Was Lijia Xu unlucky to lose the gold at the Women’s Laser Radial Worlds last week, after her disqualification from the final race due to excessive kinetics? Or should the Chinese sailor count herself lucky to hang on to silver?
It depends on how you view kinetic infringements, I suppose. It wasn’t so long ago that Paige Railey fell foul of the system on two big occasions – racking up three RR42 penalties which up until recently was sufficient to see you disqualified from the whole regatta. Railey was booted out of the 2006 Worlds and then at the Rolex Miami OCR in early 2007. You could argue that Railey got what she deserved, if the American sailor was pushing the limits to such an extent when the penalty was so harsh.
But are pumping, ooching, or other forms of kinetics really the worst misdemeanours that we see in sailing? I don’t think so. And yet they are punished more harshly than almost anything else in the sport. Under the old system, disqualification from an entire regatta was a penalty far too far.
The punishment must fit the crime.
So at least ISAF has relaxed the penalities to the point where non-discardable disqualification from the race (DNE) – and not the series – is the penalty for your third RR42 infringement. This is a step in the right direction. I doubt this would have happened under Paul Henderson’s watch when he was President of ISAF.
Here’s a clip from an interview he did with Sailing Anarchy about a year ago. Anarchy asked the past President:
If a sailor gets three yellow flags for Rule 42 violations, should they be considered as a cheater?
Henderson:
I consider it anarchy. They have decided that they will change the game to “Air Rowing” and not play by the game called “Sailing”.
Sailing uses “wind” not “air”. Wind is moving air and is a natural action on the sails not a contrived action of fanning against air.
The “Air Rowers” believe that they can gain an advantage by knowingly breaking the rules which I guess is cheating. The Rules give the benefit of the doubt to the sailors by allowing 3 flags then they are sent home.
Read the rest of the article to understand the full extent of Paul’s objection to ‘air rowing’.
That, if I may say so, is an extremist’s viewpoint. Kinetics are a legitimate part of a sailor’s armoury. Kinetics done well, will accelerate the boat. Kinetics done badly, will slow the boat down. So kinetic propulsion is a skill.
Now, I’m not saying kinetics should be a free-for-all. Pumping and ooching certainly shouldn’t run unchecked, and in many cases I think they are probably policed at about the right level. But unlike Paul – who would probably want to see the old rule of being kicked out of the whole regatta for a third infringement reinstated – I still think the new, softer rule is too harsh.
My suggestion would be a 720 degree turn for any infringement picked up by the on-water judges. 720 for first offence, second offence, third, fourth and however many more times a sailor might be foolish enough to stray the wrong side of the grey line. A 720 is a big penalty in a fleet as closely fought as an Olympic class like the Laser Radial. If a 720 doesn’t curb the fleet’s general behaviour regarding RR42, then increase it to a 1080 turn! But don’t disqualify them.
Unlike Paul’s interpretation of this misdemeanour, where he seems to view Rule 42 infringers as premeditated cheats, this is patently not the case. The whole area of Rule 42 is a big grey wishy-washy place, open to all kinds of interpretation. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the whole list of interpretations which I’ve pasted at the bottom of this post. Knowing how far to push your kinetics is part of the game, but just because you stray the wrong side of the grey line doesn’t make you a cheat.
Let me give you an example which I witnessed at the start of the Medal Race at this year’s 49er World Championships in Melbourne. It was blowing about 18 to 20 knots, with a choppy sea. The Ukrainian team, Rodion Luka and George Leonchuk, were lining up the for start, trying to maintain their position when an umpire whistled them for excessive rudder sculling and forced them to take a 720 penalty. In the process of taking the penalty they capsized and were very late off the line. It blew their chances of winning the regatta and they had to settle for bronze.
Now, the capsize is not the umpire’s fault, but if he knew what effect a heavily-sculled 49er rudder has on forward propulsion – ie none whatsoever – then he wouldn’t have felt the need to penalise the UKR team in the first place. You can scull a 49er rudder all day and it will get you absolutely nowhere. Certainly not in 18 knots’ breeze! The only reason why skippers do it is to stop the boat going head to wind and stalling.
