Years ago when I started racing, the sport was full of actual gentlemen. Most skippers would disqualify themselves and withdraw (before the 720) if they broke a rule. It was seldow that we needed a protest hearing. Nowadays there are too many ******* racing who will simply lie and cheat even though the penalty is far easier with the 720, unfortunately this seems to be especially true here in the south where I am now. I gave up racing, no fun anymore
To be, or not to be, a PROTESTER . . .
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Well, it is in the classroom but the literal definition doesn't apply in sailboat ratings.
I remember very little of the rating details of 40 years ago but as best I recall, under the International Offshore Rule (IOR) there was some mystical formula that rated boats in an attempt to race heads up within a particular rating without handicap. The ratings were commonly referred to as one ton (36 - 38 feet usually), 3/4 ton (around 32 feet), half ton (27 footers) and quarter ton (about 24 feet). The approximate lengths are for example, there were several other parameters involved.
Don't take the foregoing as gospel, I'm certain there are many around here who know far more than I.
Unrelated to the IOR but this reminds me of the launching of Newport 41S #1 built at the Harbor City California plant, a canary yellow boat named Summerwind II. We were feverishly finishing things up at the launch yard and the surveyor was there taking his measurements to calculate the rating. Among those measurements was waterline length. The boat was lifted by crane into the water where the surveyor continued his work.
He remeasured the waterline in the water to see if it was different than the specification and it was, a little longer. Interesting, he thought. He checked it again and it was different again, a little longer. Hmmm,what's going on? Checked it a third time and it was longer again.
Then the fire drill erupted. Get the crane back, get her in the slings and outta the water NOW!! She's taking on water at a frightful rate!!
It turned out the shaft log, the tube where the prop shaft exits the hull, had been bonded in place by an employee inexperienced with fiberglass, catalyzed far too much and a very thick bond. The resultant chain reaction and runaway heat buildup crystallized the lamination rendering it water permeable.
Quarter ton is an IOR rating - my first boat was a San Juan 24 it was a 1/4 ton. Does not relate directly to the weight of the boat
I think I made this point in a previous post. It's not enough just to enjoy something, some have to win at all cost. Vince Lombardi, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." Folks are instilling this mentality into their offspring. i.e. Little League dads, Soccer Moms, Stage parents. Sometimes losing is an opportunity. I have a box full of dust covered trophies attesting to the fact that I prevailed. But in the end I still had fun and hope I didn't offend anyone. Fair Winds and Full Sails....
Don't blame the USYRU -
they didn't write the Racing Rules of Sailing.
See below; or the full text at http://www.sailing.org/167.php.
A Short History of the International Sailing Federation
The world governing body for the sport of sailing was created in Paris in October 1907. It was initially known as the International Yacht Racing Union before the names was changed to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) on 5 August 1996.
The International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) evolved from the need for racing sailors to have a uniform set of rules and measurement standard and there is now a system of rules and measurement that are used world-wide in all sailing events.
Before 1870 individual yacht clubs developed their own set of racing rules of which each was the sole arbiter in interpreting and applying them. While the popularity of racing against other clubs grew so did the confusion and frustration on the race course.
In Britain, there were several attempts to develop a uniform set of rules and the first meeting to develop such rules was the 'Yachting Congress' organised by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club on 1 June 1868. This congress was attended by 23 representatives from 14 clubs. Under the guidance of Captain Mackinnon, a sub-committee of the congress compiled a pamphlet of the existing rules on all the yacht clubs.
The Congress met again on 4 March 1869 when a draft of the racing rules were examined and adopted. However, when published in the yachting press it met with severe criticism and was abandoned.
The need for a coherent set of rules continued to grow. A number of associations were formed and their rules subsequently rejected. In 1881, when HRH Albert Edward, Prince of Wales was Commodore of the Royal Thames Yacht Club and the Royal Yacht Squadron, these two clubs joined the Yacht Racing Association along with the New Thames Yacht Club and developed a set of rules for British waters.
