Eric is spot on here.
As to the disciplines and differences, the rules are remarkably similar for most aspects of fleet, team and match racing. And, this works well. The rules are interpreted, and plays are developed, based on these rules, for team and match racing.
Some of these plays work equally well in fleet racing, but for the most part, you lose the fleet when you tangle with a single boat, so most sailors neither learn/understand the rules, nor race this way. About the only time match racing tactics work in fleet racing is during the last race or few races of a series when two boats are very close in points, but not in danger of losing to others (typically two boats fighting for the overall win at a week-long nationals, for example).
Mike
did yellow react fast enough
to how black physically presented his boat to him. I think yellow eased their main and started to bear away pretty fast once it became clear that black wasn't actually tacking. You could argue that yellow should have tacked but I would counter with the fact that it's a crewed boat and it takes coordination to tack a boat without throwing people in the water. I think the attempted duck was a reasonable action...he just wasn't allowed enough time or opportunity to do so.
I don't buy it's a crewed boat so we couldn't tack arguement. This isn't their first rodeo and a team that's got their act together is going to talk and their going to anticipate things not going the way they want. They will know their outs and how to executed them. They didn't tack because it would have basically been game over anyway. The duck had a lower chance of success without contact but if they made it they would have been in control, going where they wanted and there is a good chance they would have led black into the mark on starboard assuming they were close the starboard layline.
Some may not like seeing the rules used this way but it takes some gray matter sort it out and for me I like watching better sailors than me figure it out.
did yellow react fast enough
to how black physically presented his boat to him. I think yellow eased their main and started to bear away pretty fast once it became clear that black wasn't actually tacking. You could argue that yellow should have tacked but I would counter with the fact that it's a crewed boat and it takes coordination to tack a boat without throwing people in the water. I think the attempted duck was a reasonable action...he just wasn't allowed enough time or opportunity to do so.
I don't buy it's a crewed boat so we couldn't tack arguement. This isn't their first rodeo and a team that's got their act together is going to talk and their going to anticipate things not going the way they want. They will know their outs and how to executed them. They didn't tack because it would have basically been game over anyway. The duck had a lower chance of success without contact but if they made it they would have been in control, going where they wanted and there is a good chance they would have led black into the mark on starboard assuming they were close the starboard layline.
Some may not like seeing the rules used this way but it takes some gray matter sort it out and for me I like watching better sailors than me figure it out.
I know that you know that I know that these guys are racing at a high level and are very likely ready to maneuver that boat in any direction and that it is probably a realistic expectation that these guys would be anticipating needing a quick tack - but the rules do not require that. I agree with your practical interpretation but that's not the same as the legal one.
Thanks Eric that got through the bone into my grey matter. Having said that if someone hit me on port and won in the room I would drop him on the way out
Easy Jeff. There are lots of scenarios where that can and does happen. Being on port doesn't make you a total target.
Mike
I think someone pointed out earlier that match racing is about the only place where
hunting
is a good strategy to protect your lead. I think that black boat could have hunted yellow before throwing the head-fake tack and really messed with them.
When is it considered a
tack
and not just a luff to windward? When you cross the direction of the true wind? When you change the clew of the sail(s)?
tack
and not just a luff to windward? When you cross the direction of the true wind? When you change the clew of the sail(s)?
Take a look at the definition of Leeward and Windward, which states
A boat's leeward side is the side that is, or, when she is head to wind, was away from the wind.... The other side is her windward side
, and the definition of Tack, Starboard or Port which states
A boat is on the tack, starboard or port, corresponding to her windward side
.
When a boat turns head to wind, she remains on the same tack. The moment she passes head to wind, she is on the other tack.
RRS 13 states
After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11 and 12 do not apply
. The boat is on the new tack the instant she passes head to wind, but she must keep clear until she turns down to a close-hauled course.
I hope that helps,
Eric
The luff / fake tack aren't the problem in this case, it was the turn back down that caused the problem. Black was always the ROW boat, but is limited in her ability to maneuver when in close proximity to a giveaway boat trying to keep clear.
It's very situational, as I noted before. Had the wind been less, and/or the boats going slower, the port boat probably would have had been able to tack away or dump sails and spin down harder to duck.