CORRECTION: Although I did ask after the Medal Race what had happened, it seems I didn’t ask the right people, as the umpire in question, John Doerr, sent in this reply. My apologies to John for the error. I have repeated his comment here. “I happen to have been the judge that gave UKR the penalty at the recent 49er Worlds. The penalty was given following a protest by AUS for a port/starboard incident. It had NOTHING to do with rule 42. It is a real pity that Andy did not check his facts before using this incident to make his point. I hope he will issue a correction. John Doerr.“
One coach, of a team who are reigning world champions in their Olympic class, says the big problem is the consistency at which umpires police the kinetics on the water. What one umpire deems as acceptable, another will say is punishable.
This is yet another reason why sailors should not be disqualified from races. Even if the umpires were running a system that was consistent – and when you read the interpretations below, you will see that they will never be able to achieve this, no matter how hard they try – disqualification from a race is a ridiculously harsh penalty. ISAF has made a step in the right direction, but it needs to go further. A 720 for every infringement, and leave it at that.
Question: What do you think is the appropriate penalty for infringing Rule 42? Who are you with?
- The Henderson ‘Hang ‘em’ brigade?
- The ISAF ‘chop off the offending limb’ scenario, which exists now?
- The Andy Rice woolly liberal ‘smack them on the bottom twice’ alternative – ie 720s every time?
- Or is there a ‘fourth way’ that hasn’t been mentioned here?
Remember, the punishment must fit the crime…
INTERPRETATIONS OF RULE 42, PROPULSION
INTERPRETATIONS OF TERMS USED
A term used as stated below is shown in italic type. Other terms that are specific to rule 42 are defined in the rule.
Background rolling is the minimum degree of rolling caused by the waves.
Body pumping is the movement of a sail caused by in and out or up and down body movement.
A flick is the effect caused by body movement or pulling in or releasing a sail that is so abrupt that the normal shape of the sail is changed and almost immediately returned to the original shape.
A pump is a single pull on a sail that is unrelated to wind or waves.
Repeated means more than once in the same area on a leg.
A roll is a single-cycle athwartship movement of the boat during which the mast goes to leeward and back to windward, or vice versa.
Torquing is repeated fore and aft or rotating movement of the body.
Yellow light area is a phrase used when it is not clear that an action is prohibited. It is unlikely that a boat in the yellow light area would be protested, but it is possible. If the action is repeated, the likelihood of a protest will rapidly increase.
42.1 Basic Rule
Except when permitted in rule 42.3 or 45, a boat shall compete by using only the wind and water to increase, maintain or decrease her speed. Her crew may adjust the trim of sails and hull, and perform other acts of seamanship, but shall not otherwise move their bodies to propel the boat.
INTERPRETATIONS (Basic)
BASIC 1 An action that is not listed in rule 42.2 may be prohibited under rule 42.1.
BASIC 2 A kinetic technique not listed in rule 42.2 that propels the boat, and is not one of the permitted actions covered in rule 42.1, is prohibited.
BASIC 3 An action prohibited in rule 42.2 cannot be considered as permitted under rule 42.1.
BASIC 4 Except when permitted under rule 42.3, any single action of the body that propels the boat (in any direction) with the effect of one stroke of a paddle is prohibited.
42.2 Prohibited Actions
Without limiting the application of rule 42.1, these actions are prohibited:
INTERPRETATION
BASIC 5 An action listed in rule 42.2 is always prohibited, even if it fails to propel the boat.
42.2 Prohibited Actions
Without limiting the application of rule 42.1, these actions are prohibited:
(a) pumping: repeated fanning of any sail either by pulling in and releasing the sail or by vertical or athwartships body movement;
INTERPRETATIONS (Pumping)
PUMP 1 Fanning is moving a sail in and out not in response to wind shifts, gusts or waves.
PUMP 2 Pulling in and releasing a sail in response to wind shifts, gusts or waves is permitted, even if repeated (see rule 42.1).
PUMP 3 Except when permitted under rule 42.3(c), one pump may be prohibited under rule 42.1.
PUMP 4 A flick of a sail resulting from the sudden stopping of an eased sheet is permitted.
