# Retiring After Finishing



## captainrizzo (Feb 24, 2008)

This past weekend, I skippered my boat for the first time in a distance race on Lake Michigan. It was a 15 NM course with a gate half way. The sailing instructions stated that the finish would be at the gate if the finish was not crossed within the 6-hour time limit. There was a 5-hour time limit to reach the gate.

We had good wind at the start but the wind died. We made the gate within the 5-hour time limit as did three other boats in our division. Four boats in our division did not make it to the gate.

*Two boats that made the gate ahead of us, retired from the race prior to the 6-hour time limit! *

I am wondering if other racers could weigh in on how you think the scoring should have been calculated. Particularly, do the following apply?

Rule A4.2: A boat that did not start, did not finish, retired after finishing, or was disqualified shall be scored points for the finishing place one more than the number of boats entered in the series (again, there were 8 boats in our division).

Rule A6.1: If a boat is disqualified from a race or retires after finishing, each boat with a worse finishing place shall be moved up one place.

Should the two boats that retired been designated RAF (Retired After Finishing) according to Rule A11?


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## JohnRPollard (Mar 26, 2007)

They dropped out before the race was over (6 hour limit). As such, I would not say that they retired after finishing. I would have scored them DNF, under A4.2. 

However, how did they drop out? Did they actually call the RC and say they were retiring? Or did they alter course for home port, knowing that no one could finish within the 6 hour limit, and thereby let the limit expire?


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## captainrizzo (Feb 24, 2008)

In both cases, they called the race committee and said this is (Boat Name) and we are retiring from the race. They started their motors and headed for port.


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## JohnRPollard (Mar 26, 2007)

They quit the race before it was over at the 6 hour limit. DNF.


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## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

I agree with JP- If the instructions stated:
*the finish would be at the gate if the finish was not crossed within the 6-hour time limit.*
then the finish was only moved to the gate AFTER 6 hours had elapsed. Prior to that 6 hr. time limit, the finish was at the original location. The two boats should be DNF.


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## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

What Chris does not mention because he is being polite is that the race commitee had their heads up their asses all day.

It was obvious from about the second hour that nobody was going to finish in the 6 hour time limit. Of the 75 or so boats that statred only two finished within the time frame. They should have shortened the race from the very beginning.

Also, he radioed the commitee and asked for clarification. We had passed the half way gate in the time frame allowed but it was obvious that we would not finish in 6 hours. The commitee boat stated that the race was still going and that if we started our engine "we" would be "disqulified." Well than why the hell did the two boats that radioed in and dropped out receive 2nd and 3rd place trophies? Why were they not disqualified? Thats the question.

It appears that they went back and took the times form the half way gate as the finish times _regardless_ of weather you carried on to the end or dropped out.


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## captainrizzo (Feb 24, 2008)

What Chris also didn't mention is that Tim crewed on my boat for the race and he is a great sailor and it is a privilege to call him friend.


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## merlin2375 (Jul 12, 2007)

Another in agreement for DNF, never seen this done but can you protest their trophies? Shame on them for accepting them...once you retire, you're out in my opinion.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Yeah, if they officially pulled out before the 6 hour limit, they should not have been scored anything but DNF or RET.


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## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

From the descriptions above, I'd have to agree the RC had a chronic case of cranialincerrectum.

Chris/Tim, get a room!


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## JohnRPollard (Mar 26, 2007)

Just to flog this some more... 

They announced via VHF that they were "retiring", which means they dropped out of the race. That's what "retiring" means. 

If they believed they had completed the race, there would be no need to contact the RC and advise them that they were "retiring". 

With one exception: The ONLY reason to contact the RC after completing the race and advise them that you are "retiring", is when you are acknowledging that you fouled someone without making appropriate penalty turns, or did not sail a proper course, and therefore are DSQed from the race. That is the purpose and meaning of the phrase "Retiring After Finishing". 

In their case, they contacted the RC while the race was still underway to announce that they were retiring. That's nothing more than a DNF. Their score for the race is 8+1=9 per A4.2.

File a formal protest against the boats that were DNF.


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