PART 3
Comparing the Z flag rule, the U flag rule and the black flag rule, they share the same penalty zone and the fact that there are two ways to attract a penalty – to be over the line in the last minute, even if behind the line at the starting signal; and to be over the line at the starting signal. If a boat is OCS at her starting signal in a Z flag start, she must return and start to avoid an OCS score, though she will still carry the place penalty – but if a boat thinks she is not over at the start of a U flag or black flag race, but is not sure, and no other boat was involved, there is no scoring benefit to be gained by returning.
However, suppose she knows that she was over the starting line, but it was because (she believes) she was forced forward by another boat who broke a rule of Part 2 in so doing. She may win a protest against that other but, but only by returning and starting will she be able to get redress in the shape of reinstatement into her finishing position – as WS 140 points out, the other boat may have forced her to break rule 30.3 or 30.4, but nothing stopped her from returning and starting, to comply with rule 28.1. (Q&A 2017.005 adds that better redress is however possible if the actions of the other boat, as well as forcing her over the line, also broke rule 2, Fair Sailing. In that case, rule 62.1(d) would allow the protest committee to compensate the boat for time or places lost as a result of returning.)
If in the above circumstances a black flag start is recalled, what can the aggrieved boat do? If she ignores the display of her sail number and takes part in the restart, she may win her protest, but will not be entitled to redress, because she disobeyed the penultimate sentence of rule 30.4. On the other hand, if she obeys that rule, does not take part in the restart, then protests and asks for redress, she may win the protest – but there is no redress! WS 140 says that she will have her score corrected to DNS (no change to her points), but the race committee did not act improperly in scoring her BFD. In addition, the protested boat cannot be penalized for breaking a rule, because of rule 36.
The Z flag rule and the black flag rule have in common the durability of the penalty when a race is recalled or abandoned after the starting signal.
Several of the terms in rules 30.2, 30.3 and 30.4 require clarification. A submission for an World Sailing case suggested the following1
: Question
What is a ‘restarted race’, as referred to in rules 30.2, 30.3, 30.4 and 36? Answer
A ‘restarted race’ is a race • for which a warning signal was made, • which was then either postponed before the starting signal or subject to a general recall after the starting signal, and • for which a fresh starting sequence under rule 26 is begun.
Question
What is a ‘resailed race’, as referred to in rules 30.2, 30.3, 30.4 and 36? Answer
A ‘resailed race’ is a race • for which a warning signal was made, • which was then abandoned, either before or after the starting signal, and • for which a fresh starting sequence under rule 26 is begun.
Rule 31
TOUCHING A MARK While racing, a boat shall not touch a starting mark before starting, a mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg of the course on which she is sailing, or a finishing mark after finishing.
1 It was not accepted, but it appears to be correct 142 RYA The Racing Rules Explained
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