REVIEW of Jean Luc VDH serving his 18hour GGR TIME PENALTY. 2000UTC 6th Jan. 2019

# Jean Luc VDH was allocated an 18hr time penalty on 9th NOV.2018 The course penalty rule in the GGR Notice of Race is as follows.

GGR NOR 2.5.2 Course Penalties....Time penalties allocated to an Entrant will be served in a Penalty Box (TBA in the sailing instructions) On crossing north of 45 degrees North latitude, the Entrant suffering a time penalty must then return south of that latitude (Penalty time starts) and not cross North of it again (within 40 miles of the crossing longitude),until the time penalty has been served. The entrant may then make for the finish line.  

The Penalty Box latitude was subsequently lowered to 20 degrees North on the 21st DEC 2018 for safety reasons, due to the anticipated early arrival of yachts at 45N. To allow for lack of precise positioning by entrants, an agreed START TIME is set close to that latitude. At that START TIME while the entrant is sailing north, that position then becomes the target latitude for the PENALTY BOX and that time/position marks the East West Latitude ( Boundary line) of the PENALTY BOX and the entrant must stay SOUTH of that PENALTY BOX Boundary while serving time

BACKGOUND.

 JL VDH  Penalty START TIME was 0010UTC on the 5th January 2019. 

1. JL VDH turned South on time.

2. In the first two hours he sailed an average course of 130T for 7.34miles (average speed 3.67kts)

3. In the next two hours he sailed fast to use his water generator and sailed an average course of 317T for 9.90 miles ( Average 5.95kts. He did not realize he crossed over North of the line just hours after leaving it)

4. For the next three hours JL VDH sailed an average course of 116T for 5.85 miles (average speed of 1.95kts to meet the Boundary) 

5. JL VDH was North of the line for approx 3.hours. GGR advised JL VDH of his position North of the line as he was close to re-entering the Penalty Box. He did not believe he was North of the line. He thought he was South of the line at all times.

6. The penalty time is only applicable when South of the line. 

7. In a later explanation to JL VDH, he agreed he was North of the line.

8. JL VDH was advised to remain below the line for a total of 18 Hours.

9  JL VDH wanted the 3 hours North of the line to be included in his penalty time and requested a review.

10. JL Departed the PENALTY BOX at 2100UTC 5th January 2019 with the approval of GGR acknowledging the request for review to be addressed in a timely manner.

FINDINGS. 

A. GGR Does not agree that time North of the boundary is part of the penalty time.

B. GGR Agrees that JL VDH made an unintended Navigational error.

C. GGR Notes that JL VDH made the effort to remain in the PENALTY BOX for the required 18 hours South of the line ( Not including the time North of the line)

D. GGR Accepts that JL VDH was approx. 10 minutes short of the 18 hour requirement, but the effort to remain inside the Penalty box is in the Spirit of the GGR.

E. GGR will NOT issue any time CREDIT to JL VDH and determines that JL VDH has fully complied with the GGR Time Penalty of 18 Hrs at 2100hrs on the 5th January 2019.