PUMP 5 One flick of a sail due to body pumping, or a pump not permitted by rule 42.3(c), is in the yellow light area. Body movement that does not result in a flick of a sail does not break rule 42.2(a), but may break other parts of rule 42.
PUMP 6 Repeated flicks of a sail due to body pumping are prohibited.
42.2 Prohibited Actions
Without limiting the application of rule 42.1, these actions are prohibited:
(b) rocking: repeated rolling of the boat, induced by
(1) body movement,
(2) repeated adjustment of the sails or centreboard, or
(3) steering;
INTERPRETATIONS (Rocking)
ROCK 1 A roll of the boat caused by a gust or a lull followed by corrective body movement to restore proper trim is permitted by rule 42.1.
ROCK 2 One roll that does not have the effect of a stroke of a paddle is permitted.
ROCK 3 Background rolling is permitted. A boat is not required to stop this type of rolling.
ROCK 4 Adopting any static crew position or any static setting of the sails or centreboard, even when stability is reduced, is permitted by rule 42.1 and is not prohibited by rule 42.2(b).
ROCK 5 A single body movement that is immediately followed by repeated rolling of the boat is prohibited.
42.2 Prohibited Actions
Without limiting the application of rule 42.1, these actions are prohibited:
(c) ooching: sudden forward body movement, stopped abruptly;
INTERPRETATIONS (Ooching)
OOCH 1 Torquing to change the fore and aft trim of the boat in phase with the waves is permitted, provided it does not result in pumping the sails.
OOCH 2 Torquing on flat water is prohibited.
42.2 Prohibited Actions
Without limiting the application of rule 42.1, these actions are prohibited:
(d) sculling: repeated movement of the helm that is either forceful or that propels the boat forward or prevents her from moving astern;
INTERPRETATIONS (Sculling)
See interpretations of rule 42.3(d).
42.2 Prohibited Actions
Without limiting the application of rule 42.1, these actions are prohibited:
(e) repeated tacks or gybes unrelated to changes in the wind or to tactical considerations.
INTERPRETATION (Tacking and Gybing)
TACK 1 In a steady wind and in the absence of tactical considerations, a boat that tacks or gybes more than twice in quick succession breaks rule 42.2(e). In light wind a boat is in the yellow light area if she tacks or gybes noticeably more frequently than nearby boats.
42.3 Exceptions
(a) A boat may be rolled to facilitate steering.
INTERPRETATIONS (Rolling to Facilitate Steering)
ROCK 6 Heeling to windward to facilitate bearing away and heeling to leeward to facilitate heading up are permitted.
ROCK 7 Repeated rolling not linked to wave patterns is rocking prohibited by rule 42.2(b), even if the boat changes course with each roll.
42.3 Exceptions
(b) A boat’s crew may move their bodies to exaggerate the rolling that facilitates steering the boat through a tack or a gybe, provided that, just after the tack or gybe is completed, the boat’s speed is not greater than it would have been in the absence of the tack or gybe.
INTERPRETATIONS (Rolling while Tacking or Gybing)
ROCK 8 Body movements that exaggerate rolling and cause a boat to sail out of a tack or a gybe at the same speed as she had just before the manoeuvre are permitted.
ROCK 9 It is permitted to move the mast to windward of vertical at the completion of a tack or a gybe.
BASIC 6 After a tack when a boat is on her new close-hauled course, movement propelling the boat like a stroke of a paddle is prohibited under rule 42.1.
BASIC 7 When the speed of a boat clearly drops after she accelerates out of a tack or a gybe, and there is no obvious change of wind speed or direction, the exception in rule 42.3(b) does not apply and the boat breaks rule 42.1
42.3 Exceptions
(c) Except on a beat to windward, when surfing (rapidly accelerating down the leeward side of a wave) or planing is possible, the boat’s crew may pull the sheet and the guy controlling any sail in order to initiate surfing or planing, but only once for each wave or gust of wind.
INTERPRETATIONS (Surfing and Planing)
PUMP 7 A pull of the sheet and guy made to attempt to surf or plane when surfing or planing conditions are marginal is permitted even if the attempt is not successful.
PUMP 8 If a boat repeats an unsuccessful attempt to plane or surf, she is in the yellow light area.
PUMP 9 Each sail may be pulled at a different time, but only as permitted by rule 42.3(c).
