tacking situation! This one's from the 2010 Hinman US Team Race Champs gold round race between Team Silver Panda and Team Tall Boyz. This foul situation pits 2 former Harvard University Sailing All-Americans against each other:

* Clay Johnson rounding Mark 4 in first in the Grey Sailed Vanguard 15
* Clay Bischoff rounding Mark 4  3rd in the Yellow Sailed Vanguard 15.

There is rig contact between the 2 boats, but according to Johnson, no hull contact.



Who's Foul (Bischoff or Johnson)? 
As we do each week, your answers in the comments section, and my own thoughts coming Friday!

My Answer: 

With a moderate degree of certainty I would say: penalize Bischoff (yellow) for breaking rule 13. I will first explain how I arrived at this conclusion, then why I still have reservations, and invite any actual umpires to continue commenting! 

Let us start by establishing who is the keep clear boat. Rule 13 Defines a tack:

Rule 13 WHILE TACKING After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11, 15 and 12 do not apply. If two boats are subject to this rule at the same time, the one on the other’s port side or the one astern shall keep clear.

So a boat has completed a tack when she reaches a close hauled course. "Close hauled" is not defined in the rule book, and is different for each type of sailboat. However, its clear from numerous cases and calls that the rule is referring to the direction in which the hull is pointing - is the bow pointed on a normal close hauled course for that class of boat. A sail luffing because it is eased (say on the starting line) does not mean that a boat is above close hauled, just as a sail temporarily or artificially  filled by flattening/rocking and thus moving the apparent wind angle aft does not mean a boat is close hauled. 

It is exactly this last scenario that Bischoff is using to make it appear he is close hauled on starboard, when in fact he is not. The aggressive flattening of the V15's rig fills the sails while the boat is still almost head to wind. 

Look at the hulls of the Vanguard 15's in this sequence of pictures to see what I mean:

 ^Bischoff (Yellow # 7) crossing head to wind from Port tack for the first time.

^Bischoff flattening at almost the exact same angle (again hull/bow of  # 7), making his sails fill and giving the illusion that he is on Starboard.

^Bischoff holds this angle (just past head to wind from Port tack) and eventually his jib makes clear that he is in-fact head to wind.

^In this last photo, Johnson (Grey #11 ) and Bischoff's teammate in Yellow #8 show from the same camera angle what a close hauled course in a V15 really is. - at least 15 degrees lower than Bischoff ever gets before the contact!

So its pretty clear to me that Bischoff is subject to rule 13 at the time of the contact and breaks either the first sentence of 13 if Johnson is on Starboard at the time of contact, or the last sentence if Johnson is also subject to rule 13. Here's a call that explains that last sentence of rule 13 and is very similar to this situation:

While I think Johnson is below close hauled on starboard when the Clay's rigs make contact, this call makes Rule 15 irrelevant to the situation. Johnson wasn't acquiring right of way, he had right of way from the moment both boats crossed head to wind!

My reservations about this decision come from this question: Did Johnson break rule 16.1? 

Rule 16 CHANGING COURSE 16.1 When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear. 

By coming out of his roll tack below close hauled with his rig significantly rolled towards Bischoff was Johnson giving Bischoff enough room to keep clear? Im leaning yes, because Bischoff is not trying to keep clear - he is going for contact! But its close - Bishoff is basically holding his course for a period before the contact. 

Bischoff isn't the only smart sailor to try to draw a foul with this same maneuver. Here's Cody Roe this past January in a team race Opti practice:

In fact, Cody in some ways does it better than Bischoff:

  1.  He is closer to actually being close hauled on starboard when his mast makes contact with Lulu's leach. 

  2. Situationally its smarter for Cody to put the call in the hands of the umpires: he is loosing the drill to the purple-pinnie-team whereas Bischoff's team is solidly winning when he "fishes for the foul." 

Both Bischoff and Roe knew what they were doing and had probably practiced this maneuver many times before. Its incumbent on Umpires to understand that the apparent wind in rocking rigs lies to us - we need to look at the heading of the hull to determine when a boat reaches close hauled. It is also my hope that when the Call Book for Team Racing updates in 2021 that it will give us more clarity on this situation, and define to what extent a boat tacking to starboard to cover must respect rule 16.1. 

Here's the race in its entirety - pretty impressive play 2 conversion by Silver Panda at the top of its game against a quality opponent:

How to Tie a Bowline ("Bowl - lin")

The fast, efficient, high-percentage way to tie "the king of knots!" No narratives about rabbits...

We use the bowline (pronounced BOWL - LIN) on the Opti to:

1. Rig the mainsheet/ switch the mainsheet from 3:1 to 4:1.  Its important to tie a bowline rather than a stopper knot through the top mainsheet block so that it pulls evenly - reducing friction (and wear and tear) on you mainsheet. 

