What the VSK Judge Thinks... I think. The judge in VSK2 is often critizied for getting the Racing Rules of Sailing wrong. However, VSK2 actually does a pretty good job of interpreting the rules... except for a few <ahem> minor bugs. But once you understand the shortcomings of the VSK2 judge the bad penalties that VSK2 awards can be easily avoided. This document is not a complete summary of Racing Rules of Sailing but only a summary of the rules that affect game play in Virtual Skipper. Understanding what the VSK2 judge considers to be room (lots), or how much you have to move the rudder to be considered a course change (not much) will do a lot to decrease the number of bad penalties that are awarded and therefore increasing your enjoyment of the game (and everyone else's for that matter). ISAF Rules Case 88 Keeping clear. Rule 2 Fair sailing. Rule 10 Opposite tacks. Rule 11 Same tack, overlapped. Rule 12 Same tack, not overlapped. Rule 13 While tacking. Rule 14 Avoiding collisions. Rule 15 Acquiring right of Way. Rule 16 Changing course. Rule 17 Same tack, proper course. Rule 18 Room at the mark. Rule 19 Room to tack at an obstruction. Rule 44.2 Penalty Turns ROW : right of way S : starboard tack boat P : port tack boat L : leeward boat W : windward boat A : clear ahead boat X : keep clear boat The Basic Principle Competitors in the sport of sailing are governed by a body of rules that they are expected to follow and enforce. A fundamental principle of sportsmanship is that when competitors break a rule they will promptly take a penalty or retire. This isn't really a rule, but it's worth pointing out. It's really too bad VSK can't enforce the basic principle... particularily the part "when competitors break a rule they will promptly take a penalty". ISAF Case Book : Case 88 A boat may avoid contact and yet fail to keep clear. This isn't a rule, but it's worth pointing out early because it explains a lot of the so called bad penalties awarded by VSK. Keeping clear means more than avoiding contact, otherwise the rules would say "avoid contact" rather than "keep clear". If a keep clear boat has to put their rudder hard over to avoid contact VSK assumes they have not met their obligation to keep clear. Similarily, if a ROW boat puts their rudder hard over when they are close to a keep clear boat (even to avoid contact) VSK may decided that they are not giving the keep clear boat room to keep clear and may give the ROW boat a penalty for breaking Rule 16. Moral of the story: when you are keeping clear, keep really clear. Rule 2 : Fair sailing A boat and her owner shall compete in compliance with recognized principles of sportsmanship and fair play. A boat may be penalized under this rule only if it is clearly established that these principles have been violated. A disqualification under this rule shall not be excluded from the boat's series score. Unfortunately VSK doesn't enforce rule 2, which is too bad but perfectly understandable. It is up to the individual skippers to ensure that they are fair sailors. Rule 10, Rule 11 Virutal Skipper gets all of these right. Sometimes it seems like a port tack boat will give a penalty to a starboard tack boat, but that is due to a mis-interpretation of the other rules (most notably Rule 15 and Rule 16). Rule 12 VSK2 does a relatively good job with Rule 12, with one notable exception, and that is when an overlap is initially broken. If two boats are overlapped and the overlap is broken VSK will apply Rule 15 to the boat that is clear ahead. If for some reason the boat that is now clear astern runs into the stern of the other boat (lag, sudden puff, boat ahead stops etc.) the boat that is clear ahead will get a penalty for violating Rule 15. Rule 13 : While Tacking After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11 and 12 do not apply. If two boats are subject to this rule at the same time, the one on the other's port side shall keep clear. I have no idea about the last sentence, but VSK applies this rule for several seconds after a boat has passed head to wind, it doesn't matter when the boat becomes close-hauled. Rule 14 : Avoiding Contact No collisions cause damage in VSK so Rule 14 is ignored as far as I can tell. Rule 15 : Aquiring the Right of Way When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat's actions. The problem with rule 15 is that VSK applies it when the ROW boat gets within two boat lengths of the keep clear boat regardless of when the ROW was actually established. For example, two boats are sailing upwind on port tack 5 boat lengths apart from one another. The boat on the right hand side tacks onto starboard (call that boat S and the other boat P now). In the real world, rule 15 applies when S tacks onto starboard, which is a moot point since they are so far apart P has plenty of time to keep clear. However, in the VSK world, the judge doesn't apply rule 15 until P and S get within two boat lengths of each other. This usually isn't an issue, but in strong winds, or almost any wind with the Melges under spinaker the length of time that the VSK judge will apply rule 15 is longer than the time that it takes for the boats to collide. If there is a collision S could very well get a penalty for breaking rule 15... even though they didn't. Rule 16 : Changing Course Rule 16 is only applied when boats are within two lengths of each other and most of the bad penalties seem to be given because the VSK judge thinks the ROW boat has broken rule 16. 16.1 When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear. What constitutes a change of course seems to depend on two things: 1. the distance between the boats, and 2. how far the ROW boat has moved their rudder. If the ROW boat puts their rudder hard over within a boat length (or so) of the keep clear boat the VSK judge will assume the ROW boat is not giving the keep clear boat time to keep clear. It doesn't even matter if the ROW boat is changing course to avoid a collision (remember, VSK doesn't enforce rule 14). For example, a sudden and large course change (+5 degrees) while the boats are on the same tack and 1.8 lengths apart likely won't cause rule 16 to be applied. However, for boats on opposite tacks and close together, slowly heading up 1 degree can cause rule 16 to be applied to the ROW boat and any contact (or near contact) can cause the ROW boat to be penalized under rule 16.1 Solution : If you are about to come in contact with a keep clear boat center your rudder. Do not have your rudder off center during a collision with a keep clear boat. 16.2 In addition, when after the starting signal boats are about to cross or are crossing each other on opposite tacks, and the port-tack boat is keeping clear of the starboard-tack boat, the starboard-tack boat shall not change course if as a result the port-tack boat would immediately need to change course to continue keeping clear. The VSK judge is very strict about this rule, so