Re: Racing Rules of Sailing

The great semantic antic of analysis of rules if fascinating, but it seems most of the trouble sailors have with the RRS is that they keep changing. Usually every four years. In the current cycle, they were changed in mid-cycle! The old-fashioned North American way of clarifying the rules through appeals had the benefit of ... surprise! ... clarifying the rules. To start over fresh every four years is absurd. I've been racing sailboats for 70 years, and have spent a fair number of hours studying rules and appeals decisions, and I don't think they are any better now than they were 70 years ago. They just force sailors to learn reinterpretations every four years. The result is that the rules remain 5% imperfect, rather than slowly reaching towards that 99% peerfection.

-- Will White