2. Rig the bowline (the "Bow - line") or painter as it is also called. Floating bowline rope comes untied really easily so I recommend a "safety" half-hitch of the bowline tail around 1 strand of the loop. 

3. Tiying bungies to anything. The bowline can't be untied under load which makes it ideal for the hiking strap bungies. Also good for tying the bailor bungies to the airbag straps or bulkhead (with a side safety hitch). 

4. Great for tying in your daggerboard.  

5. Tie your boat up to the rings on the dock quickly if you launched and forgot something! 

So Opti sailors that have mastered a quick bowline have a competitive advantage over those who don't. They can quickly switch the purchase on their mainsheet without the need for a heavy shackle. They have fewer breakdowns and can recover faster (before the Measurement boat!) and they can mark the Daggerboard tie in line to a precise "seaweed clearing length" and tie it to the trunk eye the same way every day! 

Be forewarned: If you cannot tie a bowline in a timely manner by the time you get to Lasers at LYC, the coach will leave you off the towline and head out to practice on the ocean without you 😭! 

Who's Foul? vol. 2

Watch the Video Here: https://youtu.be/AlJlkuLUFQY?t=5571

Question 1: Who's Foul in first situation where Spain (ESP) on Port ducks Australia (AUS) on Starboard?

Question 2: Who's Foul in the 2nd situation where both boats tack almost simultaneously, and ESP on Starboard then has to avoid AUS on Port.

You may penalize AUS, ESP, or call "No Foul" on each situation (as the umpires did) from the London Olympic Women's Match Racing Gold Medal final. The competition was held in the super maneuverable Elliot 6Meter Class.

Give your answers in the comments section!

My Answers:

Questions 1. Australia Breaks Rule 16.2, but there isn't a valid protest. Rule 16.2 Reads:

"In addition, when after the starting signal a port-tack boat is keeping clear by sailing to pass astern of a starboard-tack boat, the starboard tack boat shall not change course, if as a result the port-tack baot would immediately need to change course to continue keeping clear."

A little confusing? Here's the Call (ISAF Call Book for Team Racing) that explains it:

 These 2 photos show clearly that Australia heads down, necessitating a further immediate course change by Spain:

 In the 2nd frame, Australia's angle appears to be about 8 degrees lower, and she is heeling noticeably more as a result of heading down. Note that in Call D2, Yacht B breaks 16.2 with a similarly small course change between positions B3 and B4. In the Olympic race, one of the Umpire boats is in a great position to see this, however Spain doesn't protest this incident (understandable as Spain is in the midst of a tricky maneuver - ducking, dialing up and tacking) resulting in either a Green Flag or no call from the Umpires.


Question 2:  No Penalty. To understand this situation lets talk through it step by step, identify who has right of way, and what their obligations are.

*When Spain ducks Australia, Australia has right of way, she is on Starboard and Spain is on Port.

*When both boats cross head to wind, Spain now has right of way. The last sentence of Rule 13, While Tacking reads: "If two boats are subject to this rule at the same time, the one on the other's port side, of the one astern shall keep clear."

*When Austrailia reaches close hauled on port, she is now on a tack. Spain is not:

*The first sentence of Rule 13 reads: "After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is close hauled." So in this instant, Australia is right of way boat, and Spain is keep clear. This is critical. 

*When Spain reaches a close hauled course on starboard tack, she is right of way boat, but subject to Rule 15 Acquiring Right of Way: "when a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give he other boat room to keep clear." 

The boats are so close at this point that Australia probably cannot keep clear by reversing tack:

*Spain allows Australia to keep clear by ducking the port tack boat, so there is no foul. The Umpires on this race made a really good, high pressure call!



Im going to show you one more Call from the Call book. The picture is a little different than what transpires here, but the italicized text at the bottom sums the above situation up perfectly:

"A boat acquiring right of way may comply with Rule 15 by altering course herself." 

TR Call D3

PS: Spain went on to win the Gold Medal!! Regardless of the calls Umpires make, Sailors decide the races!!! 

Who's Foul?

Warning: video contains graphic content for boat lovers!

The collision is between the J Boat Svea on Port tack and J Boat Topaz on Starboard. J class yachts raced for the Americas Cup from 1914 to 1937. They have a full keel with attached rudder and are therefore not very maneuverable, and also have long overhangs (bow and stern that project much longer than the waterline length) that swing as they turn.

Question 1: Who's foul and what rule is broken?

Question 2: Who's foul and what rule broken if the collision had occurred after the start?

Question 3 (advanced): Name a Call from The Call Book for Team Racing that can shed some light on this situation.


Your answers in the comments section!