be careful. It is very easy for the the starboard tack boat to give itself a penalty. Almost any course change by the ROW boat when boats are about to cross causes the judge to apply rule 16.2, even when the ROW is only changing course because it is obvious that the keep clear boat is not keeping clear. The best thing for a starboard tack boat to do when crossing a port tack boat is hold a steady course. Any change of course will invoke rule 16.2, and any subsequent contact (or near contact) can cause the ROW boat to get a penalty. NOTE: Rule 16 is applied even when the ROW boat is changing course to round a mark, so be careful. Rule 17 : On the same tack, proper course Skippers are always yelling proper course at one another during the heat of battle. Therefore it is important to remember: a) what a proper course is, and b) when you can't sail above (or below) a proper course. A proper course is the course a boat would sail if the other boat wasn't there. It is up to each boat to determine what their proper course is. It is possible that while A feels sailing a TWA of 145 is proper given the current wind conditions X may feel that sailing a TWA of 135 is proper. Just because a leeward boat is sailing a higher course does not mean they are not sailing a proper course. Therefore, VSK can have a very difficult time determining when rule 17 has been broken; beyond the laylines it gets a little easier... it's just too bad VSK gets the laylines wrong... 17.1 If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of her hull lengths to leeward of a boat on the same tack, she shall not sail above her proper course while they remain overlapped within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat. This rule does not apply if the overlap begins while the windward boat is required by rule 13 to keep clear. 17.2 Except on a beat to windward, while a boat is less than two of her hull lengths from a leeward boat or a boat clear astern steering a course to leeward of her, she shall not sail below her proper course unless she gybes. VSK seems to do a good job of displaying rule 17 is the ISAF window at the proper times, but because VSK can't know what a skipper considers their proper course (and has no way to hear the skipper's side of the story in the protest room) the VSK judge may give penalties to the ROW boat and the keep clear boat if there is contact. This is not incorrect. There is nothing in rule 17 that says that a boat with a proper course restriction is required to keep clear of the other boat, and rule 11 still applies; the windward boat must keep clear of the leeward boat. Unfortunately VSK does not penalize a boat for breaking rule 17 unless there is contact, or near contact. Then the leeward boat may get a penalty for breaking rule 17, but most likely the windward boat will also get one for breaking rule 11. Note: there is no rule that requires a boat to sail a proper course, only rules that say when you can not sail above or below a proper course. Rule 18 : Rounding and passing marks and obstructions There is one major problem with the way VSK handles rule 18 (and several minor problems). Rule 18 applies when two boats are about to pass a mark or obstruction until both boats have rounded the mark. A boat has rounded the mark when it has left the mark astern. However, VSK only applies rule 18 when a boat is overlapped with the mark and stops applying rule 18 when the little rotating arrow goes away... if you don't see that rotating arrow anymore then as far as VSK is concerned you are not protected by rule 18! And the little rotating arrow goes away long before a boat has left the mark astern... let alone both boats leaving the mark astern... The bottom line is that while VSK does a pretty good job with Rule 18 you are protected by Rule 18 for far less time than you should be. There are a few other things to keep in mind: 1. Rule 18.2(d) is ignored and VSK always applies Rule 16. It doesn't matter if you are changing course to round a mark, if you don't give a ROW boat time to keep clear you will get a penalty. 2. When a port tack boat barges in at the top mark and you have ROW you can give the barger an easy penalty if you just hold your course (see Rule 16). However, if the barger tacks beneath you they will have rights by Rule 11 and you will have to keep clear of them after they have completed their tack. On the bright side, VSK does enforce Rule 18.3(b), that is, if the barger then tries to luff you above close hauled they will get a penalty... if you keep clear... 3. The two length zone for the separation mark (the second top mark) actually encircles the first top mark. So a clear astern boat that attains an overlap just before the first top mark won't be entitled to room at the first mark, but will have room at the separation mark! Just because a boat has room at the first mark does not guarantee that they will have room at the second mark. 4. At the bottom mark, the inside boat has room, but the outside boat has ROW (Rule 11)! The inside boat must round promptly, and since VSK is (most likely) applying Rule 17.2 the inside boat has to head up to a proper course immediately. If the inside boat rounds wide, or doesn't head up enough or quickly enough they may be penalized. Rule 19 : Room to tack at an obstruction The jury is still out on this rule. The only obstuctions on the standard VSK courses are other ROW boats and I have seen VSK give a penalty to a boat that didn't give another room to tack at an "obstruction" (i.e. two port tack boats approaching a starboard tack boat). However, these sightings have been far too rare and there have been too many other things going on to be sure VSK was actually applying rule 19. Don't count on protection by rule 19 on any modified course near a shoreline. After watching the AI boats pile up on the rocks on numerous modified courses it's obvious that the AI does not take shorelines into account. I have never seen Rule 19 displayed in the ISAF window. Rule 44.2 : Penaly Turns After getting well clear of other boats as soon after the incident as possible, a boat takes a 720º Turns Penalty by promptly making two complete 360º turns (720º) in the same direction, including two tacks and two gybes. When a boat takes the penalty at or near the finishing line, she shall sail completely to the course side of the line before finishing. VSk only requires a 360 degree turn to resolve a penalty. However, VSK does not force a skipper to take their penalty turn as soon after the incident as possible. Rather VSK allows a short time (about 2 minutes) in which a skipper can take their penalty turn. If the penalty is not solved in the time limit another penalty will be awarded. However, during these 2 minutes VSK allows the skipper to do whatever they want. Many skippers will use these two minutes to even the score, which is definitely a violation of Rule 2... too bad VSK doesn't enforce rule 2...

