nor-q&a issue 11 - volvo ocean · pdf fileissue 11 question number question ... sewing...

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO THE NOTICE OF RACE and SAILING INSTRUCTIONS 2014-15

Issue 11

Question number Question

SECTION A

23 2.1 Rules (RRS 48.2 COLREGS)

24 2.1 Rules (RRS 48.2 COLREGS)

(15.06.15) Changed answer to Q3, old page removed and new added with IJ revised answer.

4 2.12 Outriggers Ammended

SECTION B

5 5.1.3 Sails on-board

7 7.1.11 Guests on-board

8 5.1.2 (a) Race Sails

9 5.1.2 (a) Race Sails

13 Storage of sails during a stopover (deleted)

14 5.2.3 Testing

15 5.2.6 Sharing information

21 6.1.5 Crew Members for In-Port race

22 6.1.5 Crew Members for In-Port race

SECTION C

6 9.6.2 (h) Sewing machine

18 9.6.2 Extra equipment and spares

SECTION D

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20 15.1 Communications (email)

SECTION E

3 18.3 – …….50% of the Boats in the Assembly Area

SECTION F

SECTION G

APPENDIX A

1 Inner layer clothing

2 Sail covers

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX C

APPENDIX D

17 15.14 AIS

APPENDIX E

APPENDIX F

APPENDIX G

GENERAL

10 Sailing after re-launching

11 In-Port race, 1st leg

16 TSS

19 RRS 48.2

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Notice of Race Q & A 1

18th December 2013

NOR 25.9.3. Do you consider base layers as inner layers? The input we have from our clothing supplier is that once we put the crew name and logos on an inner (base) layer as required by NOR 25.9.3, it seriously compromises the functionality of these specific items. Since inner layers are worn for moisture management and insulation and especially the moisture management is highly limited when you add prints (non breathable). Observation: Most of the times T-Shirts will be worn over the inner (base) layers so the exposed clothing item will fulfill the requirements of NOR 25.9.3. Question: Given the impact on clothing functionality, can we keep the inner (base) layer free from branding required by NOR 25.9.3? Answer: (a) When the inner (base) layer has the team name/logo or team sponsor's marks, the garment shall comply with NOR 25.9.3 (b) When the only branding on the garment is the manufacturer's standard mark (at a size no larger than 70mm in width or height), then the garment is exempt from the requirements of NOR 25.9.3, but shall be worn under a garment that complies with NOR 29.5.3.

The reasoning is that if an item can have manufacturer and team branding and still function as designed then the addition of the name should equally not impair the performance of the garment.

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18th December 2013

Question: What can we do in terms of branding on the boom cover? Answer: The boom cover is available for the team to brand as they wish providing the branding complies with any conditions or restrictions in the Commercial Participation Protocol (CPP)

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11th February 2014

Question (a): On days when there is no scheduled racing how will the RC decide the 50% and the times Boats may be absent from the Assembly Area? Answer (a) The RC will use the AM-PM system that has been in use for past Volvo Ocean Races. Boats allocated the AM slot shall be back at the dock by 1300, the Boats allocated the PM slot may depart the dock at 1300 and shall be back at the dock at 1800.

Question (b): May a Boat use the time following the completion of racing on a day to practice?

Answer (b): No. Boats and Crew Members are required to return to the Assembly Area following racing.

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11th February 2014 Ammended October 2014

Question 4: What is the interpretation of ‘used at a time’? Can we have the second outrigger mounted to weather and ready to be used once the boat gybed? Answer 4: Yes the second outrigger may be set up in preparation for a gybe.

The term “used” in this rule means that a sheet or other rope is lead through the outrigger and tension applied using a winch.

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11th February 2014

Question 5: Since the word MAY is permissive can we e.g. carry only 1 x Mainsail and 1 x MHO on board for a Leg or In-Port, plus a mandatory pre-race storm jib, and leave other sails behind?

Answer 5: Yes. The storm jib must be on-board and sealed in place, there is no minimum number of other sails that shall be on-board.

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11th March 2014

Question 6: Is it permitted to carry on board a sewing machine for

emergency repair work that can be clamped over the internal structure without requiring any additional fixings or fastenings?

Answer 6: Yes. NOR 9.6.2 (h) does require that when not in use that the sewing machine is sealed and not to be moved.

The method of attaching to the internal structure shall be pre-approved by Green Marine.

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11th March 2014

Question: Is it permitted to carry a guest (media or celebrity) for the entire duration of leg 0?

Answer: Yes. Follow the procedure outlined in NOR 7.1.11.

