YACHTING RULES

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 71, 24 March 1934, Page 12

YACHTING RULES

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Mr. Maclndoe foresaw exactly the sort of argument advanced by "Lee O" when he mentioned opposition by the older hands. Nearly all:of "Lee O's" dissertation is beside the point—which is that the I rule is not a suitable one for yachting. Two points in his letter call for com-1 ment:—

1. "Lee O" seems to have had in mind vessels of—say-—over 800 tons or so miles apart on the open Eea but holding courses which might eventually cross, instead of a race in which thirty or forty boats might be taking part. The worst example of the misapplication of this rule is, I-think, at buoys in a triangular course. The: leading boat, say, has rounded the mark;and set her spimmker with commendable speed—and then is faced with fifteen or twenty boats all heading towards . the buoy. She is practically caught in a trap, and the result more often than not is that boats close-hauled hold on as long "as possible and whip around at the last minute causing much needless anxiety to the running. boat. This happens again; and again, and inevitably so, demonstrating beyond all argument that the rule is practically useless. .■ "/■..' .:■;

•: 2. What causes there would be.for a "flood of protests" developing is entirely beyond my comprehension. I should certainly think protests .with regard/ to fouls would be "almost eliminated. As to difficulty of interpretation,' -such a matter would not exist. There would be no.tjues-tibn-or doubt about, the circumstances^ whatever. ■ -*.;.■..'■ : £.-{'- . '-V.--, •'

■_ A boat, runnmg..:free-must, if she is to give way, alter ■ her course when still a considerable distafice"£r'oiii, the oilier yacht, and: when *aV.douHt 'exists as. to whether their courses will'meetl This might"necessitate her gybing, both mainsail-and spinnaker, thusXlosing- far more than '-a- boat would in going about;■■■<On the other hand the close-hauled" boat: can hold: her course with perfect safety until • only a couple of-yards. from the boat off the wind, and then if she" has to go about'onlv very little way is. lost.: "Lee O" pefhap's is.'forgetting that these small boats'can whip round before the skipper of: a; largerl vessel has finished thinking about/the matter. ji ln, conclusion, I ,wish*to assure "Lee O" that if ;he had-watched the operation of this confusing :ruley: especially under heavy weather conditions, he ;w6uld c no. longer wish to sit back and v quote navigation rules—he. would be using his energies to get the rule altered as soon as possible.— I'auij etc:, . x CENTRE-BOARDER. P.S.—Why does "Lee O" want to put the "skipper in the box" and.nail the lid •on? His efforts are far more likely to put the skipper in the sea with his boat on tor) of him.