What the VSK Judge Thinks... I think.

The judge in VSK2 is often critizied for getting the Racing Rules of Sailing wrong. However, VSK2 actually does a pretty good job of interpreting the rules... except for a few <ahem> minor bugs. But once you understand the shortcomings of the VSK2 judge the bad penalties that VSK2 awards can be easily avoided.

This document is not a complete summary of Racing Rules of Sailing but only a summary of the rules that affect game play in Virtual Skipper. Understanding what the VSK2 judge considers to be room (lots), or how much you have to move the rudder to be considered a course change (not much) will do a lot to decrease the number of bad penalties that are awarded and therefore increasing your enjoyment of the game (and everyone else's for that matter).

Abbreviations used in this document

ROW : right of way
S : starboard tack boat
P : port tack boat
L : leeward boat
W : windward boat
A : clear ahead boat
X : keep clear boat

The Basic Principle

Competitors in the sport of sailing are governed by a body of rules that they are expected to follow and enforce. A fundamental principle of sportsmanship is that when competitors break a rule they will promptly take a penalty or retire.

This isn't really a rule, but it's worth pointing out. It's really too bad VSK can't enforce the basic principle... particularily the part "when competitors break a rule they will promptly take a penalty".

ISAF Case Book : Case 88

A boat may avoid contact and yet fail to keep clear.

This isn't a rule, but it's worth pointing out early because it explains a lot of the so called bad penalties awarded by VSK.

Keeping clear means more than avoiding contact, otherwise the rules would say "avoid contact" rather than "keep clear". If a keep clear boat has to put their rudder hard over to avoid contact VSK assumes they have not met their obligation to keep clear. Similarily, if a ROW boat puts their rudder hard over when they are close to a keep clear boat (even to avoid contact) VSK may decided that they are not giving the keep clear boat room to keep clear and may give the ROW boat a penalty for breaking Rule 16.

Moral of the story: when you are keeping clear, keep really clear.

Rule 2 : Fair sailing

A boat and her owner shall compete in compliance with recognized principles of sportsmanship and fair play. A boat may be penalized under this rule only if it is clearly established that these principles have been violated. A disqualification under this rule shall not be excluded from the boat's series score.

