Did you sail the course?
The situation
At the leeward mark a sailor cuts inside the buoy, leaving it on the wrong side, then carries on to the finish without going back.
The question
Does it matter if no one else noticed, and can she fix it?
The ruling
It matters — she hasn't sailed the course. Rule 28 (the 'string rule') says that if you imagine a string lying along your track, when pulled taut it must pass each mark on the required side. By cutting inside she left the mark on the wrong side, so her string is wrong. She can correct it any time before finishing by going back and rounding the mark correctly. If she finishes without fixing it, she can be scored DNF (did not finish the course), even with no protest.
Leave every mark on the right side — the 'string' of your track must pass each one correctly (rule 28). You can go back and fix it before finishing.
Opens the situation on the boat-length grid — scrub it and see exactly how the boats meet. Free, no account needed.
Rules cited
- Rule 28 — Sailing the Course
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