Rule C5 Signals by Umpires
Rule C6.5 Protests and Requests for Redress by Boats: Umpire Decisions
Rule C7.2(b) Penalty System: All Penalties
Question 1
Yellow Y-flags. Blue takes a penalty as soon as she sees Yellow's Y flag and
before the umpires signal a decision. What should the call be?
Answer 1
Green and white flag. Rule C7.2(b) allows a boat to take a penalty before being
signalled to do so. Rule C5.1 says the green and white flag means ‘No
penalty’.
Here no penalty is imposed because it was already taken.
Question 2
Would the answer be different if Yellow had an outstanding penalty?
Answer 2
No. The umpires would green and white flag and Yellows penalty would remain.
Question 3
Near the end of a windward leg the umpires decide to penalize Blue but delay
signalling her until she has rounded the mark. However, she takes the penalty
before rounding the mark. Is this allowed?
Answer 3
Yes — see Answer 1. However, under rule C7.3(b) she is not allowed to
take any part of a penalty within the zone of a rounding mark.
Question 4
Yellow, with a penalty, breaks a right-of-way rule, is protested by Blue, sees
Blue's Y flag and takes her penalty before being signalled by the umpires. At
the time she sees the Y flag, she is rounding a mark. Should she take the penalty
appropriate to the leg she is on or the one appropriate for the time of the
umpire's signal?
Answer 4
A boat taking a penalty before it is signalled shall take the penalty appropriate
to the leg she is on.