Unfortunately VSK doesn't enforce rule 2, which is too bad but perfectly understandable. It is up to the individual skippers to ensure that they are fair sailors.

Rule 10, Rule 11

Virutal Skipper gets all of these right. Sometimes it seems like a port tack boat will give a penalty to a starboard tack boat, but that is due to a mis-interpretation of the other rules (most notably Rule 15 and Rule 16).

Rule 12

VSK2 does a relatively good job with Rule 12, with one notable exception, and that is when an overlap is initially broken. If two boats are overlapped and the overlap is broken VSK will apply Rule 15 to the boat that is clear ahead. If for some reason the boat that is now clear astern runs into the stern of the other boat (lag, sudden puff, boat ahead stops etc.) the boat that is clear ahead will get a penalty for violating Rule 15.

Rule 13 : While Tacking

After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11 and 12 do not apply. If two boats are subject to this rule at the same time, the one on the other's port side shall keep clear.

I have no idea about the last sentence, but VSK applies this rule for several seconds after a boat has passed head to wind, it doesn't matter when the boat becomes close-hauled.

Rule 14 : Avoiding Contact

No collisions cause damage in VSK so Rule 14 is ignored as far as I can tell.

Rule 15 : Aquiring the Right of Way

When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat's actions.

The problem with rule 15 is that VSK applies it when the ROW boat gets within two boat lengths of the keep clear boat regardless of when the ROW was actually established. For example, two boats are sailing upwind on port tack 5 boat lengths apart from one another. The boat on the right hand side tacks onto starboard (call that boat S and the other boat P now). In the real world, rule 15 applies when S tacks onto starboard, which is a moot point since they are so far apart P has plenty of time to keep clear.

However, in the VSK world, the judge doesn't apply rule 15 until P and S get within two boat lengths of each other. This usually isn't an issue, but in strong winds, or almost any wind with the Melges under spinaker the length of time that the VSK judge will apply rule 15 is longer than the time that it takes for the boats to collide. If there is a collision S could very well get a penalty for breaking rule 15... even though they didn't.

Rule 16 : Changing Course

Rule 16 is only applied when boats are within two lengths of each other and most of the bad penalties seem to be given because the VSK judge thinks the ROW boat has broken rule 16.

16.1 When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear.

What constitutes a change of course seems to depend on two things:

1. the distance between the boats, and
2. how far the ROW boat has moved their rudder.

If the ROW boat puts their rudder hard over within a boat length (or so) of the keep clear boat the VSK judge will assume the ROW boat is not giving the keep clear boat time to keep clear. It doesn't even matter if the ROW boat is changing course to avoid a collision (remember, VSK doesn't enforce rule 14).

For example, a sudden and large course change (+5 degrees) while the boats are on the same tack and 1.8 lengths apart likely won't cause rule 16 to be applied. However, for boats on opposite tacks and close together, slowly heading up 1 degree can cause rule 16 to be applied to the ROW boat and any contact (or near contact) can cause the ROW boat to be penalized under rule 16.1

Solution : If you are about to come in contact with a keep clear boat center your rudder. Do not have your rudder off center during a collision with a keep clear boat.

16.2 In addition, when after the starting signal boats are about to cross or are crossing each other on opposite tacks, and the port-tack boat is keeping clear of the starboard-tack boat, the starboard-tack boat shall not change course if as a result the port-tack boat would immediately need to change course to continue keeping clear.

The VSK judge is very strict about this rule, so be careful. It is very easy for the the starboard tack boat to give itself a penalty. Almost any course change by the ROW boat when boats are about to cross causes the judge to apply rule 16.2, even when the ROW is only changing course because it is obvious that the keep clear boat is not keeping clear.

The best thing for a starboard tack boat to do when crossing a port tack boat is hold a steady course. Any change of course will invoke rule 16.2, and any subsequent contact (or near contact) can cause the ROW boat to get a penalty.

NOTE: Rule 16 is applied even when the ROW boat is changing course to round a mark, so be careful.

Rule 17 : On the same tack, proper course

Skippers are always yelling proper course at one another during the heat of battle. Therefore it is important to remember: a) what a proper course is, and b) when you can't sail above (or below) a proper course.

A proper course is the course a boat would sail if the other boat wasn't there. It is up to each boat to determine what their proper course is. It is possible that while A feels sailing a TWA of 145 is proper given the current wind conditions X may feel that sailing a TWA of 135 is proper. Just because a leeward boat is sailing a higher course does not mean they are not sailing a proper course. Therefore, VSK can have a very difficult time determining when rule 17 has been broken; beyond the laylines it gets a little easier... it's just too bad VSK gets the laylines wrong...