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18th March 2014

Question: How will the OA ensure that there will not be any outside influence in the design or manufacture of a Boats Race Sails? Answer: When North Sails have received all the sail orders for the Race Sails the will assign each sail a unique North Sails “OD” number, these numbers and the code of sail will be sent to the VO65 Class Manager and the Race Director. The OD numbers will be recorded against a simple 1-7 number system for each code of sail; a draw will be conducted either as a media event (if feasible) or an internal draw within the OA where the number 1- 7 will be allocated to a team the results of the draw will remain confidential between the Class Manager and the Race Director. When a sail is ready for delivery to a branding company the team allocated that will be disclosed to North Sails and delivered to the address supplied on the Race Sail Purchase Agreement.

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18th March 2014

Question: Why does a team have to order and specify the location of and type of speed stripes they require for each code of Race Sail to the Volvo Ocean Race; Race Director and not to North Sails?

Answer: The position and type of stripe required may clearly identify the team for which the sail is being manufactured at a very early stage of manufacture this is not desirable. When North Sails contact the Race Director and inform them that they require the speed stripe positions and type for OD number xx he will send North Sails the relevant portion of the excel sheet supplied to him by the team thus protecting the identity of the buyer until the sail is ready for shipping.

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May 2014 Questions:

(a) At the end of the maintenance period will all the Boat’s go in the water on the same day?

(b) What is the first day we can sail after the Boat has been re-launched?

(c) Will al the Boats be in the water before Boats are permitted to sail?

Answer:

(a) No. The following table has the anticipated dates for re-launching dates.

Stopover 1st re-launch day 2nd re-launch day

Alicante Monday 29th Sept Tuesday 30th Sept Cape Town Tuesday 11th Nov Wednesday 12th Nov Abu Dhabi Saturday 27th Dec Sunday 28th Dec Sanya Sunday 1st Feb Monday 2nd Feb Auckland Sunday 8th Mar Monday 9th Mar Itajai Sunday 12th Apr Monday 13th Apr Newport N/A N/A Lisbon Sunday 31st May Monday 1st June Lorient N/A N/A Gothenburg N/A N/A

(b) The day following the 2nd re-launch day

(c) Yes. We anticipate that it will take the full 2 days to re-launch all the Boats and get them all ready to sail, so we do not envisage that Boats will sail on the 2nd re-launch day.

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May 2014 In-Port races. Question: Will all In-Port races have a first leg to a windward mark? Answer: No. Conditions and other constraints may require us to start to a downwind mark. Where possible we will start to a windward mark.

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May 2014 (Deleted 30th December 2014)

Sails Question:

(a) Are there any restrictions on where sails can be stored and repaired during a stopover?

Answers:

(a) Yes. When a Race Sail is removed from the Boat at a stopover it shall be taken to the Boatyard sail loft where it shall remain until it is put back on the Boat. All repairs shall take place in the Boatyard sail loft or at another facility approved by the Boatyard Manager, which may be the teams base.

Note; the NOR will include this and other wording when the discussion re. shipping the extra and Pre-race Sails around the world has taken place at the Boatyard ,Advisory Board meeting 5th and 6th June 2014.

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May 2014

Questions:

(a) In NOR 5.2.3, what is the relevance or meaning of this sentence: NOR 5.2.5 (b) or (c) does not prevent a supplier disclosing improved methods or technology developed by the supplier provided the information is disclosed to all Participants at the same time.

(b) Please can the OA clarify what rule this is referring to and if it is 5.2.6 b

and c then what do these races / training sessions have to do with suppliers?

Answer: The NOR has been amended to correct the errors in NOR ammendment 5.

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May 2014

Questions:

Rule 5.2.6 lists situations where two boat testing is permitted. In these situations are boats permitted to 'share' performance data? i.e. in sanctioned events, training sessions or races where 2 boat testing is permitted, are any of the following actions permitted (a) verbal communications between teams (via VHF, mobile cell phone, e-

mail etc) about performance matters, sail settings, ballast tanks, etc?

(b) sharing of printed data describing the two boat testing, boat configuration, or sail trim for example?

Answer:

No. Both question (a) and (b) infringe this part of NOR 5.2.3. All Participants including through the assistance of third parties, shall not share or exchange performance information.

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May 2014

Question:

We are looking for detail about how you intend to manage the passage of the fleet through busy shipping areas. In particular we would like to know how the rules will deal with Traffic Separation zones in general. Obviously The Mallaca Straits, Straits of Gibraltar and Dover Straits are obvious examples but there are many other TSS zones to consider such as Ushant and various other headlands and Capes around the world? We couldn’t see anything in the NOR or leg SIs. We intend to train through the Dover Straits and Straits of Gibraltar and would like to know what the rules will be please.

