Ken Legler: Junior Coaching and Rule 42

6/30/2004

Many junior sailing coaches are current college sailors, and college sailing has amended rule 42 - Propulsion. Rule 42 has not been modified for junior sailing and junior coaches who also sail in college must know the difference. For college sailing rule 42 has been modified in two important ways as follows: Instead of roll tacking and gybing being limited to "...the boat's speed is not greater than it would have been in absence of the tack or gybe..." In college we have "...provided that the boat's mast does not move away from the vertical more than once." So college sailors put in one huge roll and, upon flattening, attempt to come out of their tack or gybe with the biggest possible burst of speed. Such a burst of speed, if greater than their speed without tacking or gybing, is illegal under any other racing besides college racing. A problem in junior sailing is that coaches trained in college tacking will sometimes demonstrate these illegal tacks. Coaches must resist this and teach, via demonstration and encouragement, how to tack smoothly, efficiently, and within rule 42. Of course when the wind is higher than say four knots for 420s, or six knots for Flying Juniors, roll tacking can be done really sharply as it's really hard to improve on your speed in medium or heavy air via tacking or gybing. The mindset for junior coaches, who coach in Club 420s and sail in College 420s should themselves be students of the sport in these very different classes. Different in that club 420s have spinnaker, trapeze and mainsheet bridles; College 420s do not. In College 420s or FJs you can come out of your tack or gybe faster than you went in but in Club 420s or FJs you cannot.

The other rule 42 change involves ooching. In college sailing you are allowed to ooch when surfing and/or planing conditions exist and in junior racing ooching is never permitted. No need to teach ooching to junior sailors.

There are reasons why college sailing has allowed rule 42 to be modified in these ways. The college rules are easier to enforce. When roll tacking a judge or fellow competitor need only watch to see if the mast is moving away from vertical more than once. Ooching doesn't even need watching since it has been shown to not propel the boat unless surfing or planing conditions do exist. If a college sailor ooches when it's not allowed, they may be mocked rather than protested. Another reason why college sailing made these modifications is because they can under racing rule 86 - Rule Changes. Finally, the college rules are also more fun for college sailors.