PUMP 10 It is only necessary for surfing or planing conditions to exist at the position of a boat for her to be permitted to make one pull of the sheet or guy.
PUMP 11 Surfing or planing may be possible for some boats but not for others. This can be caused, for example, by local gusts or by waves from a motorboat. Also, lighter crews may be able surf or plane when heavier crews cannot.
42.3 Exceptions
(d) When a boat is above a close-hauled course and either stationary or moving slowly, she may scull to turn to a close-hauled course.
INTERPRETATIONS (Sculling to Turn the Boat)
SCULL 1 Provided the boat’s course is above close-hauled and she clearly changes direction towards a close-hauled course, repeated forceful movements of the helm are permitted, even if the boat gains speed. She may turn to a close-hauled course on either tack.
SCULL 2 After a boat has sculled in one direction, further connected sculling to offset the first sculling action is prohibited.
SCULL 3 Sculling to offset steering of the boat caused by backing a sail is prohibited.
42.3 Exceptions
(e) A boat may reduce speed by repeatedly moving her helm.
(f) Any means of propulsion may be used to help a person or another vessel in danger.
(g) To get clear after grounding or colliding with another boat or object, a boat may use force applied by the crew of either boat and any equipment other than a propulsion engine.
720s. Many umpires aren’t good enough to have the power they do. Because the penalties are so harsh, I think sometimes the umpires are reluctant to impose penalties where they are warranted.
I know there’s a desire to curb air rowing but a high proportion of entry fees for national & international events goes towards travel & accommodation for (barely competent) judges so maybe we should go back to competitors protesting.
“You can scull a 49er rudder all day and it will get you absolutely nowhere. Certainly not in 18 knots’ breeze! The only reason why skippers do it is to stop the boat going head to wind and stalling.” Andy Rice
“Provided the boat’s course is above close-hauled and she clearly changes direction towards a close-hauled course, repeated forceful movements of the helm are permitted, even if the boat gains speed. She may turn to a close-hauled course on either tack.” Rule 42 Interpretation
If Andy is right in saying that a 49er helmsman would only scull in order to avoid going head to wind (and they were doing that while above close-hauled) then they should not have been penalized under Rule 42.
I don’t know about 49ers but in some dinghy classes there is a temptation to scull the boat towards and away from HTW while waiting to start. Sculling towards HTW is illegal under the Rule 42 Interpretations. There is no need for the judge to believe that sculling would cause forward propulsion of the 49er for him to impose a penalty.
the 49er class rules alter rule 42 as below
C.8 Rules
C.8.1 RRS 42.3 is changed as follows:
Add to RRS 42.3:
h) A boat’s crew may pump the mainsail repeatedly to release one or more
battens..
i) A boat may be sculled before the start if the sculling does not propel the
boat.
The racing rules state that a crew shall only propel a boat using the action of wind and water on the boat and other acts of seamanship – or words to that effect.
What ever kinetics are applied to a boat will only ever use action of wind and water on a boat, they are natural actions on a boat and certainly come under acts of seamanship.
Rule 42 contradicts all of these things, allow it all any thing goes at least at olympic level
Dosnt do the rsx any harm…….
For god’s sake, don’t allow more kinetics in dinghy sailing. There IS skill in pumping, but in many conditions it has a totally disproportionate effect over the other skills UNLESS you are all basically full-time sailors and therefore each sailor can spend as much time in the gym as everyone else.
Opening up R42 in a Laser, for example, would mean that in light winds we’d just stand on the bow, hanging onto the mast, and roll the boat from side to side. In glassy conditions you’d just pump straight upwind. That’s not a natural act, nor seamanlike, and it looks bloody stupid. In a club or class event the older or less fit sailors who could not rock continually would not be able to finish in a reasonable time limit, and therefore would have no reason to compete. And if you say “let it all go at Olymypic level” where do you draw the line between a non-pumping eventg and the others? My district title gets top Olympians preparing for the Games, my local regattas are ISAF ranking events, so do we just destroy the racing for 180 sailors to allow 20 Olympians to pump?
