Details of the rules

Tis wonderful the way us rules people get enthusiastic.

At the Oxford Top Gun event there was a question about Rule 18 at the finish. I now have about 12 messages in my inbox about how this will work and one of the 'senior' judges is now going to put in a question - so we might have a definitive reply.

Meanwhile I have not got around to putting in my 2p worth and, having finally picked up a rulebook, see that it would be irrelevant anyway. Besides this there is the thought - expresed during the discussions - that no one has seen this done and a lot of the published calls address hypothetical situations which would never be used in practise.

Then there is the thought that if the discussion is published people will be using this manoeveur before we have an answer for them. Hence my not going into too much detail on the question, despite my liking for openness in such discussions.

Problem is. . . I am Chief Umpire this weekend and have a different set of judges - I'm sure that if I mention this to them they will probably have a different set of considerations - and can we keep such discussions from the sailors.

You have to be amused.