Again confusion arose over the different measurement standards that were being used in Europe, North America and Britain. Consequently, yachts from different countries could not compete on equal terms. Major Brooke Heckstall-Smith, secretary of the Yacht Racing Association, wrote to the Yacht Club de France expressing the need to devise an international rule of measurement for racing yachts that was acceptable to all European countries. As a result, an International Conference on Yacht Measurement was held in London in January and June 1906 and the 'Metre Rule' was developed and is still used today in the 12 Metre, 8 Metre, 6 Metre and other Metre boats. The attendees formed the International Yacht Racing Union and adopted a common code of yacht racing rules based on that of the YRA.
At that time the IYRU comprised of the yachting authorities of Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland and Belgium, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
In November 1929, representatives from the North American Yacht Racing Union actively took part in the discussions to ensure that the North American Yacht Racing Rules and the International Yacht Racing Rules were almost identically worded and that neither one would change their rules without first informing the other. In 1960 a totally universal code of racing rules was agreed and implemented.
From 1906 to 1946 a chairman was elected from time to time to orchestrate the annual meetings. In 1946, Sir Ralph GORE was elected the first President and since then the ISAF has seen five Presidents: Sir Peter Scott (GBR), 1955-69 Beppe Croce, (ITA), 1969-86 Peter Tallberg (FIN), 1986-1994, and Paul Henderson (CAN), 1994-2004 and Göran Petersson (SWE) 2004-present.
they didn't write the Racing Rules of Sailing.
See below; or the full text at http://www.sailing.org/167.php.
A Short History of the International Sailing Federation
The world governing body for the sport of sailing was created in Paris in October 1907. It was initially known as the International Yacht Racing Union before the names was changed to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) on 5 August 1996.
The International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) evolved from the need for racing sailors to have a uniform set of rules and measurement standard and there is now a system of rules and measurement that are used world-wide in all sailing events.
Before 1870 individual yacht clubs developed their own set of racing rules of which each was the sole arbiter in interpreting and applying them. While the popularity of racing against other clubs grew so did the confusion and frustration on the race course.
In Britain, there were several attempts to develop a uniform set of rules and the first meeting to develop such rules was the 'Yachting Congress' organised by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club on 1 June 1868. This congress was attended by 23 representatives from 14 clubs. Under the guidance of Captain Mackinnon, a sub-committee of the congress compiled a pamphlet of the existing rules on all the yacht clubs.
The Congress met again on 4 March 1869 when a draft of the racing rules were examined and adopted. However, when published in the yachting press it met with severe criticism and was abandoned.
The need for a coherent set of rules continued to grow. A number of associations were formed and their rules subsequently rejected. In 1881, when HRH Albert Edward, Prince of Wales was Commodore of the Royal Thames Yacht Club and the Royal Yacht Squadron, these two clubs joined the Yacht Racing Association along with the New Thames Yacht Club and developed a set of rules for British waters.
Again confusion arose over the different measurement standards that were being used in Europe, North America and Britain. Consequently, yachts from different countries could not compete on equal terms. Major Brooke Heckstall-Smith, secretary of the Yacht Racing Association, wrote to the Yacht Club de France expressing the need to devise an international rule of measurement for racing yachts that was acceptable to all European countries. As a result, an International Conference on Yacht Measurement was held in London in January and June 1906 and the 'Metre Rule' was developed and is still used today in the 12 Metre, 8 Metre, 6 Metre and other Metre boats. The attendees formed the International Yacht Racing Union and adopted a common code of yacht racing rules based on that of the YRA.
At that time the IYRU comprised of the yachting authorities of Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland and Belgium, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
In November 1929, representatives from the North American Yacht Racing Union actively took part in the discussions to ensure that the North American Yacht Racing Rules and the International Yacht Racing Rules were almost identically worded and that neither one would change their rules without first informing the other. In 1960 a totally universal code of racing rules was agreed and implemented.
From 1906 to 1946 a chairman was elected from time to time to orchestrate the annual meetings. In 1946, Sir Ralph GORE was elected the first President and since then the ISAF has seen five Presidents: Sir Peter Scott (GBR), 1955-69 Beppe Croce, (ITA), 1969-86 Peter Tallberg (FIN), 1986-1994, and Paul Henderson (CAN), 1994-2004 and Göran Petersson (SWE) 2004-present.
In our Old Sigh Race 'fun' series, my barometer for protests are habitual offender. The game needs to be fair, like hockey, if I get hooked once with no call it creates a momentary advantage, second time and the player has an illegal strategy and must be called. Keep it fun, but keep it fair.
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