I found this presentation tucked away on the RYA web site, it was rather an obscure location, so I though would share the URL with you.

It is about 110 slides long, so ideal for flicking through on a cold December evening.

As well as the much noted, 3 boat length zone, there are a couple of rule changes that may change the Merlin game a little.

If I understand it, Rule 81 now allows boats that have been black flagged to compete in a rescheduled race, rescheduling includes a general recall after the start. So in the past, if my memory serves me well this happened at Hayling Nationals and at Salcombe and some other Silver Tiller, we would have a a mass over-run of the fleet, then a general recall, then 20 minutes whilst the committee boat looks through the video and then a list of DSQ is chalked up. Now, the race committee will just have to let the fleet go if it thinks it has enough evidence to DSQ black flaggers, or issue the General and let every one restart.

Also, I think the change in the rule to separate room for obstruction from room for marks changes the game a little whilst dodging moored craft at Salcome. I think it makes it easier and safer, assuming that all the competitors are up on the changes associated with room for obstruction.

p.s. If you need a powerpoint viewer to read this it can be found on microsoft site here......

This is an interesting move to say the least.

Whilst I hate being black flagged, it's a necessary evil to prevent x00 restarts. I'm not sure this is a good move either but we'll see.

Although it has to be fairer that way. If the race committee call a general recall becuase it can't identify all the boats over, it should have no rights to disqualify just the ones it can. 

Personally I have been only DSQ once on a black flagat a ST event, maybe because I don't try hard enough, but that one situation I got DSQ'd as I was mid line but nearest the committee boat, and the whole lot of boats at the favoured pin end were over. Only the mid line boats got DSQ'd. Of course I could have been wrong and the ones at the pin were not over, but it didn't feel fair at the time.

We'll see on that score. It is fairer in a way, but really thay would have done better to bin the Z flag penalty and replace it with this, still leaving scope for a hard line later on. With videos being used on start lines it's very unlikly that you'll get away with it.

I think that Alan's view may not be quite correct.  In the event that there is a general recall on a black flagged start and there is a delay whilst those identified as being over the line are nofified, the next attempt to start the race would normally be as soon as possible thereafter - i.e. a restart and not a rescheduled race - and the black flagged boats would not be allowed to compete.  In the event that the race were postponed to the next day, for example, that would be a rescheduled race, and I think the new Rule might mean that a black flagged boat from the previous day would be allowed to compete.

However, I'm open to correction on this point.

I think you are right too Mike. Reading what 'rescheduled' means as "‘A ‘rescheduled race’ is a race for which a new time for the warning signal is announced that is significantly later than the time of, and often the date of, the warning signal in the sailing instructions. "

Is pretty clear to me NOT intended to cover hanging around on the water for 10 or 20 minutes. So you can all rest easy - no real change to us, as I can't recall a situation where we had a black flag start, a general recall, and then the race postponed (lets say to another day due to an incomming weather front).

Phew! That does make more sense all round.