Paul Cayar
Rob Weiland
My ‘favourite’ topic…
Another Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and so again debate about stored power. You would expect the rules we race under to give clear guidance by now, but apparently not… otherwise we would not get as many questions about it as we do. Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) 52 Manual Power seems clear: ‘A boat’s standing rigging,
running rigging, spars and movable hull appendages shall be adjusted and operated only by the power provided by the crew.’ But in fact this is only clear about the source of the power; it does not say anything about storing power provided by the crew for later use. I feel the intention is that this is not allowed, otherwise it would
have been expressly permitted, but even then further definition would be required. For instance, is storing power in a bungee cord the same as storing power in a hydraulic accumulator tank? Most Maxi events rule: ‘If allowed by class rules, steering, ram
and winch systems powered by force other than manual, as well as moveable appendages, trim tabs, water ballast and canting keels are permitted if each feature is declared on the IRC or ORCsy certificate.’ Labelling power provided by the crew (RRS52) as manual power. But does other than manual power then refer to direct power from an engine or generator, or to stored power – which can be pro- vided by an engine or generator (or of course also by human power)? So which rules define direct and/or stored power? Not the Equip-
ment Rules of Sailing (ERS), these just refer to RRS52. But IRC and ORC both do. IRC mentions stored power in rules 8 (Rating Certifi- cates), 15 (Manual Power), 22 (Equipment), and in A1 where it defines Stored Power as Power other than provided by the crew – seemingly also covering power from engines or generators. ORC goes with Manual Power and Non-Manual Power. ORC Rule
103.3 reads: ‘NMP (Non-Manual Power) is the penalty coefficient for boats using non-manual power as defined in 204(b).’ Then ORC 204 Manual Power lists where ‘Non-Manual Power’ may be used: a) canting keel, water ballast and any hydrofoil.
32 SEAHORSE b) halyards, sheets to trim clew of a sail or a boom, backstay,
vang or outhaul. c) use of an auto pilot when prescribed by the Notice of Race
and/or Sailing Instructions. d) remotely operated hydraulic valves, shift mechanisms,
switches, and other devices with a similar purpose to facilitate the operation of otherwise manually powered systems. ORC 103 gives the penalty coefficient for the functions listed in
ORC 204(b) for performance boats: 0.25%. I guess a penalty for the use of Non-Manual Power to move canting keels, water ballast or hydrofoils is included in how these features are rated. You would expect more clarity in ORCsy (superyacht), but there
I only find ORCsy 201.3: ‘For each non-manual powered winch for spinnaker halyard and headsail sheet the maximum power in kW and maximum speed in metres/minute shall be recorded.’ And IMS rule F9.11 reads: ‘If non-manual power can be used for adjusting running rigging or spars, this shall be recorded as follows: a) SHEETS: when non-manual power is used for adjusting clew
of a sail or a boom b) RIG: when non-manual power is used for adjusting backstay,
vang or outhaul.’ The terms SHEETS and RIG as used here are in conflict with how
these terms are defined in the Equipment Rules of Sailing, where Sheets is defined in ERS F.1.7 as ‘Rigging used to trim the clew of a sail, or a boom spar’. By printing Rigging in bold this steers us to check the ERS definition of that term in ERS F.1.6: ‘Any equip- ment attached and/or connected at one or both ends to spars, sails or other rigging and capable of working in tension only. Includes associated fittings not permanently fixed to a hull, spar or spreader’. Moving on to fittings ERS C.7.1 (b) reads: ‘An item, including any
associated fitting, that is not part of the boat structure but is bonded or fastened to the hull, hull appendages or rig’. Now where does the most common equipment for adjusting sails and rig(ging) on larger boats, the hydraulic ram, fit in all this?
INGRID ABERY
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