[gpsbug] Rule 28 - the "string" rule
- From: "John" <j.wandling@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'Gpsbug@Freelists. Org '" <gpsbug@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 16:34:12 -0400
The finish today caused some conversation among the skippers about how to
play the finish line on a day like to day.
In order to compensate for the strong ebb, you had to overstand the finish
line by a bunch. If you did and got lifted after you tacked for it, you
would end up on the "wrong" side of the line. Temptation is to just let
your boat drift across from the finish side, then tack and come back across
the "right" way.
Problem is, you would have violated Rule 28, Sailing the Course. In
paragraph 28.1, it says, "A boat shall start, leave each mark on the
required side in the correct order, and finish, so that a string
representing her wake after starting and until finishing would when drawn
taut pass each mark on the required side and touch each rounding mark."
If you diagram the scenario above, and pull the string taut, you will see
that you have not finished yet. What you should do in this situation is to
reach off, go around the end of the finish line, then finish in the "right"
direction.
While we don't have a lot of boats, you can see how coming across the finish
line in the wrong direction could obstruct other boats trying to finish in
the right direction. So, like a lot of other rules, this is primarily a
safety rule.
I think everyone got it right, but this is a good thing to file away.
See ya.
John
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