Legality of sculling mirrors
Robert Ennals
I have recently built myself a sculling mirror, and it seems to help quite
a bit.
However a friend has told me that such mirrors are against ARA rules.
I couldn't find the ARA equipment regulations, and the FISA regulations (which
I assume are approximately the same) don't seem to mention sculling mirrors.
Do any of the wise people on this group know the legal status of sculling
mirrors? - I would hate to become dependent on it, only to be told at a regatta
that I can't use it.
-Rob
Richard Packer
wrote:
Rule 2-3-8 Equipment check
[a. snipped bits about bow balls etc - not relevant to this question]
b. No boat shall make use of any substance capable of modifying the
natural properties of water to improve performance.
c. No competitor shall make use of a boat with a sliding or swinging
rigger mechanism.
d. There shall be no restriction on the design of boats or equipment
other than 'c' above.
Mirrors don't offend under b) or c), and d) says anything else is OK,
so doesn't look like the Rules of Racing ban them.
I suppose it *could* be argued that *if* you rely too heavily on the
mirror and *if* you don't look round often enough then you *might*
increase your risk of collision, so mirrors *might* be a Bad Thing,
but I've never heard anyone suggest banning them.
But in a race, you will (of course) be miles ahead of your opposition
anyway, so why would you need a mirror? ;-)
Richard
PERDY
> [a. snipped bits about bow balls etc - not relevant to this question]
> b. No boat shall make use of any substance capable of modifying the
> natural properties of water to improve performance.
> c. No competitor shall make use of a boat with a sliding or swinging
> rigger mechanism.
> d. There shall be no restriction on the design of boats or equipment
> other than 'c' above.
>
> Mirrors don't offend under b) or c), and d) says anything else is OK,
> so doesn't look like the Rules of Racing ban them.
>
> I suppose it *could* be argued that *if* you rely too heavily on the
> mirror and *if* you don't look round often enough then you *might*
> increase your risk of collision, so mirrors *might* be a Bad Thing,
> but I've never heard anyone suggest banning them.
>
> But in a race, you will (of course) be miles ahead of your opposition
> anyway, so why would you need a mirror? ;-)
>
> Richard
Another point,
a mirror either side of a sculling
boat will produce wind and possibly water resistance. The A.R.A. will
be all in favour of this. I am also fairly confident that the A.R.A.
have not as yet devised a method whereby they can monitor the actual
angle of a sculler's eyeballs in relation to his or her boat during a
race given the quality and sobriety of umpiring staff currently
available. That means that you can look at what you like. If you have
an appeal about a collision during a race then I doubt you can quote a
mirror based decision on your course. You will just have to hope that
the umpire in question is upright and was actually watching the race.
'Mirror, Mirror on my boat, can I use you in a quote?'
Perdy.
Andy Hadcroft
>But in a race, you will (of course) be miles ahead of your opposition
>anyway, so why would you need a mirror? ;-)
>
And how many straight regatta courses are there in the UK?
I'm sure a mirror would have helped prevent comedy 4- steering from me in
the past, and saved having to pull greenery out of riggers.
Andy
Trevor Chambers
> Rule 2-3-8 Equipment check
> [a. snipped bits about bow balls etc - not relevant to this question]
> b. No boat shall make use of any substance capable of modifying the
> natural properties of water to improve performance.
> c. No competitor shall make use of a boat with a sliding or swinging
> rigger mechanism.
> d. There shall be no restriction on the design of boats or equipment
> other than 'c' above.
>
> Mirrors don't offend under b) or c), and d) says anything else is OK,
> so doesn't look like the Rules of Racing ban them.
At our regatta last wekend someone queried their opponents (in a 2x race) using a
rudder,
on the grounds that it was unfair as it helped them round the dog-leg bend, and the
Chairman of the Race Umpires used this in that context (which as the applicable rule
isn't too surprising I guess), along the lines of "it's not a sliding rigger so it's
legal".
