PART 4
Iris asked for help for tactical racing reasons and received it. It is irrelevant that Iris’s question and the information she received were broadcast on a public radio channel. The help Iris received did not come within the scope of the exceptions to rule 41, especially not rule 41(d) since she solicited the information. Therefore Iris broke rule 41.
Unsolicited information may be help when it comes from an interested source. ‘It is obviously impossible to avoid hearing advice given, and a competitor may be fortunate enough, without risk of penalisation under rule 41, to learn from the comments of spectators that his current intentions are not in his best interests. However, when specific advice is given by any person with an interest in the matter, and acted on so as to improve a boat’s finishing position, that is information from an interested source, albeit unsolicited, which is clearly outside help that breaks rule 411
.’ Likewise, SC 76 distinguishes between information sought, as in WS 100, and information not sought but gleaned in a general radio conversation: the former breaks rule 41; the latter may not, but the borderline is easy to transgress, as where Daffodil, a boat not racing, initiated a general radio conversation with Iris, which was racing, and, unasked, described the weather conditions in the area towards which Iris was sailing. This was overheard by fellow competitor Vindictive, which protested Daffodil.
Even radio transmissions freely available to all boats are quite capable of breaking rule 41 when advice is given in response to a specific question. Boats engaged in radio conversations while racing do so at their own peril in terms of rule 41. Daffodil would have been well advised to tell Iris immediately that she could not talk to her during the race.
The RYA Guidance Note on Outside Help summarises whether help by the race committee is allowable, and if so whether giving it is an improper action that would entitle boats not so helped to redress. It notes that this is general guidance, and the particular circumstances of an action may change the answer.
Race Committee Action Relevant Rule
Recover competitor from water when separated from his boat Return competitor to his boat in same area as recovery
Return competitor to his boat when boat has made progress in race Assist righting of capsized boat Hail boat that she is OCS
Use visual signals or VHF radio before the starting signal to indicate that boats are on course side of starting line
Advise one competitor that he is sailing to the wrong mark Advise one competitor that a mark is about to be moved
Use VHF (when standard on the boats racing) to advise an imminent change or shortening of the course
Allowable Help? Improper Action? 41
Yes Yes No No
Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes
62.1(a) No No No No No No
Yes Yes No
The race committee will need to consider the consequences of providing the help described in the shaded areas. Other actions such as towing off a boat that has gone aground remain proper and necessary actions when required for reasons of safety but the boat will usually gain a significant advantage; therefore if she fails to retire she should be protested and penalized.
1 RYA 1993/6. The advice came from a watching coach, who, as a support person, could now be the subject of a hearing, under rule 60.3(d) or rule 69.2.
154 RYA The Racing Rules Explained
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253 |
Page 254 |
Page 255 |
Page 256
