Hearing Decision

Procedural Matters

1. AUS 2479 was represented by Robert Richards.


2. The race committee was represented by Megan Kensington (Principal Race Officer).

Facts Found

1. AUS 2479 was a boat in the Hansa 303 One Person whose practice race was on 24 March 2025 (Monday) and first day of racing on 26 March 2025 (Wednesday).


2. For the practice race, AUS 2479 was assigned to sail in the yellow fleet.


3. Notice to Competitors number 18 posted on 25 March 2025 at 14:26 stated that initial assignments for the qualifying series will be posted by 20:00 on 25 March 2025.


4. For racing on 26 March 2025, AUS 2479 was assigned to sail in the blue fleet.


5. As locating the notices and fleet assignments on the official notice board was not intuitive and straightforward, other boats in the fleet either went to find a member of the race committee personally to check which fleet they were assigned to, or they would be informed at the club’s reception area when the boats signed in or out for the day’s racing as required by sailing instruction 19.1.


6. In races 1 to 3 on 26 March 2025, AUS 2479 started and finished in the yellow fleet, as he believed the fleet assignments did not change following the practice race.


7. For races 1 to 3, the race committee started the blue fleet first followed by the yellow fleet, five minutes apart.


8. The race committee gave AUS 2479 finishing places in races 1 to 3 as if he was racing in the blue fleet.


9. AUS 2479 was scored 38, 36 and 38 in races 1 to 3, respectively.

AUS 2479’s scores in races 1, 2 and 3 were made significantly worse through no fault of her own by an improper action of the race committee. Therefore, the requirements for redress in RRS 61.4(b)(1) are met.

Redress is given to AUS 2479. AUS 2479 is to be scored in races 1, 2 and 3 in the blue fleet with points equal to her place if she were to have been assigned to race in the yellow fleet on 26 March 2025. No other boat’s score shall change.

(Parties informed of the decision at 17:45)