Aeolian Yacht Club hosted the InterClub Race led by Les Clark. VHF weather reports were
1200 Oakland Airport 17 knots gusting to 27 1300 Oakland Airport 22 knots Waiting for an individual boat's race report.
Question Can a competitor ask the Race Committee for the Course by VHF Radio? Answer The InterClub Race Committee may, but is not obligated to, respond to a question on the course which may incur other obligations. References:
US Sailing Rule 41 "Outside Help"
US Sailing Appendix J "Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions"
2005 InterClub "Sailing Instructions"
Dick Rose, Sailing World, February 2005, "Rule Changes for 2005", on Outside Help.
High priority for the InterClub races include: run races safely, correctly, with fairness to all competitors. InterClub Race Committees (RC) follow US Sailing Rules (Rules) as modified by the InterClub Sailing Instructions (SI's). The combination of Rules and SI's give a context of what will be done and what can be done. VHF Radio communication use is mentioned in the InterClub SI's, passively in limited circumstances. A limited background follows and perspective on VHF Radio use between the SI's and Rules follows.
A single question on a VHF Radio answered by the RC might require all questions be answered, correctly. This will apply even if the question is not heard by the RC. The first "answer" to a question can be interpreted to extend liability for the Race Committee to answer all questions, or risk prejudicing other boats. The 100% correct and full response requirement ~limits race committee responding, at least on several of the Race Committees where I served, not too much with InterClub RC's though. The objective is avoid a protest against the race for prejudical outside assistance by the RC. No VHF Radio communication limits the liability of a protest, not the optimum result.US Sailing's Race Officer training course instructors (Matt Jones, Jeff Zarwell NRO ) encouraged VHF radio communications. The only reason we have a race is for the people on the boats, so they can sail a race. That US Sailing CRO class encouraged VHF Radio communication.
The InterClub "Sailing Instructions" are passive on VHF Radio communications. VHF Radios for casual racing, less than Regional, National, Grand Prix levels, one finds not all competitors have VHF portables, or wireless microphones in their ears. Many SI's will not specifically indicate certain instructions "will be announced on Channel XX". The InterClub Race Committee, may, and generally does announce on VHF Radio the courses, starting sequences, divisions, prep, countdowns, Individual Recalls, General Recall, and the odd time we notified the fleet of a missing finish mark.
The RC operates with metrics from a timer to the second, repeated loud shotgun firing, repeated loud horn blasts, with flag raising, lowering, and changing on a bobbing boat (rarely a deck layout that a volunteer has seen before) in sea conditions with wind speeds from ~5 knots to xx knots. Volunteers step on a boat with others met in the boarding process. RC work can certainly be physically easier than grinding in large genoas, or pulling in the mainsheet with 20+ knots at the start, however, it depends on how many people you have. The capacity of the Race Committee to answer all questions correctly needs to be measured within an operating context, environment, staffing, and sometimes whether the Division sheet listing all the boats by courses just got washed overboard by an unexpected wave splashing on deck.
References:
US Sailing Rule 41 "Outside Help"
US Sailing Appendix J "Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions"
2005 InterClub "Sailing Instructions"
Dick Rose, Sailing World, February 2005, "Rule Changes for 2005", on Outside Help.
Mr. Rose, as an example, wrote that a VHF weather communication is OK, "The information you received was freely available to all boats in the race".
41: OUTSIDE HELP (2005-2008 Rules)
A boat shall not receive help from any outside source, except
(a) help as provided for in rule 1;
(b) help for an ill or injured crew member;
(c) after a collision, help from the crew of the other boat to get clear;
(d) help in the form of information freely available to all boats;
(e) unsolicited information from a disinterested source, which may be another boat in the same race.
J2 SAILING INSTRUCTION CONTENTS
J2.2 The sailing instructions shall include those of the following that will apply:
(26)restrictions on use of support boats, plastic pools, radios, etc.; on hauling out; and on outside assistance provided to a boat that is not racing ;
2005 InterClub Sailing Instructions
VHF Radio communication:
- prohibited for VHF check-in (par. 10),
- passively uses "may" for Individual Recalls (par. 17.1),
- passively uses "may" for Abandonment (par 19)
10. On-the-Water Communications and Check-in: All yachts must sail within hail of the Committee Boat to check in. Check-in by radio will not be accepted or acknowledged. Committee will monitor Channel 69 (Races 1 & 2) and Channel 71 (Races 3 - 6) for withdrawals and emergencies, and to broadcast instructions relevant to the race.
17.1 Individual Recalls: Code Flag "X" accompanied by one sound signal. The Committee may hail by calling by bullhorn and/or radio (Channel 69 (Central Bay races 1-2) or 71 (Long Distance & South Bay races 4-6) ).
19. Abandonment: An abandoned race is declared by Code Flag "N" accompanied by three sound signals. A radio announcement may be made from the Committee boat.
slackwater_sf@hotmail.com , 07/14/05, Chairman, Joint InterClub Committee, text above represents views of the author, not necessarily endorsed or authorized by US Sailing.