Section P - Protests and Penalties

RS CALL P4

Rule 44, Penalties at the Time of an Incident
Rule E4.3, Taking a Penalty

A boat that gains an advantage in the heat or race by breaking a rule of Part 2, or rule 31, despite taking a penalty shall take additional One-Turn Penalties until her advantage is lost.

Assumed Facts

Following a breach of a rule of Part 2, A has taken a One-Turn penalty. Despite taking this penalty, A still has an advantage over the boat she infringed. A takes an additional One-Turn Penalty but, even then, is still ahead of the infringed boat.

Question 1

When a boat has gained an advantage in a race or heat after taking a One-Turn Penalty in accordance with rule 44.2, will a single additional One-Turn Penalty under rule E4.3(b) be the applicable penalty irrespective of the advantage gained?

Answer 1

No. The first part of rule E4.3(b) states "if the boat gained an advantage in the heat or race by her breach despite taking a penalty then her penalty shall be additional One- Turn Penalties until her advantage is lost."

This condition must be applied after each One-Turn Penalty taken. If, after taking a One-Turn Penalty, the boat has still gained an advantage as a result of her breach, a further One-Turn Penalty is required.

Therefore, it is possible that a boat will need to complete multiple turns in order to complete an applicable penalty following a breach of a rule of Part 2 or rule 31, if she had gained an advantage from that breach.

When a boat causes serious damage or, by breaking a rule of Part 2 causes another boat to become disabled and retire, rule E4.3(c) applies and she must retire.

Question 2

If A has gained an advantage over several boats as a result of her breaking a rule, does the requirement to take an additional One-Turn penalties continue until she no longer has an advantage over every one of the boats infringed?

Answer 2

A boat still has an advantage in the heat or race when, having taken one or more oneturn penalties, she has gained by her breach a place or places in that heat or race, or has not lost a place or places that she would have done if she had not broken a rule . See rule E4.3(b).

Advantage should be measured from a time and position immediately before the boat broke the rule for which she is taking the penalty, until the completion of her last one-turn penalty. If the boat's position in the heat or race after taking one or more penalty turns is better than it would have been if she had not broken a rule, she has not completed her penalty and needs to make one or more further turns.