PART 3 Rule 29 29.1 RECALLS Individual Recall
When at a boat’s starting signal any part of her hull, crew or equipment is on the course side of the starting line or she must comply with rule 30.1, the race committee shall promptly display flag X with one sound. The flag shall be displayed until all such boats have sailed completely to the pre-start side of the starting line or one of its extensions and have complied with rule 30.1 if it applies, but no later than four minutes after the starting signal or one minute before any later starting signal, whichever is earlier. If rule 30.3 or 30.4 applies this rule does not.
This rule is addressed to the race committee: the obligation for a boat to start as defined is in rule 28.1. It can be the source of some confusion when Flag I is the preparatory signal, activating rule 30.1. Suppose a boat was OCS at 50 seconds before the starting signal, returned directly to the pre-course side, and never crossed an extension from the course side to the pre-course side1
. At the starting signal, the race committee will display flag
X, even if all boats were on the pre-course side of the starting line at that moment. Without some further method of hailing or radioing the offending boat being employed, the boat or boats making the sharpest valid start may think that the recall applies to them, and will needlessly return. For this reason, there is a good argument for sailing instructions to change rule 29.1, stating a different recall flag for boats on the pre-course side at the starting signal, but in breach in rule 30.1. (The problem does not occur under rule 30.2, since the penalty is automatic, and with a black-flag start under rule 30.4, rule 29.1 confirms that no recall signal is ever to be used, since an offending boat is disqualified.)
The rule becomes an issue for the protest committee when redress is requested. The commonest reason is that the boat did not return and start, disagrees with her resulting OCS score, and seeks to convince the protest committee that the race committee misidentified her. This is in itself the commonest type of request for redress. International juries and skilled protest committees will be hard to convince. ‘A race committee member sighting directly along the line at all relevant times is in the best position to make such a judgement2
.’ It is common
for a notice to this effect to be posted on the official notice board, stating that very high standard of proof will be required for the boat to be reinstated. Once the race officer has satisfied the protest committee that race committee processes, in terms of recording sail or bow numbers both on paper and electronically, are sound, the competitor has an uphill task, and when at a regatta the protest committee has refused OCS redress requests once or twice on the first day, fresh requests are less frequent.
1 The situation can also be confusing for the race committee, as will be seen under rule 30.1 2 WS 136
134 RYA The Racing Rules Explained
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