Rule C6: PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS BY BOATS

Section C — Match Racing Rules

Match races shall be sailed under The Racing Rules of Sailing as changed by this appendix. Matches shall be umpired unless the notice of race or sailing instructions state otherwise.

Note: A Standard Notice of Race, Standard Sailing Instructions, and Match Racing Rules for Visually Impaired Sailors are available on the World Sailing website.

PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS BY BOATS

C6.1: A boat may protest another boat

(a) under a rule of Part 2, except rule 14, by clearly displaying flag Y immediately after an incident in which she was involved;
(b) under any rule not protestable in rule C6.1(a) or C6.2 by clearly displaying a red flag as soon as possible after the incident.

C6.2: A boat may not protest another boat under

(a) rule 14, unless damage or injury results;
(b) a rule of Part 2, unless she was involved in the incident;
(c) rule 31 or 42; or
(d) rule C4 or C7.

C6.3:

A boat requesting redress because of circumstances that arise while she is racing or in the finishing area shall clearly display a red flag as soon as possible after she becomes aware of those circumstances, but no later than two minutes after finishing or retiring.

C6.4:

(a) A boat protesting under rule C6.1(a) shall remove flag Y before or as soon as possible after the umpires’ signal.
(b) A boat protesting under rule C6.1(b) or requesting redress under rule C6.3 shall, for her protest or request to be valid, keep her red flag displayed until she has so informed the umpires after finishing or retiring. No written protest or request for redress is required.

C6.5: Umpire Decisions

(a) After flag Y is displayed, the umpires shall decide whether to penalize any boat. They shall signal their decision in compliance with rule C5.1, C5.2 or C5.3. However,
- (1) if the umpires decide to penalize a boat, and as a result that boat will have more than two outstanding penalties, the umpires shall signal her disqualification under rule C5.4;
- (2) when the umpires penalize a boat under rule C8.2 and in the same incident there is a flag Y from a boat, the umpires may disregard the flag Y.
(b) The red-flag penalty in rule C5.3 shall be used when a boat has gained a controlling position as a result of breaking a rule, but the umpires are not certain that the conditions for an additional umpire-initiated penalty have been fulfilled.

C6.6: Protest Committee Decisions

(a) The protest committee may take evidence in any way it considers appropriate and may communicate its decision orally.
(b) If the protest committee decides that a breach of a rule has had no significant effect on the outcome of the match, it may
- (1) impose a penalty of one point or part of one point;
- (2) order a resail; or
- (3) make another arrangement it decides is equitable, which may be to impose no penalty.
(c) The penalty for breaking rule 14 when damage or injury results will be at the discretion of the protest committee, and may include exclusion from further races in the event.

C6.7:

Add new rule N1.10 to Appendix N:

N1.10 In rule N1.1, one International Umpire may be appointed to the jury, or a panel of it, in place of one International Judge.

Definitions in Context

Finish

A boat finishes when, after her starting signal, any part of her hull crosses the finishing line from the course side. However, she has not finished if after crossing the finishing line she

(a) takes a penalty under rule 44.2,
(b) corrects an error in sailing the course made at the line, or
(c) continues to sail the course.

After finishing she need not cross the finishing line completely. The sailing instructions may change the direction in which boats are required to cross the finishing line to finish.

Protest

An allegation made under rule 60 by a boat or a committee that a boat has broken a rule.

Racing

A boat is racing from her preparatory signal until she finishes and clears the finishing line and marks or retires, or until the race committee signals a general recall, postponement or abandonment.

Rule

(a) The rules in this book, including the Definitions, Race Signals, Introduction, preambles and the rules of relevant appendices, but not the Basic Principles or titles;
(b) World Sailing Regulations that have been designated by World Sailing as having the status of a rule and are published on the World Sailing website;
(c) the prescriptions of the national authority, unless they are changed by the notice of race or sailing instructions in compliance with the national authority’s prescription, if any, to rule 88.2;
(d) the class rules (for a boat racing under a handicap or rating system, the rules of that system are ‘class rules’);
(e) the notice of race;
(f) the sailing instructions; and
(g) any other documents that govern the event.