Answer:

TSS is dealt with in Leg specific SI’s, which are issued for each individual Leg. We are in the process of identifying the TSS’s that will impact our route, in the past we have dealt with many of the schemes by making them obstructions or exclusion zones, I envisage we will treat them the same in this edition. We are studying our route at present and will suggest solutions for the schemes that we think will impact the likely course that a Boat may take. We will circulate our suggestions to all teams in the near future for comment, in the mean time it would be wise to treat TSS’s as exclusion zones for training purposes.

Also see: Q&A 19

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May 2014

Question:

We would like to know how the OA will police the use of AIS in NOR 15.14?

Answer:

It is the responsibility of the Boat to ensure the AIS is on and working, we are investigating ways of sealing the AIS to reduce the chance of the unit being turned off.

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May 2014

Questions:

(a) Can teams decide to take whatever spares they deem to be necessary (subject to the decision of the OA on whether they will be sealed or not)? For example can a team take a spare rudder, daggerboard, outrigger, starter motor, alternator, DC pump, running rigging, battens, etc?

(b) How will the OA decide whether something is for ballast purposes or

not and if it is a justifiable spare?

Answers:

(a) Yes. (b) The OA will decide on a case by case basis, large, heavy or items that

would not be used on a regular basis would be sealed in accordance with NOR 9.6.2.

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October 2014

The RC have been receiving many questions both formally and informally in relation to what actions we will protest and not protest in relation to TSS zones. We cannot cover all situations but I hope by the following Q&A we can remove some of the uncertainty surrounding what actions we will take in relation to this issue. Our answers below are not intended as an interpretation of IRPCAS rule 10 but hopefully clarify what actions will or will not result in a protest from the RC.

Skippers should be aware that the harder they push the limits of this rule the greater the risk that the authorities will take an action against them.

Question 1

What actions of a boat are likely to be protested by the Race Committee under RRS 48.2 at IMO adopted TSS zones (TSS)?

Answer 1 The RC will protest when

• a Boat’s actions have resulted in a report from a maritime authority.

• or when from a report from any source it believes that:

• a Boat may have impeded the safe passage of a vessel following a traffic lane;

• a Boat may have sailed in a traffic lane against the general direction of the traffic flow.

Question 2

Will the following actions at IMO adopted TSS zones (TSS) result in a protest by the Race Committee under RRS 48.2?

• Repeatedly tacking or gybing in a traffic lane in the general direction of the traffic flow

• Entering or leaving a traffic lane by either side in the general direction of the traffic flow

• Entering the separation zone

• Answer 2 No.

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October 2014

Q1:Is it correct that emails between the boat and shorebase….@ or xxxx@ (2 of 3 white list email addresses) must be cc'd to [email protected].?

A1: Yes. All emails though a whitelist account must cc

[email protected] both on to and off the Boat.

Q2: Is it correct that only media emails are to be sent off the boat using the [email protected] email address?

A2: No. Any email may be sent through the OBR account. However, the

OBR shall ensure the email is cc’d to [email protected] and using the OBR account shall not impede the work-flow of the OBR.

Q3. In general shall emails (personal and non media) be sent off the boat

using [email protected]

A3. Yes. The email shall also be cc’d to [email protected]

Q4. Emails between the boat and a team media department (the third white list email address) must be cc'd to [email protected].

A4. Yes. “Watch producers” is a new department within Race Control,

whose sole purpose is to receive and re-distribute media content from the boats and coordinate media requests with the OBR’s. The objective of this initiative of this is to relive the workload from the duty officers.

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November 2014

6.1.5 During an In-Port race: All of the Crew Members shall have sailed the

previous Leg or will sail the next Leg of the Race. Any request for replacement or substitution shall be in writing to the RC, the request and the decision will be posted on the Noticeboard.

Q1. Is it permitted for a Crew Member to sail the previous Leg and the In-

Port race, then be replaced by another Crew Member for the subsequent Leg?

A1. Yes. Q2. Is it permitted for a Crew Member that did not sail the previous Leg sail

the In-Port race and the subsequent Leg? A2. Yes. Q3. Is it permitted for a Crew Member who sails the previous Leg and the

subsequent Leg to be replaced for the In-Port race by another Crew Member for that In-Port race?

A3. No.

