Sail GP Great Britain crash into Japan

   It was quite a spectacular crash and Ben Ainslie has done the decent thing. We all agree that GBR were in the wrong as far as the rules go.
However was the race start safe in the first place? A reaching start with 8 boats going at full speed and one of them decides to turn at almost 90 degrees to all the others presumably to slow down has resulted in a major crash.

Bearing in mind these boats were going at  speeds of over 30knots these boats how can boats take avoiding action? It all happens in seconds and Ainslie admits he did not see Japan.

Is this just a racing incident? Or is the root cause the design of the race course? You would never see one formula 1 car  deliberately going in a total different direction to all the others just to slow down.

I would say that it could have been any one of the 8 boats who crashed into another and no doubt it will happen again.

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Contender443 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 01 Oct 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1211	Post Options Post Reply Quote Contender443 Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Sail GP Great Britain crash into Japan Posted: 17 Dec 21 at 5:34pm
	It was quite a spectacular crash and Ben Ainslie has done the decent thing. We all agree that GBR were in the wrong as far as the rules go. However was the race start safe in the first place? A reaching start with 8 boats going at full speed and one of them decides to turn at almost 90 degrees to all the others presumably to slow down has resulted in a major crash. Bearing in mind these boats were going at speeds of over 30knots these boats how can boats take avoiding action? It all happens in seconds and Ainslie admits he did not see Japan. Is this just a racing incident? Or is the root cause the design of the race course? You would never see one formula 1 car deliberately going in a total different direction to all the others just to slow down. I would say that it could have been any one of the 8 boats who crashed into another and no doubt it will happen again.
	Bonnie Lass Contender 1764

Robin Boardman Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 26 Jan 19 Location: Halifax Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Post Options Post Reply Quote Robin Boardman Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Dec 21 at 8:03pm
	I agree. No matter if you are in the right regarding the rules, going in a direction different to the "flow", especially at such speeds, can often result in a bad outcome.

Paramedic Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 27 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 916	Post Options Post Reply Quote Paramedic Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Dec 21 at 9:18pm
	is it not the case that - regardless of any right of way - the majority of accidents are the result of someone doing the unexpected?

423zero Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 08 Jan 15 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3384	Post Options Post Reply Quote 423zero Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Dec 21 at 10:08pm
	Would be interesting to hear Sir Ben' reasoning, what did he think the Japanese were going to do?
	Robert

Old bloke Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Posting king Joined: 03 Nov 17 Online Status: Offline Posts: 112	Post Options Post Reply Quote Old bloke Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Dec 21 at 8:50am
	I don't see any sign of Japan avoiding the collision, which from their position must have looked pretty inevitable from a way off. They could /should have bailed out and protested

Contender443 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 01 Oct 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1211	Post Options Post Reply Quote Contender443 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Dec 21 at 10:42am
	Everything happens in a few seconds on these starts. I bet if you watch all the starts there will be some very close calls . It was only a matter of time before this happened. It could have been any of the teams. USA did a good job of avoiding the crash scene. Then the French almost closed the door on the Aussies almost squeezing them into Japan on the other side. It could have ended up with a multi boat crash. Good for TV but someone will get hurt. There are no formula safety pods here.
	Bonnie Lass Contender 1764

423zero Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 08 Jan 15 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3384	Post Options Post Reply Quote 423zero Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Dec 21 at 1:01pm
	Very decent of team GBR to give Japan their Hull.
	Robert

Noah Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 29 Dec 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 610	Post Options Post Reply Quote Noah Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Dec 21 at 4:19pm
	Time and opportunity to keep clear? I’ve not seen the footage, but it seems to me that with the speeds these boats are doing, and the relative lack of manoeuvrability, some seconds are needed to respond to a r-o-w boat that changes course. And did GBR have anywhere to go? Weren’t USA above them?
	Nick D-Zero 316

Contender443 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 01 Oct 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1211	Post Options Post Reply Quote Contender443 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Dec 21 at 5:26pm
	Maybe one of the rules can explain if GBR was given time and opportunity to keep clear but it all happened very quickly. Japan were lucky not to be taken out earlier by the French. With hindsight they would have been safer going for the line and being over. However they were in the right but it’s a dangerous position to be in. As I said earlier the reaching start is exciting but is it safe?
	Bonnie Lass Contender 1764

ohFFsake Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 04 Sep 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 219	Post Options Post Reply Quote ohFFsake Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Dec 21 at 2:37pm
	Seemed to me like Japan only popped into view of GBR when it was already too late to avoid them. Does seem to me like the reaching starts are an accident waiting to happen with so many boats approaching the line sailing in wildly different modes depending on whether they are early or late. Works with a match race situation but in a fleet I think they need to use a conventional line where each boat then only needs to worry about the boats adjacent to them. Watches the following races and yet again it seemed like yet more arbitrary penalties being dished out. The penalty awarded in favour of JPN that won them race 4 seemed completely unfair. Looked like they gained an overlap from behind, luffed above their proper course and the windward boat responded and kept clear. I can't see how they could have responded any more, short of luffing before the overlap was established, which they are not expected to do. Similarly DEN were penalised when they appeared to respond immediately to abrupt course changes from the ROW boat. Just seems like all the umpiring consists of is an alarm going off when 2 boats get within 20 feet of each other and then a blind application of Port/Starboard or Windward/Leeward without any consideration of all the other rules in the book! And yet more arbitrary points being awarded against Ainslie. A clearly unintentional collision causing serious damage - surely their retirement from the race covers it, with the opportunity for JPN to claim redress? Just seems like the arbitrary removal of race, series and championship points is more about manipulating the outcome than ensuring fair play.