Raceboards v Raceboats, rules and complaints

Originally posted by Rupert

So I'm beginning to get some grief being probably the person most responsible for insisting we include what at the moment is the odd racing sailboard into the Sunday morning series, this weekend it went a bit light so the Contenders didn't have it the usual own way and a couple of them started up with the 'he's breaking the rules' and the conversation once again attempts to split the Windsurfers v Dinghy Sailors as different types of people the one being an unmanageable none conformist group and the other being the rule abiding conformists.
At first it seemed they had a point, the raceboard hit a mark and didn't do turns, which of course they do, marks have for the last twenty years been used as much for something to help bear off round, then there was the question of light air pumping which he was engaged in, and of course no dinghy would ever kinetically assist itself.

So my answer is we handicap on the assumption he'll pump so the 850 stands and if necessary increases, he won last week but didn't this. As to the mark rounding I think we'll compromise by insisting on turns, not that this particular individual is known for doing his turns when I raced him in windsurfers, but then that is the point, he is no different to the dingy sailor that screwed the end of the spring series by coming in late using the demo icon in light airs getting involved in an absolute text book port starboard forcing a bear away by the series leader, then beating them into a third place by not taking penalty turns, which lost them the series. "Oh he's known for that' came the response, so... it remains, there is no difference between us, both types have rule breakers.

So what should be done? These matters are usually solved in a shouty but good humoured bar discussion, but as our numbers are growing and the quality of sailors and numbers thereof that could win, given a series went down to the wire and any of four could have one it by one point, it is becoming quite serious.

So there is tension, but, imv it's a bit like like racism, this suggestion that because the craft they are riding appears on the face of it to be different, shouldn't hold water if you'll pardon the pun. Rules get broken by everyone, what is needed is a quicker protest/decision and more of them, but nobody likes to undertake in a small club.

But the assertion that the two craft can't race together because one breaks the rules more than the other, or one requires more kinetic input than the other, sorry that just isn't the case.

Edited by Woodburner - 29 Jun 15 at 9:55am