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November 2014 NOR 6.1.5 states: Notice of Race Q&A Submitted by Team Alvimedica 6.1.5 During an In-Port race: All of the Crew Members shall have sailed the previous Leg or will sail the next Leg of the Race. Any request for replacement or substitution shall be in writing to the RC, the request and the decision will be posted on the Noticeboard. Question 1: Will the Race Committee consider allowing for replacement of a Crew Member for an In-Port Race only? Answer 1: Yes. We request a reconsideration of Notice of Race Q & A 21 based on past precedent set by exemptions on a case-by-case basis due to extenuating circumstances in previous editions of the Volvo Ocean Race. In the previous edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, a sailor was permitted to be replaced by another Crew Member due to childbirth. The sailor returned to their respective team for the successive Leg. OA response: The rules and decisions for previous editions of the Volvo Ocean Race are not applicable in subsequent editions. Question 2: If the answer to Question 1 is “no,” why not? Answer 2: Not Applicable Question 3: If the answer to Question 1 is “no,” does the Race Committee consider the obvious disadvantage a hindrance to the on-board guest experience? Answer 3: Not Applicable Question 4: Does the Race Committee view boats sailing with less than eight (8) persons in an In-Port Race to be safe for operation? Answer 4: The PIC must make the decision whether his boat can be safely operated. The Race Committee has provided rules were it is possible to have 8 crewmembers onboard. It is the skipper’s decision if he races with less than 8 crewmembers. Question 5: If the answer to Question 4 is “yes,” what is the minimum number of Crew Members to be on board for an In-Port Race? Answer 5: Not Applicable

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Question 6: If additional Crew Members are to be allowed on board for the purposes of ensuring guest safety, would any assistance provided by them to the racing crew be considered in violation of Rule 41? Answer 6: Yes, rule 41 would apply whether the additional person was a Crew Member or not. Question 7: Would the answers to these questions be reconsidered due to anticipated wind and weather conditions? Answer 7: No Question 8: Can Chris Higgins, a member of Team Alvimedica Shore Team, already in Cape Town, South Africa, replace Alberto Bolzan for the Cape Town In-Port Race? Answer 8: Yes, provided he fulfils all the NOR requirements of a Crew Member and sails as a Crew Member of the crew for Leg 2.

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June 2014

Q1. If a yacht cross a TSS according to IRPCAS rule 10 at near perpendicular (90 degrees) angle, but during the crossing encounter a wind shift of approximately 50 degrees, making it impossible to keep sailing at 90 degrees through the TSS orientation, will the Race Committee protest it? A1. The race committee will protest when a Boat may have sailed in a traffic lane against the general direction of the traffic flow, see also NOR Q&A 19 Answer 1. Q2. How many degrees off “perpendicular” do you tolerate as crossing a TSS?

(a) Can you be either side of the 90o to the flow when you are crossing A2. See answer A1 Q3. How many degrees (heading) off “paralell do you tolerate when a boat is sailing in the direction of the traffic flowalong a TSS? Example: tacking or gybing along a TSS lane – is this permitted? A3. The Race Committee will not protest if a Boat is repeatedly tacking or gibing in a traffic lane in the general direction of the traffic flow, see also NOR Q&A 19 Answer 2. Q4. The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency in Marine Guidance Note 200 entitled 'Observance of Traffic Separation Schemes' states the following in regards to sailing vessels: "Rule 10(j). Vessels of less than 20 metres in length and sailing vessels shall not impede traffic following a traffic lane and the same obligations as are set out for fishing vessels in paragraph 7 similarly to apply to them. No specific mention is made in the Rule of a sailing vessel having an auxiliary engine, but it is the view of the MCA that if such a vessel cannot follow the routeing procedures under sail because of light or adverse winds, then she should make use of her engines in order to do so." RRS 42.3 Exceptions (i) provides for sailing instructions to permit propulsion in stated circumstances, provided the boat does not gain a significant advantage. Q4.1. Will the Race committee consider writing in an exception for the use of an engine in exceptional circumstances when travelling in or crossing a TSS, provided no significant advantage is gained? A4.1 No. Q4.2. If no, is there a circumstance where, in a TSS, the use of an engine to

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avoid a collision or near collision will not result in a penalty or disqualification from a leg? A 4.2. Answered by the International Jury: No, because using the engine to propel the Boat will break rule 42. However, under NOR 2.18 the penalty may be zero points. Q5 In Q and A 19, the Race Committee clarify when they will not protest a yacht in a traffic lane. Additionally, will the Race Committee protest a yacht within a TSS who repeatedly tacks or gybes in one lane then crosses the other lane as nearly as practicable at right angles to the general direction of traffic flow? A5. The RC will not protest for repeatedly tacking or gibing with the flow. If you then cross the other lane and may have sailed against the flow we will protest.

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June 2014

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