Post-Race Penalties

In 2017, NSC & BYC introduced Post-Race Penalties (PRPs), as explained in Sailing Instruction 16.2. PRPs give competitors another option to the two-turns penalty, to accept a penalty for an infraction of a rule of Part 2 of the Racing Rules of Sailing, or rule 31.

A boat that decides that they may have broken a rule of Part 2 or rule 31 accepts a Post-Race Penalty by advising the protest coordinators. If such a penalty is taken prior to the end of the protest time limit (midnight, the day after the race concerned), then the PRP is a 20% Scoring Penalty, per SI 16.2(a). The skipper of the boat accepting the PRP shall email the Protest Coordinator(s) (protests at nsc.ca and/or protests at byc.ca) a statement that he/she accepts the penalty and that identifies the race number and where and when the incident occurred. Below is a template that could be used.

Message to accept a 20% Post-Race Penalty:

As skipper of Boat A, sail #123, I wish to take a 20% post-race penalty for an incident in the PHRF/JAM/One-Design/etc. race on [date], for an incident involving Boat B, sail #456, helmed by Jane Doe. The incident occurred [on the nth leg/at the windward mark the second time around/etc.] and I believe I failed to [keep clear/provide room/avoid contact/etc.] as required by rule X.

John Q, Skipper of Boat A
613-123-4567

If Boat A has an e-mail address for Boat B, it would be courteous to copy Boat B on the above submission.

The protest coordinator will, as soon as possible, acknowledge receipt of the message, and cc the other boat involved in the incident. Below is a template that could be used.

Message to acknowledge receipt of a Post-Race Penalty acceptance:

I am confirming receipt of your e-mail. By cc, I am advising Boat B of your decision. In a separate message, I will ask the appropriate scorer to make the appropriate scoring change. Scoring changes may not be reflected until the results are uploaded next week.

Thank you.

John Doe
NSC/BYC Protest Coordinator

If a boat does not accept a PRP by the end of the protest time limit, she may still do so, but the penalty becomes a 30% Scoring Penalty, per SI 16.2(b). If the boat is protested for the incident, upon notification of the protest lodged against them, the boat will be given the opportunity to take a 30% PRP, but they must do so within 24 hours of being notified of the protest. Otherwise, a protest hearing will be convened.

If no protest is lodged against a boat, there is no time limit for taking a 30% PRP.

Protest Coordinators:

When notifying the appropriate scorer, it is important to advise them whether the boat should be assigned a 20% PRP per SI 16.2(a), or a 30% PRP per SI 16.2(b).

Return to the Protest Procedures page.

Elizabeth Pattey & Hugh Morrin, 2022 Protest Coordinators.

Page updated: 2022-08-06.