EXPERIMENTAL APPENDIX Q
UMPIRED FLEET RACING RULES

Races shall be sailed under The Racing Rules of Sailing as changed by this appendix only if the notice of race and sailing instructions so state. The aim of this appendix is to have all boat-vs.-boat protests decided at the time of the incident. Competitors need to accept that an umpire may not be in a position to judge every incident. Adequate resources and skills are required to manage the regatta effectively. This appendix is only recommended for small or moderate-size fleets of one-design boats or boats of similar size and speed. There should be at least one umpire boat for every six boats racing.

Q1 CHANGES TO THE RACING RULES

Q1.1 Changes to the Definitions and the Rules of Part 2
(a) The definition Finish is changed to
A boat finishes when any part of her hull, or crew or equipment in normal position, crosses the finishing line in the direction of the course from the last mark, either for the first time or after completing any penalties or, under rule 28.1, after correcting an error made at the finishing line.
(b) When rule 19.1 applies, the following arm signals are required in addition to the hails:
(1) for ‘Room to tack’, repeatedly and clearly pointing to windward; and
(2) for ‘You tack’, repeatedly and clearly pointing at the other boat and waving the arm to windward.

Q1.2 Changes to Rules Involving Protests and Exoneration
(a) In rule 60.3(a)(1) ‘serious’ is deleted.
(b) The third sentence of rule 61.1(a) and all of rule 61.1(a)(2) are deleted.
(c) A boat that, while racing, may have broken a rule of Part 2 (except rule 14 when she has caused damage or injury) may take a penalty complying with rule 44.2, except that only one turn is required.

Q2 PROTESTS BY BOATS

Q2.1 A boat may protest another boat
(a) under a rule of Part 2, except rule 14, or under rule 31.1 or 42 by hailing ‘Protest’ and conspicuously displaying a yellow flag immediately after an incident in which she was involved. She shall remove the flag as soon as possible after the protested boat has taken her penalty or after an umpire’s decision.
(b) under any rule not listed in rule Q2.1 (a) by hailing ‘Protest’ and conspicuously displaying a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity after the incident. She shall keep the flag displayed until she has informed the umpires after finishing or retiring.

Q2.2 When a boat protests under a rule of Part 2 or under rule 31.1 or 42, she is not entitled to a hearing, except under rule 14 when there is damage or injury.

Q2.3 (a) A boat may promptly acknowledge breaking a rule by taking the penalty provided in rule Q1.2(c).
(b) If no boat takes a penalty, an umpire shall signal a decision as provided in rule Q3.

Q3 SIGNALS BY UMPIRES

Q3.1 An umpire shall signal a decision as follows:
(a) A green flag or a green and white flag with one long sound means ‘No penalty.’
(b) A red flag with one long sound means ‘The identified boat is penalized.’
(c) A black flag with one long sound means ‘The identified boat is disqualified.’
Q3.2 A boat penalized under rule Q3.1(b) shall promptly take a Two-Turns Penalty complying with rule 44.2. A boat disqualified under rule Q3.1(c) shall promptly leave the course area.

Q4 PENALTIES INITIATED BY UMPIRES

Q4.1 Rule Changes
Rule 64.1(b) is changed so that the provision for exonerating a boat may be applied by the umpires without a hearing, and it takes precedence over any conflicting rule of this appendix.

Q4.2 When a boat
(a) breaks rule 31.1 or 42 and does not take a penalty,
(b) gains an advantage despite taking a penalty,
(c) breaks rule 2, or
(d) fails to comply with rule 44.2 when required by an umpire,
an umpire may penalize her without a protest by another boat. The umpire may impose a penalty of one or more turns, each including one tack and one gybe, signalled by displaying a red flag and hailing the boat accordingly, or penalize her under rule Q3.1(c) or report the incident to the protest committee for further action.

Q4.3 If the umpires decide that a boat may have broken a rule other than those listed in rules Q2.1(a) and Q4.2, they shall so inform the protest committee for its action under rule 60.3.

Q5 REQUESTS FOR REDRESS OR REOPENING; APPEALS; OTHER PROCEEDINGS

Q5.1 A boat intending to request redress because of circumstances that arise before she finishes or retires shall clearly display a red flag as soon as possible after she becomes aware of those circumstances, but not later than two minutes after finishing or retiring. She shall keep the flag displayed until she has informed the umpires after finishing or retiring.

Q5.2 There shall be no request for redress or an appeal from a decision made under the rules of this appendix. In rule 66 the third sentence is changed to ‘A party to the hearing may not ask for a reopening.’

Q5.3 A competitor may not base a request for redress on a claim that an action by an official boat was improper. The protest committee may decide to consider giving redress in such circumstances but only if it believes that an official boat, including an umpire boat, may have seriously interfered with a competing boat.

Q5.4 No proceedings of any kind may be taken in relation to any action or non-action by the umpires, except as permitted in rule Q5.3.

Q5.5 (a) Protests and requests for redress need not be in writing.
(b) The protest committee may take evidence and conduct the hearing in any way it considers appropriate and may communicate its decision orally.
(c) If the protest committee decides that a breach of a rule has had no significant effect on the outcome of the race, it may impose a penalty or make any other arrangement it decides is fair for all boats affected, which may be to impose no penalty.

Q5.6 Neither the race committee nor the protest committee shall protest a boat for breaking a rule listed in rule Q2.1(a), except rule 14 when there is damage or injury.