TYNEMOUTH SAILING CLUB
Winter Series at LADYBURN LAKE
Race 5 on Sunday 13th December 2020
REQUEST for REDRESS
‘Requestor’: Laser 211415 sailed by Ian Davis
Time of Request: Request lodged by email on 15th Dec
Incident: Giving help under RRS 1.1 (Helping those in Danger)
Location of Incident: First windward leg of 2nd lap
Claim:
The ‘Requestor’ stated that his score [DNF] had been made worse by his compliance with RRS 1.1
Facts Found:
1. The course for Race 5 was an initial beat to windward followed by 3 broad reaches back to the start – 2 Laps (10 min laps approx).
2. The wind was from SE -16 knots at Start time; then SE 22 knots at end of Lap 1 (gusting 25 knts)
3. The air temperature was less than 6 deg C
4. 11 ‘Handicap Class’ boats started Race 5
5. 9 Lasers started Race 5 – (2 minutes after the H’cap class start)
6. As the Lasers completed their first lap the wind increased quickly. At least 6 boats (all from the H’cap Class) had capsized on a cold winter’s day and some, relatively new to racing, were clearly struggling to recover. The Committee Boat is equipped to double as a ‘safety boat’ if needed, and later did so.
7. The ‘Requestor’, along with Laser 183074 (Sven Richards) and Laser 152661 (Richard Fahey), ceased racing to render assistance by deliberately capsizing nearby and swimming to assist boats in difficulty.
8. All 3 Lasers had completed Lap 1 within 10 seconds of each other. Laser 152661 in 9m .59s, and Lasers 211415 & 183074 alongside eachother in 10m09s. Laser 152661 was 20 seconds behind the Laser that went on to finish 5th Laser; and 9th (after PY correction) of all 10 finishers. All other Lasers finished the race save one who retired.
9. Having spent at least 15 minutes giving assistance, none of the 3 Lasers reverted to racing. By that time the Committee boat had adopted the ‘Safety Boat’ role and was about to tow 3 boats to the slipway.
10. When the day’s scoring was published on the TSC Website at 7.00 pm on Sunday 13th December, all three Lasers were scored DNF [Did not Finish]
Conclusions:
1. 6+ boats had capsized and given the wind / temperature / and ‘rescue’ facilities immediately available, they were ‘in danger’.
2. All three Lasers ceased racing to give help under RRS 1.1 (Helping those in danger)
3. Ceasing racing; giving help; swimming in cold water; and the time taken to assist; contributed to all 3 Lasers’ decision not to resume racing to ‘Finish’. All 3 were scored DNF [Did not Finish]
4. Their decision not to complete the course was especially appropriate given overall safety considerations. Therefore their race scores were made worse through no fault of their own.
5. All 9 Lasers completed Lap 1. Three Lasers then ceased racing to assist. One (a relative beginner) retired. All the other Lasers sailed the course and finished the race.
6. After completing one lap the three Lasers lay in 6th, 7th, and 8th places in the 9 boat Laser fleet. Had they not ceased racing, they could all have reasonably expected to reach the finish but not necessarily in that order.
Applicable Rules:
RRS 1.1 [Safety – Helping those in danger]
RRS 62.1.(c) [Redress]
Para 17 TSC Sailing Instructions [Protests & Redress]
RRS 64.3 [Decisions on Redress]
Decision:
Redress is given to all three Lasers.
The ‘Race 5’ scores of Laser 211414 (Ian Davis): Laser 183074 (Sven Richards) and Laser 152661 (Richard Fahey) are changed from DNF [Did not Finish] to RDG [Redress Given].
The points awarded to all three shall be 6 points in the ‘Laser Class’ Winter Series; and 10 points in the ‘Overall’ Winter Series.
The award of equal points for all 3 Lasers (despite only one Laser requesting ‘Redress’) is the fairest arrangement possible for all boats affected.
The published scores of all other competitors remain unaffected.