Great email Ken...thanks for sending it! This has definitely been on the radar of the ICSA Rules Committee.
I am in full agreement with you that consistency in college sailing is very important. Here are my two cents on the two vs. three length zone discussion that I've shared with the ICSA rules committee already: First off, the rules from 2005 said "Rule 18 applies when boats are about to round or pass a mark". This very powerful portion of rule 18 is gone with the 2009 rules. There is no more 'about to round' (except for windsurfers). Thus the extension from two to three lengths should reduce protests (which I think is a good thing). If people prefer the clustering of the two length zone and deciding regattas in the protest room, keeping the smaller zone could be a good thing. Personally, I'm a fan of keeping the racing on the water. Secondly, in team racing, as you already pointed out, the zone will remain two per appendix D. Thirdly, my recommendation would be to adopt the rules as most of the rest of the world has and use the three length zone (in order to be consistent). College sailors teach sooooo many kids that eventually we need to learn this. I recommend sooner as opposed to later. Fourth: I've heard many people say they are sticking to two lengths for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with the rules (but appears to be an excuse to simply stick to what we are used to). Fifth: the revolution is over and the three length zone won :-) I'd hate for college sailing to get another public relations black eye for not doing what the rest of the nation is doing with the rules. Dick Rose, of the US Sailing Rules Committee, was one of the principle authors of the new three length zone rules for 2009. Here is what Dick Rose says about this: Organizers of events involving fast boats may want to take advantage of the option to change the zone to a four-length zone. On the other hand, organizers of events sailed in slower boats and/or on small bodies of water may want to take advantage of the option to change the zone to a two-length zone. We encourage organizing authorities only to change the zone size in exceptional circumstances where the need is clear. Frequent changes in the zone size from event to event risks introducing confusion and uncertainty. Thanks, Bryan mcdonald Icsa rules committee member On 12/30/08 12:20 PM, "Ken Legler" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > In just a few days the new Racing Rules of Sailing go into effect. > There were fewer changes to the rules than in the last few quadrenniums > but at least one very significant change has been made. The mark-room > zone has been increased from TWO to THREE hull lengths. In team racing > however, the mark-room zone has remained at TWO lengths. Rule 86.1 > allows the sailing instructions (but not the class rules) to change the > definition of "zone" to two or four hull lengths. > > The question is: do we want college sailing to use a two length zone > instead of a three length zone for our fleet racing and if so, how? > ICSA meets this Saturday, January 10 in Park City and the first > committee report is from the Procedural Rules committee headed by Geoff > Becker. This might already be on Geoff's radar. As such debate should > end by this Friday. > > Why make this change: > 1. In the spring nearly half our racing is team racing. The rest is > fleet racing in the same boats on the same venues. > 2. Our leeward gate marks would need to be at least six lengths apart or > else a boat clear ahead could "own" both zones. Wider gates mean more > variation in wind for different gate marks on our inshore venues. > 3. Tacking within the zone at the windward is hard to avoid for many > boats on our short courses and in shifty winds, the odds of breaking > 18.3 increases with a three length zone. > > Why not make this change: > 1. Most of the rest of the sailing world, such as youth and one-design > sailing, will be using a three hull length zone. > 2. Some of our judges may have difficulty with this, just as some have > had with our college dinghy class rule changes to rule 42. > 3. Maybe three lengths will be better. > > Here is my opinion: I believe our procedural rules should require our > sailing instructions to change the definition of zone from three to two > hull lengths. Except for our lasers in heavy wind, our boats are slow > and highly maneuverable and do not need three lengths to sort out > roundings. With a three length zone our gates would need to be > significantly wider and tacking in at a windward mark becomes even more > prohibitive, especially in a shifty wind. > > Transitioning from a two length zone to a three length zone for our > non-college racing might be easier than switching from three to two in > the middle of practice with both fleet and team racing in the same week. > > The rule makers must have had some reason for allowing SI's to change > this definition. Certain high performance classes such as Tornados, > 49ers, A scows, and TP 52s approach leeward marks at speeds approaching > one hull length per second in heavy air. They might want four lengths. > If any class wanted the shorter two length zone, would it not be the > college dinghy? > > Ken Legler > > ________________________________________________ > icsa mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.collegesailing.org/mailman/?listname=icsa ________________________________________________ icsa mailing list [email protected] http://www.collegesailing.org/mailman/?listname=icsa