17.1 If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of her hull lengths to leeward of a boat on the same tack, she shall not sail above her proper course while they remain overlapped within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat. This rule does not apply if the overlap begins while the windward boat is required by rule 13 to keep clear.

17.2 Except on a beat to windward, while a boat is less than two of her hull lengths from a leeward boat or a boat clear astern steering a course to leeward of her, she shall not sail below her proper course unless she gybes.

VSK seems to do a good job of displaying rule 17 is the ISAF window at the proper times, but because VSK can't know what a skipper considers their proper course (and has no way to hear the skipper's side of the story in the protest room) the VSK judge may give penalties to the ROW boat and the keep clear boat if there is contact.

This is not incorrect. There is nothing in rule 17 that says that a boat with a proper course restriction is required to keep clear of the other boat, and rule 11 still applies; the windward boat must keep clear of the leeward boat. Unfortunately VSK does not penalize a boat for breaking rule 17 unless there is contact, or near contact. Then the leeward boat may get a penalty for breaking rule 17, but most likely the windward boat will also get one for breaking rule 11.

Note: there is no rule that requires a boat to sail a proper course, only rules that say when you can not sail above or below a proper course.

Rule 18 : Rounding and passing marks and obstructions

There is one major problem with the way VSK handles rule 18 (and several minor problems). Rule 18 applies when two boats are about to pass a mark or obstruction until both boats have rounded the mark. A boat has rounded the mark when it has left the mark astern. However, VSK only applies rule 18 when a boat is overlapped with the mark and stops applying rule 18 when the little rotating arrow goes away... if you don't see that rotating arrow anymore then as far as VSK is concerned you are not protected by rule 18! And the little rotating arrow goes away long before a boat has left the mark astern... let alone both boats leaving the mark astern... The bottom line is that while VSK does a pretty good job with Rule 18 you are protected by Rule 18 for far less time than you should be.

There are a few other things to keep in mind:

1. Rule 18.2(d) is ignored and VSK always applies Rule 16. It doesn't matter if you are changing course to round a mark, if you don't give a ROW boat time to keep clear you will get a penalty.

2. When a port tack boat barges in at the top mark and you have ROW you can give the barger an easy penalty if you just hold your course (see Rule 16). However, if the barger tacks beneath you they will have rights by Rule 11 and you will have to keep clear of them after they have completed their tack. On the bright side, VSK does enforce Rule 18.3(b), that is, if the barger then tries to luff you above close hauled they will get a penalty... if you keep clear...

3. The two length zone for the separation mark (the second top mark) actually encircles the first top mark. So a clear astern boat that attains an overlap just before the first top mark won't be entitled to room at the first mark, but will have room at the separation mark! Just because a boat has room at the first mark does not guarantee that they will have room at the second mark.

4. At the bottom mark, the inside boat has room, but the outside boat has ROW (Rule 11)! The inside boat must round promptly, and since VSK is (most likely) applying Rule 17.2 the inside boat has to head up to a proper course immediately. If the inside boat rounds wide, or doesn't head up enough or quickly enough they may be penalized.

Rule 19 : Room to tack at an obstruction

The jury is still out on this rule. The only obstuctions on the standard VSK courses are other ROW boats and I have seen VSK give a penalty to a boat that didn't give another room to tack at an "obstruction" (i.e. two port tack boats approaching a starboard tack boat). However, these sightings have been far too rare and there have been too many other things going on to be sure VSK was actually applying rule 19.

Don't count on protection by rule 19 on any modified course near a shoreline. After watching the AI boats pile up on the rocks on numerous modified courses it's obvious that the AI does not take shorelines into account.

I have never seen Rule 19 displayed in the ISAF window.

Rule 44.2 : Penaly Turns

After getting well clear of other boats as soon after the incident as possible, a boat takes a 720º Turns Penalty by promptly making two complete 360º turns (720º) in the same direction, including two tacks and two gybes. When a boat takes the penalty at or near the finishing line, she shall sail completely to the course side of the line before finishing.

VSk only requires a 360 degree turn to resolve a penalty. However, VSK does not force a skipper to take their penalty turn as soon after the incident as possible. Rather VSK allows a short time (about 2 minutes) in which a skipper can take their penalty turn. If the penalty is not solved in the time limit another penalty will be awarded. However, during these 2 minutes VSK allows the skipper to do whatever they want. Many skippers will use these two minutes to even the score, which is definitely a violation of Rule 2... too bad VSK doesn't enforce rule 2...