The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has published the 2010 supplements to the current editions of The Call Book for Match Racing and The Call Book for Team Racing.
The Call Books provide a clear definition, for both competitors and umpires, how certain incidents will be called in match or team racing events. Through written and illustrated examples, scenarios that occur in match or team racing events are presented along with the rules applicable to that situation and how and when they should be applied.
Following on from the ISAF Annual Conference in November, there have been a number of new Calls added to both Match Racing and Team Racing Call Books, whilst several calls have been revised.
Marianne Middelthon (NOR), chairman of the ISAF Match and Team Racing Rules Working Party, said for 2010 there are a number of important changes in the Call Books: “The situation is quite special this year, as we have an exceptional number of new calls, all coming from Rapid Response Calls, in both call books, as a direct result of the changes to the rules about marks and obstructions. More new calls are expected during 2010 as well, but then hopefully the new rules will have been explored to the point where the general rules understanding and the then existing calls will be enough to achieve a consistent approach to the games of team and match racing.”
These new Calls and Revisions have been published as Supplements to the current editions of the Call Books. The full text of both Call Books has also been updated. The Supplements and full texts are all available to download from the ISAF website at www.sailing.org/callbooks.
A summary of the changes made is:
The Call Book for Match Racing
Call UMP 2 – Old Q&A 2 have been replaced with new Q&A 2-4.
Call UMP 18 – New Q&A 2 added.
Call UMP 30 – 'Because the overlap was created from clear astern' in the
beginning of the second paragraph of Answer 1 deleted because
of new rule C2.12.
Call UMP 34 – Changes to both answers and one new rules reference because
of new rule C2.12.
Call UMP 40 – New Call.
Call UMP 41 – New Call.
Call UMP 42 – New Call.
Call MR 40 – New Call.
The Call Book for Team Racing
Call E9 – New Call.
Call E10 – New Call.
Call E11 – New Call.
Call E12 – New Call.
Call E13 – New Call.
Call J8 – New Call.
Call L4 – Revised Call. Situation is similar but different decision.
The 2009-2012 editions of the ISAF Call Book for Match Racing and the ISAF Call Book for Team Racing can be downloaded directly from the ISAF website at www.sailing.org/callbooks or ordered in hardcopy from www.sailing.org/publications.
About The Call Books
The 2009-2012 editions of The Call Books coincide with the 2009-2012 edition of The Racing Rules of Sailing, the worldwide rules which govern the sport on the water. The Call Books detail scenarios in match or team racing events and then provide a clear explanation of the applicable rules from the The Racing Rules of Sailing in those situations and how they should be applied.
The Call Book for Match Racing was first published in 1992 and is now in its seventh edition. The Call Book for Team Racing was first published in 2001 and is now in its fourth edition.
The latest edition of the Call Book for Match Racing and The ISAF Call Book for Team Racing is available from www.sailing.org/callbooks.
The 2009-2012 edition of The Racing Rules of Sailing is available from www.sailing.org/rrs.
The new editions of the Call Books are the result of many years of input from sailors, officials, ISAF Committees and ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs). All of these elements are brought together by the ISAF Match and Team Racing Rules Working Party which is chaired by Marianne Middelthon (NOR) and also includes Bruce Hebbert (GBR), Rob Overton (USA), Marina Psichogiou (GRE), John Standley (AUS), Richard Thompson (GBR), Jack Lloyd (NZL), Bjorn Anker-Moller (DEN), Ricardo Lobato (BRA), Shane Borell (NZL), Jim Capron (USA) and Henry Menin (ISV).
The publishing of the Call Books is governed by ISAF Regulation 31. Proposed changes to the Call Books are suggested in Submissions (which can be made by ISAF MNAs, International Class Associations, the ISAF Executive Committee, ISAF Committee Chairmen and the ISAF President) to the ISAF Annual Conference. These are then evaluated carefully by the ISAF Match and Team Racing Rules Working Party and during the meeting of the ISAF Racing Rules Committee at the Conference. That Committee passes its recommendations on to the ISAF Council. Approved changes are then included in an annually published supplement to the Call Books. The new editions of the Call Book are published every four years, in line with the publication of The Racing Rules of Sailing, and incorporate all of these supplements.
ISAF Rapid Response Calls
In addition to the editions and supplements of the Calls Books, ISAF also responded to demand from event organizers and umpires for short-term answers by providing an ISAF Rapid Response Calls system for both Match Racing and Team Racing.
Calls proposed under this system should be presented in a format similar to existing calls, and sent to the ISAF office in Southampton (see www.sailing.org/contactisaf for contact details). Any diagrams should preferably be in TSS (TSS is a special boat drawing programme). A call approved as a Rapid Response Call will be immediately communicated to all ISAF International Umpires (IUs) and MNAs. It will also be posted on the ISAF Race Officials microsite at www.sailing.org/raceofficials.