Yes, fitness is something that should be rewarded, but not to a disproportionate amount. And in my experience pumping actually increases the effect that varying winds have on results – in some conditions the pumper has a vast advantage, in others very little. You can almost look at a forecast and foresee your result, to a much greater extent than in classes that restrict pumping.
Does pumpiing do the RSX harm? According to some Olympic medallists and to the numbers of competitive windsurfers, pumping has done windsurfing enormous harm. The gap between the full-time front runners and the good amateurs is so huge -vastly wider than in say dinghies or cats – that it’s embarrassing to race the top sailors, and club and class racing in boards is a shadow of its former self. You can’t get a good start and have a close race upwind in light air against the top guys like you can in say Lasers, they just pump straight away and leave you choking in turbulence.
The other two recent classes in course-racing boards are the Formula, which was designed so that pumping is not such a big issue, and the newer Kona which bans pumping. So the evidence is that even the windsurfers generally DON’T want unrestricted pumping. The “success” of a pumping class in a dwindling area of a dwindling sport is not good evidence for pumping!
Finally, the law of unintended consequences certainly applies. I was on the national team when pumping was allowed for boards. Even the world’s best pros (Bjorn etc) did not pump then as sailors do now, so no one really realised the corrosive effect that it would have on hte sport when taken to its current levels.
A material piece of evidence, I think, is the Mistral IMCO 7.4 sail. I understand that its design was affected by the need to be efficient for pumping. As a result, some of us think it’s inferior in strong-wind handling to older and larger sails. So we lose in light winds because racing is so much about pumping, and we lose in strong winds because the sail is less efficient.
I run a windsurfer class that allows downwind pumping in the main event, and unrestricted pumping in others. It can work, but it DOES have significant minuses and would have many more in dinghies.
And we may not even need an IJ to stop pumping – why not give rescue boat and RC crews at titles fairly cheap cameras to point at people? If someone blew a whistle at you while pointing a video, you’d either stop pumping and do a 720 or else have the opportunity to present a good case (with video evidence) in a protest room. If you felt you were not pumping and knew you’d been videoed you’d be confident in the room.
I’m actually preparing a draft NoR and class rules at the moment with this provision in; comments welcomed.
The answer is of course both. Some sailors are deliberately cheating whilst others can consider themselves unfortunate.
No umpiring or judging syatem can be perfect and living in the realm of amateur officials (which is where the vast majority of sailing officials sit) does not help.
Derek Snow says ‘a high proportion of entry fees for national & international events goes towards travel & accommodation for (barely competent) judges so maybe we should go back to competitors protesting.’
Judges may be assisted in their travel and accommodation but they are not paid for the time they give up, the wages they might be losing and the direspect and abuse that is often served up to them.
There is no doubt that sailors will NOT protest each other for rule 42 matters. They barely bother in most cases to protest under any cicumstances these days. The problem with rule 42 protests is that it is hard for a competior to get witnesses so a “conviction” is hard to achieve.
Sailors will change their behaviour when they think a Judge is watching them and this illustrates that they know when they are pushing the boundaries and in some cases they know they are ‘cheating’ and will take the risk knowing they only have to do a 720. The gain by achieving and inside overlap on a raft of boats is more than the loss through pumping a laser through a 720 in light winds! The lower the penalty the more there will be deliberate cheating!
There are only 2 certain points – unrestricted kinetics, pumping and sculling or none at all with stiff penalties. Neither of these are likely to be acceptable so we are left with the system as it is.
Judges are putting in a lot of time to improve their consistency and skills and should be encouraged not chastised.
The proposal by Chris 249 using video sounds intersting and I think is worthy of further trials and consideration.
I happen to have been the judge that gave UKR the penalty at the recent 49er Worlds. The penalty was given following a protest by AUS for a port/starboard incident. It had NOTHING to do with rule 42. It is a real pity that Andy did not check his facts before using this incident to make his point. I hope he will issue a correction. John Doerr
In the current system the punishment rarely fits the crime. Unless there are judges, there no punishment. Even if there are judges, many examples of excessive kinetics are not seen and go unpunished. Punishment only fits the crime when judges see the crime and punish it.
Of course, this is just as true of burglary and mugging as it is of kinetics.
