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Sailing Instructions review- Shortened Course
Writing good sailing instructions is important. Here is an update on one item that is often incorrectly written. Out on the lake the other day, and an old problem raised its head again. The Shortened Course. It is again a reminder that everyone who drafts, or updates, the Sailing Instructions for a race must read the Racing Rules of Sailing when they write their Sailing Instructions (Sis). As they are now available “on line” there is no longer any difficulty in doing this, and ultimately it will affect everyone’s enjoyment of the race. Rule (RRS) 32 states clearly that the shortened course must be shortened to a rounding mark of the Course.
This is for two reasons that most of us who have been racing for some years will recognise.
1- it sometimes can be difficult for the Race Committee at the Start / Finish line to signal clearly to all competitors the shortening of the course, depending on the conditions. Noise, many boats in different classes on the same course and so on, and
2- It can be enormously disappointing for anyone who has sailed a hard fought race to find that they are DNF because, for whatever reason, they were unaware of the shortened course situation.
Following Rule 32 all boats will, by default, have to cross the finish line even if they have not realised that the course has been shortened. Which is the reason for this rule.
For these reasons, and that the reason for being there is to race, and not to survive an initiative course, that the Racing Rules of Sailing were modified to include RRS rule 32.
You can change this rule of course (but why would you) but then the instructions HAVE to state that “this changes RRS 32”
And then RRS 33 MAY need to be followed (change of course) and this is WAY more complicated than rule 32 for race management. At the very least, if rule 32 is changed, then the race management team will have to post the shortened course advise before the first affected boat passes the preceding mark of the course .
All this is an unnecessary complication, and it would be easier, and fairer, just to follow the racing rules of sailing.
Chris Paynter
