Where would we be without rules?

by Butch Ulmer, UK Sailmakers
Sailboat racing is a self-policing sport. We don’t have referees or umpires so we’ve got to do the job ourselves. In order to do that, you must have a good knowledge of the rules. If someone is “bending the rules”, it’s because someone else is letting him or her get away with it.

I have spent a fair amount of time sailing with and against “weekend warriors” and I have not found the rules to be too complicated for them. Rather I suggest that they are racing for enjoyment and are reluctant to spend time on a subject that bores them. The only time they get excited about the rules is after they have been bounced out of a race by the Protest Committee.

The rules are complicated because they have to be. The situations that arise are often complicated. If you doubt that, spend some time reading the Appeals.

The Rule Book is not a very interesting read. I have often suggested that sailors keep it on their bedside table in case they’re having trouble getting to sleep. Five minutes with it and you’re gone…

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