Racing Guidelines for Puddleduck Pond

[Admiral]

After a successful discussion today it was agreed the following Guidlines be adopted.

Racing Guidelines

Ideally, Racing Guidelines are designed to avoid contact between boats, encourage good sportsmanship among racing skippers and permit the smooth running of a race.

Penalty Guides (360 degree turn)

1. Port gives way to Starboard.
2. Buoy Room: Give room to the inside boat going around marker buoys. You must allow them to start THEIR turn BEFORE you make yours. Run into them by turning too soon it’s a penalty.
3. Windward boat keeps clear: (when overlapped)
4. Overtaking boat keeps clear.
5. Miss a buoy, go around it again.
6. Touching close-in buoys, go around the buoy again. Touching distant buoys is allowed (local Puddleduck rule only-to make allowances for those with poor eyesight).

 

Sportsmanship Guides

Don’t Barge in: keep clear, allow room, avoid raft up.

Just take the penalty: If you infringe, take a penalty immediately, without being asked. If you are in a pack, get clear first, do not foul others with your penalty turn.

Boat running downwind: If you are the boat running, just keep out of the beating boats (heading upwind) way. It’s easy to do and saves a lot of hassle.

 

How to avoid contact?

Look ahead at what is coming – five metres ahead is usually enough – avoid tunnel vision.

Tunnel vision is the loss of peripheral vision with retention only of central vision. This could happen where you are focussed intently on your boat with no idea where other boats are. This leads to last second panic decisions. Avoid this mistake by looking ahead to see what situation(s) are likely to happen very soon. Make your plan before it happens and then follow through.

 

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