What really amazes me is the length of the rule and its interpretations. Anything that complex will not be taken seriously unless an umpire blows a whistle. It would be better if we had a rule that competitors could and would enforce. No kinetics of any kind, not even roll tacking, would be my choice.
The solution is simple – sail boats that are either so fast or so slow that pumping and rocking have on effect.
Tornado’s come to mind….oh never mind – US Sailing and Charlie Cook got rid of the pesky fun boats to sail in the Olympics….
Which means, Peter, that the most popular boats are thrown out of the Games.
And yes, Tornadoes are fun (brilliant fun) but they are not “the” fun boats in the Games. The reason that vastly more people sail Lasers and Stars than Tornadoes is because they find Lasers and Stars are lots of fun to sail.
Implying that 470s, Stars, Lasers etc are not fun is just alienating the big number of sailors who CHOOSE to sail them, isn’t it? How does that help the cause of getting cats back?
Gee Chris, you are really becoming a negative one-man taskforce for sailing. Lately you are like a lemon. Sour, sour, sour. Time you go out and sail instead of spending way to much time online. Repeating your endless arguments dont make people agree with you, they just go away with a grudge and a will to get back at you.
It’s the other way around. Those who imply that only a few boats are fun are the negative ones. Those of us who say that just about all boats, leadmines, cats, slow dinghies, etc are fun are the positive ones.
And so far this year I’ve done a states, nationals and worlds and won two of them. How ’bout you?
You just made my point. I was not speaking about the last post. You have been on a mission since november and it have turned you into a lemon.
No mission, apart from the fact that surely we should give proper respect to all disciplines and acknowledge their true popularity. How can you argue against respecting fellow sailors of all types and seeing the sport as it really is?
If you look back on your activities here and on other forums for the last months and detach yourself from the topic, you will probably see what I mean. If you are as heavily into this as it seems you should enter politics or ISAF. Neither have visions but both have lots of negative influence.
If you are as open and reasonable as you make out to be, how about having a good look at what you are doing and the message you are sending? How do most people read it and use it? What good do you expect to come of it in the hands of ISAF and compadres?
I am a bigot and admit it, I think you are too but you dont admit it yet.
I’ll drop this now. No need to let it become more ugly.
Look at the messages some people are sending and you will see who has been negative, time and time and time again. For example, in this thread one person said we should stop sailing the most popular boats of all – the medium speed ones. THAT is a negative message and we have seen that sort of thing repeatedly and that is why I sometimes post. If some other people were less negative, my messages would also be less negative.
By the way, in the past I’ve taken it on myself to get some promotional stuff up and running for cats. Not leadmines, not dinghies, not skiffs, but cats. Bigoted? No.
oops thread seems have been lost a bit.
I think the treatment Paige Railey got when she was vilified on some sites for getting penalised for rule 42 in 2206 was completely over the top.
Just look at the rule its huge and completely dependent on the view of the judges. Do they spot everybody transgressing and do they hold the same opinion of what breaks the rule? Remember there’s no hawk-eye technology available for this stuff either!
Why not simply allow kinetics over say 6 knots and only start this level racing over 6 knots, oh I forgot that would probably mean not much racing at the Olympics, so it looks like we’re going to end up with Andy’s limitless 720 turns…
Chris 249
The trouble with your argument is that you are very correct.
But I feel miss the point about high performance, or shall we say fast, exciting and a lot of fun for the best sailors to sail.
The majority of people may well sail mid range performance boats, or even in the case of the laser and Star low performance boats, I expect that it is true of a lot of sports that the majority of participants partake on a relatively low performance basis, be it in the equipment they use or the times they finish in.
But in the case of the top end of the sport ie Olympics there is no need to sail boats for the masses, boats can be high performance and challenging to sail for the elite sailors.
They can also be aspiring to future sailors around the world, I cant and never will perform stunts on my windsurfer, snow board etc but I still aspire to the pro’s that do these tricks, its what makes those sports exciting and encourage me to go and play.
That is what the boats we show case our sport should do – aspire young ad old, male and female to our sport. For that there must be at least a few that look like they challenge the best sailors in the world, otherwise it just looks dull.
For those of us who already sail we dont need to be told that sailing is loads of fun regardless of what we are sailing in.