Sonar Fleet 1
Noroton YC
Fleet Racing:
Memorial Day weekend brought sunny skies with light variable winds. At one point on Sunday, we weren't sure we would get any races off. Ed Sweeney, our PRO for the day, hung in there and it paid off. We ended out completing two challenging races.
Day One of our two day Memorial Day series had 10 boats on the line. Our winner for the day was Team 733 with Palmer Sparkman, Kevin Sheehan, James Howe and Scott Brooks. Their finishes of 2, 4 beat all others and showed consistency on a day when it was hard to come by.
Day Two started out very promising with east winds around 10-12 as we left the dock for the race course. Today we had 12 boats competing. Everything changed about 3 minutes into the first race when the breeze dropped to 5. That didn't bother the Fast Forward team of Peter Galloway, Peter Wilson, Paul Steinborn and Ed Steinborn who won the day with finishes of 3, 1. Many thanks to our day two PRO, Rande Wilson. 
However, our overall winner for the series was Team 619 with Lee Morrison, Susan Morrison, Don Vasta and Nick Connery on Sunday and Dave Kelly on Monday.
Here are your top three for the series:
Total points:
Morrison 14
Sparkman/Sheehan 15
Galloway/Steinborn 17
Finally, we all want to thank the entire race committees for both days. They all did a great job.
Long Island Sound Championships:
Noroton YC is hosting the Sonar LIS Championships on June 19-20. You can enter now by going to the Sonar Class site at http://www.sonar.org/ and entering the Member's Only section. A $50 late fee will be assessed to those who register after This Saturday, June 5, so register today.
Peter Wilson's Rules Corner:
As a reminder, here is last week's rules question:
(Click on image to enlarge)
Peter's answer...
As many of you have guessed, the rules may not address this situation very clearly, and there is no 'case' or 'appeal' that deals with the tactical convention used by most of us when we want port to cross so we can keep going left. Case 50 seems to make it pretty clear the port breaks rule 10 if starboard must alter down to avoid hitting her, complying with starboard's rule 14 obligation.
That said, most judges I have talked to about this situation would dismiss the protest since starboard clearly indicated that port should cross. One could argue that as long as starboard alters down before she has to do so to avoid contact (the difference between the two situations depicted), then she is subject to rule 16.1 (ROW boat changing course) and if at that point port cannot tack without placing herself right in front of starboard, starboard gives port room to keep clear and neither boat breaks a rule. If this perspective is correct, then one could argue that even if starboard hails 'cross', if she does not alter until she has to comply with rule 14, port breaks rule 10.
Happy to entertain additional perspective.
Peter
That said, most judges I have talked to about this situation would dismiss the protest since starboard clearly indicated that port should cross. One could argue that as long as starboard alters down before she has to do so to avoid contact (the difference between the two situations depicted), then she is subject to rule 16.1 (ROW boat changing course) and if at that point port cannot tack without placing herself right in front of starboard, starboard gives port room to keep clear and neither boat breaks a rule. If this perspective is correct, then one could argue that even if starboard hails 'cross', if she does not alter until she has to comply with rule 14, port breaks rule 10.
Happy to entertain additional perspective.
Peter
Feel free to leave your thoughts or comments in the Comments section below.
June Noroton and Fleet 1 events:
Sunday, June 6 - Club racing
Sunday, June 13 - Club racing
Sat-Sun, June 12-13 - Oyster Bay Challenge team race
Sat-Sun, June 19-21 - Sonar LIS Championships
Saturday, June 26 - Summer Solstice Party begins 6:30p
Sunday, June 27 - Club racing
