Photo: Neill Richardson

At a typical weekend event supported by on-the-water judges, the number of Yellow Flags given for breaches of rule 42 is usually small, often no more than three or four per race in light wind conditions. In strong winds the Yellow Flags are even fewer in number as the possible gain from a rule 42 breach diminishes. It is only over a week long regatta in consistently light winds that a pattern of Yellow Flag penalties becomes apparent. One such event happened this year at the 2019 ILCA Laser Under-21 World Championships in Split, Croatia.

After five days, only two races had been scored due to light winds. On the final day three more races were scored in 15-19 knot winds. With sailors eager to race on the final day there were multiple general recalls. A total of 49 Yellow Flags were given during the regatta, a sufficiently large number to make a useful analysis of where and why these penalties were given. The table below shows why penalties were given and on which leg of the race course. Numbers are expressed as percentages with 100 equating to the total of 49 penalties during the regatta.

The table clearly shows key areas of vulnerability to rule 42 penalties on each leg of the race course.

Run: The run is the most vulnerable leg for rule 42 penalties, over half of the Yellow Flags were given on this leg. Of these penalties more than half were for rocking, many of which were due to body movement with no, or insufficient, steering. Most of the remaining run penalties were for multiple gybing which either clearly propelled the boat or were repeated and unrelated to changes in the wind or tactical considerations.

Start: The next most vulnerable leg is the start. Half of the Yellow Flags here were for sculling, either below close-hauled, in both directions or crabbing. The other half were for pumps, rocks or sometimes both, usually just before or after the starting signal.

Reach: The next most vulnerable leg is the reach with 14% of Yellow Flags given. Most of these were for repeated rocks induced by body movement and the remainder were for repeated body pumps which flicked the leech.

Beat: The least vulnerable leg is the beat with only 11% of Yellow Flags given. These were all for repeated body pumps usually immediately after the start or when crossing a starboard tack boat.

Looking at the final column of the table gives an insight to the most common reasons for Yellow Flags. Nearly half of these were for rocking, usually on a downwind leg. A quarter were for pumping, by both sheet and body across all legs of the race course. The remaining quarter were equally split between sculling at the start and multiple gybing on the run. There were no penalties for ooching which accords with my own experience, having never given a penalty to a Laser for ooching. The absence of shrouds and a convenient bulkhead in a Laser make ooching virtually impossible.

The two most important learning points from the table are:

1. Be careful on the run. When you roll the boat to facilitate steering into linked S-turns make sure the roll is consistent with the direction you are turning the boat, to windward to bear away and to leeward to luff. Be prepared to vary the degree of roll as the wind and wave conditions change.

2. Be careful in the last 30 seconds before the starting signal and immediately after the start. If you are sculling to get the boat moving remember to stop sculling once you reach a close-hauled course. If you roll the boat and perform a body pump at the starting signal make sure the leech does not flick and you do not clearly propel the boat by these actions.

Attention to these two points should reduce the probability of getting a Yellow Flag by three-quarters.

By David Battye