VSKsailing.rocks

Submission Type:
Protest

1. Your registered Boat Name:
BatBoat

2. Race Day:
2

3, Group (colour):
Blue

4. Race (number)
4

5. Time (in Replay):
12:53

6. Rule(s) applicable:
20

7. Boat(s) involved:
Bombardino and BatBoat

8. Description:
BatBoat sails downwind on port tack with Bombardino clear in front, who also sails downwind on port tack. At time 12.53 Bombardino luffs up, presumably in order to take his penalty, which he received at time 12.22 (in another situation). Batboat only just manages to avoid collision with Bombardino. Since Bombardino is taking a penalty he shall keep clear of other boeat, cf. rule 22.2. Bombardino is not keeping clear of Batboat and therefore Bombardino is in violation with rule 22.2 and shall be DSQ.

9. Print Screen attached (required fo a manual protest):
Yes. 10. Replay attached (recommended):

Batboat,

You probably didn't notice, but Bombardino took a 2nd penalty turn as a response to your protest.
Do you want to withdraw your protest?

Harald

Hi Harald and Bombardino. Sorry. I did not notice that. In that case I shall withdraw my protest. I don't suppose that will have any consequences for me for doing that?

It saves you +1 point for doing that...

Harald

At the moment when I write "P Bombardino", it's a valid protest. Since have not seen whether Bombardino has taken his penalty or not - and I do not know it for good reasons, because Bombardino does not write it in the chat (eg 360 done), so how on earth should it be my job to assess whether Bombardino has taken his penalty?

I am now subsequently made aware that Bombardino has taken a penalty. I have great understanding that the protest committee does not want to deal with indifferent protests, but in that case it should not be me who has to check whether Bombardino has taken his penalty....

Therefore, it is a strange legal consequence that I risk getting +1 points if I maintain a valid protest. I do not know why Bombardino sails around himself. It could be a different situation - a different penalty (which I have not seen.....who knows?). Among other things. Bombardino subsequently receives a penalty for Rule 17.1.

It must be up to the judges to assess the situation - and perhaps it would be helpful to update the rules so that the person who has been protested is obliged to write "360 done".....

If it's a help, then I can see that the rules do not meet general legal principles - and to avoid further trouble, then I can give the system a helping hand - and therefore I shall withdraw my protest.

Hi Batboat. In fact Bombardino did write 360 done in chat. I have a screen shot where the next chat line to your protest is the 360 done comment.

Batboat wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 9:17 pm how on earth should it be my job to assess whether Bombardino has taken his penalty?

It's your job to assess whether you think Bombardino should be DSQ'ed because the Sailing Instructions says so.
If your protest is not upheld, it states that you will have +1 point.

If you don't like this rule, then you can make this proposal to the Race Committee (who is responsible for the SI). Between each season, the RC is asking all participating teams for feedback... Historically for MLS, I'm aware that the RC would like the sailors to make some efforts for protests, just like it requires a post in the forum for cancellations even though the cancellation is already listed in the race summary post.

I do not share your opinion on requiring a boat to write 360 done after being protested. First of all, I'm against all un-necessary procedural requirements during the race. Let the sailors focus on the sailing. It's unnecessary because the response to a protest can be validated in the replay after a race, and it takes only 2 minutes to do so. And the fact that a boat writes 360 done doesn't necessarily mean that this boat actually has taken a penalty turn properly. So if you really care that she has been penalized, you should check the replay anyway. You probably also had the replay open when checking the case itself...

As for the Protest Committee, we can only apply the MLS rules as they are written, regardless of how we would have wanted them to be.

Regards Harald,
MLS PC Chairman

Hi Chris, Thanks for posting that. I did not notice