Answers:
Well, since posting, the Protest Committee's ruling on this recent "viral" (no not that viral) video has been made public. Here are there facts found:

1. Topaz was approaching the start line on Starboard approximately 1 minute 40 seconds before the start.

2. Svea on port was on a collision course with Topaz.

3. Despite a last minute turn to bear away, Svea collided with the port side of Topaz at the runner winch causing serious damage.

4. Topaz luffed to avoid when it was clear Svea was not keeping clear.

5,6: There was extensive damage + injury - you can read the full decision here. 

7. Both boats immediately retired from the race.

Decision:
Svea took the appropriate penalty by retiring.
Topaz is entitled to redress of average points for Race 1 based on her results in the remainder of the regatta.

Conclusion Rules:

RRS 10,14, 44.1(b) 62.1(b), Q5.3
Svea failed to keep clear as a port tack boat and broke rule 10, 14.
It was not reasonably possible for Topaz to avoid the collision.

Its good for sailors to take note of Rule 62.1 (b), which allows for redress "based on a claim or possibility that a boat’s score or place in a race or series has been or may be, through no fault of her own, made significantly worse by...injury or physical damage because of the action of a boat that was breaking a rule of Part 2 or of a vessel not racing that was required to keep clear."  

Otherwise, I have have 2 points of contention with the protest committee's decision in this case: 

1. Are we sure (from the video) that "Svea was not keeping clear?" 

2. Topaz did not "luff to avoid." In fact, the luff by Topaz made it significantly harder for Svea to keep clear. 

By heading up, Topaz slows down, both from luffing the sails and the 'brakeing action' of her large rudder. She also swings her long overhang at Svea, making the point of contact occur sooner. Here's a 3d rendering of Svea that illustrates the overhangs and the rudder:

The overhang is massive and obviously has no flow and traction through the water - it just pivots through the air as the boat turns - especially at slow speeds. The contact from the collision occurs aft of Topaz's rudder. If Topaz had not headed up it is certain the contact would have occurred further aft, and at a more glancing angle than the full on T-bone shown in the video. 

Rule 16.1 States: When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear.  Regardless of if Svea was "keeping clear" of Topaz, Topaz change of course made keeping clear more difficult.  

The Call Book for Team Racing gives 2 examples where a late course change by a starboard boat is prohibited. In the comments section Justin Callahan cited Call D2:

The call doesn't explicitly apply to this situation, as Rule 16.2 only applies after the start. However, if there is contact at position 4, I think it is implied that B would have broken 16.1. This next call specifically shows a starboard boat (Y) swinging her stern towards a port tack boat (B), necessitating a further course change. 

Call D7 :

In this case, the Call Book says to penalize Y, again for 16.2. If there had been contact (rather than B having to further change course at the last second), I am confident Y would have also broken 16.1 - she would have changed course in a way that did not give B "room to keep clear." 

Given that Topaz luff exacerbated the contact, can we be sure that Svea was never keeping clear? A couple notes on this possibility:

   * The J boat from which the video is shot shows that each boat has a bow watch who relays info to the cockpit via a crew member stationed at the windward shroud. 

  * Sailing on Port before the start one is always on the lookout for boats on Starboard. 

 *  Svea would have seen Topaz before Topaz saw Svea. 

 * Before the contact, Svea is clearly letting out her mainsail in an attempt to duck Topaz. 

 *A 3rd party observer on the boat that is filming does not begin shouting "noooo!" until Topaz is changing course. 

*This video shows how close to the stern the of Topaz the damage was - it was almost avoided! 

Still, I have to give some credence to Judges determination that Svea "...was not keeping clear," and "It was not reasonably possible for Topaz to avoid the collision." They heard evidence from both parties, and some Judges reportedly witnessed the incident from Judgeboats. 

Does it matter if Topaz changes course if Svea was never keeping clear? May a right of way boat alter course as long as she is on a collision course with a keep clear boat? I hope not! By changing course in a way that put her hull further in Sveas path, Topaz made it impossible for Svea to even have a chance of keeping clear. Therefore, I think from this video that both boats should have been penalized - Svea for Rule 10 and Topaz for Rule 16.1. Topaz was right of way, and Topaz changed course very close to Svea in a manner that did not "give the other boat room to keep clear" .  If the Judges (who again have more information than this video) did not state that Svea "was not keeping clear," then I would be inclined to penalize only Topaz for 16.1. 

I strongly disagree with the Scuttlebutt article titled "When in doubt put the tiller towards trouble" which argues that Topaz helmsman "did the understandable thing in the few seconds they had to deal with an impending collision which is to put the “tiller towards trouble.” When a boat is trying to duck you, heading up at the last second is the worst thing you can do. When a boat is clearly trying to duck you, maintain your speed and hold your course!