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What is Acceptable Mark Variation?
!
That was a nice article about Winter Vashon in the
January edition, but I wanted to let your readers know all
was not well. The anchor line of the temporary mark at
the north end of Vashon Island was severed and the mark
drifted for quite some time from its posted location ½ mile
north of Point Vashon to within 150 yards of the beach
before the race committee mark boat retrieved and reset
it. As a result, numerous boats – many in F and G class –
The
rounded following a shorter course. Every boat in those
classes that sailed the shorter course scored higher than
those who sailed the correct course.
Sweatshirt!
In its redress decision the Race Committee listed the
ten boats in the F and G classes that rounded after the
$30.
00
mark was reset (Facts 9 & 10). Three of these boats filed
for redress and were denied in what amounts to a most
bizarre decision. I’m told the redress was sent to US Sailing
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judges who spent about four days deliberating, eventually
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concluding the drifting mark resulted “in [a] course that is
about .47 NM shorter than the course with the mark in the
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correct position”. The judges’ ruling said “although [the
affected boats] sailed an additional distance as compared
to those in their class that rounded the mark while it was
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adrift, the 0.47 NM difference is well within the variation
in distance that boats will sail while circumnavigating an
island in a 30.7 NM race.” What? Using the reasoning that
$12.
00
a little less distance is okay – for some boats – just sent me
over the top.
As a crew on one of the affected boats, I’m sure I speak
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for others when I wonder when the unplanned variation
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does become a material impact in a race. Is there a secret
cotton hats. One size fits all.
formula? To say some variation is okay is to say that
roving marks really don’t create disparity in a race. This is
Add $4.
50
S&H.
hard to swallow coming from judges who know their craft.
We’re out there for fun, that’s for sure, but this is utter
The Mug!
nonsense and has a tendency to discredit the process.
What’s more, the judges claim this had no significant
impact on scores. You need look no further than the results
$7.
50
(and the judge’s own findings in Facts 9 & 10) to see the
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impacted boats in the F and G classes really did have “a
significant impact to their scores for the race as required for
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redress under rule 62.1”. They all placed at the bottom of
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their classes.
S&H.
The judges also claimed there was no improper act or
omission on the part of the Race Committee as required for
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redress by rule 62.1(a) While “the temporary mark being
out of position was a result of a competitor fouling the
$25.
00
for One Year in the U.S.
mark” and not the fault of the Race Committee, I believe
$35.
00
for First Class U.S. or Canadian
it was an improper act or omission of the Race Committee
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to not have a boat monitoring the station of the mark more
or
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closely or acting more quickly, especially given the long
time the mark had to remain in place, the strong wind and
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current conditions, heavy traffic, and the temporary nature
of the mark. Had the Race Committee been in position
48° No r t h , Fe b r u a r y 2010 Pa g e 12
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