Under rule 61.1(b), a race committee can request redress for a boat. We all love to say that ‘it’s a self-policed sport’ but the committees that run racing have responsibilities too, and sometimes they should exercise the options to get involved.

One example is if a crew member has been injured or the boat damaged by another boat breaking a rule. Anyone with empathy should realise that they might have more important things to deal with ashore rather than the administrative burden of dealing with getting the right form in on time. Please help them.

Another example is when a boat gives help to another under rule 1.1. Note that this help is mandatory, the boat shall give all possible help to any person or vessel in danger. But we find that sometimes the boat giving help experiences suspicion that their request for redress is cynical and profiteering from putting their race on pause or even having to stop racing. The race committee can help them by recognising that they’ve done the right thing, by doing the right thing themselves and requesting redress for that boat.

The Racing Rules of Sailing do not just leave this to the boats; the rules allow the race committee to exercise some moral leadership and help boats by requesting redress when appropriate. Do the right thing.

Click here for the Racing Rules of Sailing.
Click here to learn how to become a race official.

By Glen Stanaway