ISAF Rules – Case Book Published Online!
February 27, 2009
The new case book is out. And while you may need to be a super sailing dork to be excited about this, you do not need to be a super sailing dork to benefit from having a free downloadable copy.
The Case Book for 2009-2012, which contains interpretations of The Racing Rules of Sailing, has been released and published on the ISAF website. The new edition of The Case Book is a revision of the previous edition which reflects changes in The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2009-2012 (RRS), which came into force on 1 January 2009. In order to maximize the understanding of the rules, ISAF has been publishing interpretations of the RRS for over 40 years in The Case Book, which provides details on the application of the rules to around 100 scenarios. Don’t take my word for it… here is what ISAF has to say about their little tome:
The new edition of The Case Book is a revision of the previous edition which reflects changes in The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2009-2012 (RRS), which came into force on 1 January 2009. In line with one of ISAF’s key stated objectives, to “establish, supervise, interpret and amend the rules regulating sailboat racing”, the RRS are revised and published every four years. In order to maximize the understanding of the rules, ISAF has been publishing interpretations of the RRS for over 40 years in The Case Book, which provides details on the application of the rules to around 100 scenarios.
Click here to download the The Case Book for 2009-2012.
The release of The Case Book for 2009-2012 follows a complete review of all the cases previously published, along with eight new cases adopted by the ISAF Council since the publication of the previous edition. The principal aims of the Cases are to clarify an important meaning in a rule or to increase the understanding of a complex rule. For sailors, from club level right up to Olympic medallists, it is an essential aid to gaining mastery of the rules, whilst for race officials it is a crucial tool in establishing and maintaining consistency in decision-making.
Dick ROSE, chairman of the Case Book Working Party, said: “We are delighted to publish The Case Book for 2009-2012 and make it available for all sailors to download from the ISAF website. Over many years the Case Book has been refined and improved to maximize its usefulness for both sailors and officials. Hundreds of hours of work have gone into preparing The Case Book for 2009-2012 and I would like to thank the other members of our Working Party that have made its publication possible.”
The Case Book for 2009-2012 was prepared by the Case Book Working Party which consists of Chairman Dick ROSE, Bill BENTSEN, Josje HOFLAND-DOMINICUS, Trevor LEWIS and Bo SAMUELSSON.
New cases may be added each year in November during the ISAF Annual Conference, and sometimes cases are revised or deleted. Case Book Supplements are issued at the start of each year and published on the ISAF website. In addition, each year the version of the Case Book that appears on the ISAF website will be revised to include new cases and to reflect any other changes made in that year’s annual supplement.
The latest and archive versions of The Racing Rules of Sailing and The Case Book are available from the ISAF Documents & Rules area at www.sailing.org/docs under ‘Racing Rules of Sailing’.
The Tempest Will Pass
February 18, 2009
Hopper's Lee Shore
“He that will not sail till all dangers are over must never put to sea.”
— Thomas Fuller
What a stupid time to try and run a business that depends exclusively on disposable income and loose corporate budgets. But that, of course, is what Gale Force Sailing is all about. I am in the joy business for most of my clients and in the amorphous ancillary benefit business for the rest.
Reading today’s Washington Post I was struck by the headline (front page and above the fold) Swift, Steep Downturn Crosses Globe, apparently we are all screwed. And then with a half chuckle I was reminded of my favorite Onion headline – and it occurs to me that it will all be OK.
I know that quoting dead white people is frowned upon but some of them said, or stole, some pretty good statements that buoy a guy’s spirit on a grey midwinter’s day when sailing is out of the question and naval gazing leads to the gin house. In thinking about how to proceed in 2009, build my business and pay my rent I am reminded of the often attributed quote, “At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much.” When I think about how hopeless my next phone call to a corporation or law firm with my cheery team building sales pitch is I think of Isak Dinesen’s charge that “The cure for anything is saltwater – sweat, tears, or the sea.” and if I ever think of hanging up, sending out my resume and working for someone, anyone, again I just mouth Eugene O’Neill’s warning: “The sea hates a coward.”
So on I go. And I hope you do too. There is a lot of work to be done, and some sailing too. Let’s find a little joy this season and wait for this storm to blow over. Don’t batten down your hatches, heave to, and wait. Stand your watch, steer your course, and keep your boat moving.
I’ll see you on the water.
Preparing to win – St. Petersburg NOOD Regatta
February 6, 2009
The power of the internet never fails to impress me. With all the tools and information available on the web, and the ease of using and accessing that information there is really very little excuse for not being better prepared when we go racing at new or far away venues.
Next week I will be racing in St. Petersburg, Florida in the first National Offshore One Design (NOOD) regatta of the season. This series of events, held across the country, brings together some very talented sailors for superb racing that is supported by world class social events.
But events like the NOODs, where boats often travel from 100’s of miles present a unique logistical challenge. If something breaks (or worse SOMEONE breaks), you need band-aids, beer, or a basketball it can be a huge distraction searching for these things. With the power of Google maps most of these unknowns can be well known ahead of time and you can enter totally foreign venues like a veteran.
For instance, before racing at any new venue I like to know where the local hospital, urgent care, West Marine, grocery store (and package store in some states), Home Depot, North Sail’s loft, and host yacht club are in relationship to my hotel. With a few clicks it is pretty easy to connect all these places using Google Map’s free tools. The information (address, phone numbers, and driving directions) is then public and available to me via any public computer and even my blackberry. In addition to the “staples” of needs I have listed above I have learned that it doesn’t hurt to have the number of a car repair shop, welding and fabrication shop as well as a few resturaunts and deli’s added into the mix.
It is part of my coaching philosophy that mistakes of commission are excusable, whereas mistakes of omission are not. Thanks to the power of the internet, not screwing up has gotten a lot easier. Zoom in on the map below to see some of the locations I have loaded for next week’s regatta.
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