CASE 127
Definitions, Racing
A boat clears the finishing line and marks when no part of
her hull, crew or equipment is on the line, and no mark is
influencing her choice of course.
Question
The definition Racing states that a boat that ‘finishes and clears the finishing
line and marks’ is no longer racing. When does a boat ‘clear’ the finishing
line and marks?
Answer
A boat clears the finishing line and marks when the following two
conditions are met: no part of her hull, crew or equipment is on the line, and
no finishing mark is influencing her choice of course.
For example, a boat that clears the finishing line and then continues to sail
toward a finishing mark, where current sets her into the mark, is still racing
and has broken rule 31. However, a boat that crosses the finishing line, and
sails to a position at which no finishing mark is influencing her choice of
course, is no longer racing. If, later, she hits a finishing mark, she does not
break rule 31.
World Sailing 2013