Mike
It's difficult for me to pick out the nit picky stuff in these decisions, if the yellow boat had ducked earlier there would be no doubt in anyone's mind, as it is the yellow boat would have pushed me into losing concentration and focusing on them and whether I had to avoid collision. To my feeble brain the luffing decision leading to loss of rights to me doesn't stand up either as black luffed up and yellow luffed up then black came back on to it's course first therefore yellow should have kept luffing up and tacked.
If you can, you should try to get a ride on an umpire boat for a match race. Listening to the live calls from the umps is very educational.
Mike
Could imagine me on the umps boat. Black on starboard luffs up because yellow is near on port (black wouldn't have luffed if yellow was ducking), yellow luffs up fraction of a second later, both apparently have no rights while luffed, black first out of luff still on starboard, yellow comes out of luff fraction of a second later still on port instead of completing tack which would have avoided collision, still on port collides with black, black penalised. I assess the Corinthian part of the sport I am watching and swim to the beach
Just realize that to a cruising sailor who has only a passing familiarity with the IRPCAS, fleet racing in catamarans is equally incomprehensible.
Match racing, team racing, and fleet racing are separate disciplines within the sport of sailing. The tactics of each game are different, but one is not less sportsmanlike than another.
Regards,
Eric
No, Black luffed to hinder Yellow - that's part of the game in match racing. Alternatively, they could have hunted them (turned down, but not below a beam reach).
Luffing does not abrogate your rights or obligations. Black is on starboard until they pass head to wind. Yellow is on port.
Yellow's only obligation is to keep clear(rule 10). Black has an obligation when she changes course, to give Yellow room to keep clear (rule 16.1).
. . . because Black did not give room to keep clear.
That's your choice, but this is all part of the game in match racing.
There are two umpires in the boat and they role play. One will be the yellow boat (which just happens to have yellow sails in this scenario) and the other will be the blue boat (black sails in this scenario). They carry on a constant conversation something like this:
Blue: 'Right-of-way starboard boat'
Yellow: 'Agreed, keeping clear'
Blue: 'Luffing - must give you room'
Yellow: 'Doing what I can'
Blue: 'Bearing away; Do you need more room?'
Yellow: 'Also bearing away, need more room'
Blue: 'Contact; did not give room'
Yellow: Agreed. Yankee flag; penalize blue.
Match racing is like watching two gladiators going at it - when both competitors are good at it.
Tell me something Joey, do you like movies about Gladiators?
![[Linked Image]](https://photos.travelblog.org/Photos/21734/566829/f/6403251-Joey-do-you-like-movies-about-gladiators-0.jpg)
Matt's post basically sums it up, except the
professional
umps (still usually volunteers, but very highly ISAF certified, and often paid for travel) will include a rule number reference with every phrase they speak.
It's hard to be in the guy's head, but every time I rewatch that clip, I think the black boat started to leebow (completely a monohull move, BTW), but went too early, realized he was about to get rolled by yellow as a result, and tried a Hail Mary attack on yellow, which failed miserably. Again, this probably would have worked in less wind, because yellow would have had a bit more time to respond.
Whenever you watch good match racing in moderate breeze, it gives you a whole new appreciation for how fast even slow boat designs can maneuver if pressed. Our fleet racing, go fast and nail the corners strategy in cat racing does us no service when trying to critique match racing on monohulls.
Mike
professional
umps (still usually volunteers, but very highly ISAF certified, and often paid for travel) will include a rule number reference with every phrase they speak.
If they do, then they're not following the
efficient/effective
communication protocols in the International Umpires' and Match Racing Manual (pages D-9 to D-11). They may do that if there are observers aboard, but it's to benefit the observers, not as a regular practice.
Some of these guys have been doing this as long as I've been around, so they must have their reasons. I doubt they're adjusting just because someone else is on the boat, because it's all happening way too fast not to be their normal practice.
Their banter is typically shorter as well, such as
Starboard, right
and
port, give
(leaving out extra words like
boat,
of way,
etc.). They rotate around at some events so that the same two people aren't together all day, and the banter is remarkably the same.
Mike