Hello;

I'm hoping you could answer an odd question that came up today at a race.

As happens in many of our races, the race committee calls out a course before the race. In this case, the course was "twice around, windward-leeward" with the "line is closed". That is nobody is allowed to go thru the start/finish line (which is midway between the leeward and windward mark) on the windward leg or the leeward leg.

The thing is one of the racers hit the pin on start/finish line on the way to the leeward mark and admits to doing so. However, she claims that the pin, the committee boat, and the line between them form one object and as such cannot be a mark as you are free to pass them on any side. Others say not so.

So is it a mark of the course or not?

Sincerely;
Michelle