Unsuccessful scullers walked away having been outsmarted as well as outsculled....
Trevor
Sudbury RC
Richard Packer
<cham...@omc.bt.co.uk> wrote:
>At our regatta last wekend someone queried their opponents (in a 2x race) using a
>rudder,
>on the grounds that it was unfair as it helped them round the dog-leg bend, and the
>Chairman of the Race Umpires used this in that context (which as the applicable rule
>
>isn't too surprising I guess), along the lines of "it's not a sliding rigger so it's
>legal".
>
>Unsuccessful scullers walked away having been outsmarted as well as outsculled....
I suspect I know which club that might have been. Dark blue and light
blue kit by any chance?
Richard
chris harrison
> Richard Packer wrote:
>
> > Rule 2-3-8 Equipment check
> > [a. snipped bits about bow balls etc - not relevant to this question]
> > b. No boat shall make use of any substance capable of modifying the
> > natural properties of water to improve performance.
> > c. No competitor shall make use of a boat with a sliding or swinging
> > rigger mechanism.
> > d. There shall be no restriction on the design of boats or equipment
> > other than 'c' above.
> >
> > Mirrors don't offend under b) or c), and d) says anything else is OK,
> > so doesn't look like the Rules of Racing ban them.
>
> At our regatta last wekend someone queried their opponents (in a 2x race) using a
> rudder,
What? "Umpire! He's using blades, surely that must make him go quicker
than just using his hands. And as for that Carl Douglas single of his,
that must be an illegal advantage over my hollowed out log."
--
chris harrison
webmaster, vesta rowing club
http://www.vesta.rowing.org.uk/
Christopher Anton
with their draws a slip saying that they have instituted a local rule banning the
use of sculling mirrors. Not sure how this fits in with the rules of racing so I'll
be raising it with the regional umpires' commissioner on MOnday.
Nick Suess
"Christopher Anton" <c.a...@cableinet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3B844326...@cableinet.co.uk...
> It's strange that this thread should have come up early, because Ross have
included
> with their draws a slip saying that they have instituted a local rule
banning the
> use of sculling mirrors. Not sure how this fits in with the rules of
racing so I'll
> be raising it with the regional umpires' commissioner on MOnday.
>
I reckon Ross has one of the trickier courses to scull, due to many reasons
which include:
it's fairly narrow, and boats going up to the start have to pull well in to
get out of the way of races;
it has numerous shallows, hopefully all marked with buoys, with a very
treacherous bit of rocky bottom coming well across the path of boats
immediately after the finish;
it has a big bend under the bridge, with a dense patch of weed on the inside
of the bend.
So we must assume that by banning mirrors for those accustomed to navigating
by them they clearly hope to improve spectator value by increasing all of
the following:
collisions between boats racing and those going to the start;
boats running aground with serious risk of hull damage;
boats running into the weed patch under the bridge.
Nice one!
Philip Barton
behind!
I've seen people using these mirrors, and been wholly unimpressed by the
improvement (!) in their steering.....
chris harrison
> It's strange that this thread should have come up early, because Ross have included
> with their draws a slip saying that they have instituted a local rule banning the
> use of sculling mirrors. Not sure how this fits in with the rules of racing so I'll
> be raising it with the regional umpires' commissioner on MOnday.
Banning their use entirely? Can they do that?
There's a rule which says that, for example, they can ban coach-boat
radios if they want to (in case of conflicts with emergency channels and
such), but is there a rule that says "notwithstanding the rules of
racing, we can locally amend any of the rules as we see fit"?
Christopher Anton
He's one the regional umpires' commission and competition commission and he was under the
impression that regattas could set local conditions as they saw fit. I know some regattas
state a local condition that because of safety they suspend the rule which allows a crew
to be placed if a rower is ejected part way on the grounds of safety, e.g . Docklands,
but this (the banning of mirrors) is surely an anti-safety rule?