Rules & Regulations

General

The MLS Racing Rules (MRR) are based on World Sailing's: "Racing Rules of Sailing 2017-2020" (RRS) with some exceptions and amendments stated further below.

The game setting used is "Fleet Race - Complete (Auto)" which enables the in-game (Nadeo) umpire to give penalties to the racing skippers.

Skippers that comes to the pre-start in order to participate in a race, may at any time during a race protest against another boat in the race by writing "P Skipper Name" in the game chat.

Exceptions and Amendments

The game uses an older version of ISAF RRS addressing in-game penalties. This event and the Protest Committee (PC) will use World Sailing's RRS 2017-2020 with some exceptions and amendments due to the fact that the races are run in a simulator.

- No general recall due to false starts.

- Part of the boat is hull and mast only.

- The mark zone is 2 hull lengths.

- All penalties include one tack and one gybe.

- The PC members themselves, as well as their teammates will be racing. (Change of RRS 63.4).

- A boat requesting room to tack according to rule 20 must write "RTT" or "Room to tack" in game chat. The call is valid for all boats that will be affected by the situation. I.e. sailing on the same tack and to windward of the boat making the hail.

- A boat cannot be penalized under rule 14 if it has right of way or is entitled to room when contact occurs.

- If a boat is significantly slowed down, stopped or starts to sail backwards due to a collision with other boat obliged to to keep clear, it must be considered that the boat is physically damaged as described in RRS 62.1b.

- Boats can be exonerated from a penalty if their respective replay show that they have not violated any rule.

- Sails must have adequate transparency. Nadeo skins will not be accepted.

- A boat with lag problems may be excluded from a race.

- The host is allowed to restart any race before 1 min to start.

"Cheating"

Addition to Rule 42:

" A boat must compete using only standard settings of the game. All software and/or hardware tricks and devices that changes the speed and/or maneouvering of the boat are considered and sanctioned as not allowed propulsion devices."

E.g. To  use "AutoHotkey" or other tool to make scripts that enhance the boat's performance, is considered as cheating and therefore a violation of Rule 2.

Cancellation Requests, Manual Protests, Redress Requests

General

A list of all Penalty Cancel Requests, Manual Protests and Redress Requests will be published in the Forum.

Explanations/Manual Protests/Redress Requests submissions, or withdrawal of Manual Protest, must reach the PC before 20:00 CET/CEST the day after the race day,

All valid Explanations, Manual Protests and Redress Requests will be examined by the PC after the races using RRS 2017-202, MLS Rules & Regulations and MLS Sailing Instructions. The PC also has the right to review any other situation in a race where a rule might have been broken, regardless whether a protest is registered or not. If PC starts such a review, all skippers involved will be informed before any actions are taken.

Explanation and Manual Protest are NOT to be made in the same submission.

Since a Penalty Cancel Request actually concerns a penalty, albeit the penalty is given by the Nadeo unpire, the PC will look at the whole situation and may disqualify any boat involved which has broken a rule. A separate protest in the chat should NOT be hailed in these cases.

The PC will use the host's replay as the primary source of information. Sending in a separate replay is optional. Video from "Bandicam" or similar tool may be used to gather more information.

Cancellation Requests

Racing skippers may request cancecllation of a penalty they think is wrong as soon as possible after an incident. (>30 seconds after an incident is considered late).

All cancellation requests MUST be accepted. A boat refusing, not answering or answering late to a cancellation request, regardless whether by intent or by mistake, will be disqualified. That boat should leave the race immediately or it will be kicked by the host. (>20 seconds after a request is considered late).

A boat making a cancellation request MUST submit an "Explanation". If no Explanation is received in due time, the skipper will be disqualified and the PC will probably not examine the situation further.

The penalty giving boat may take a penalty (a.s.a.p.) if that skipper thinks he/she has broken any rule in the situation. In this case, the skipper MUST write "360 done" after talking his/her penalty.

A boat which is given a penalty by the in-game umpire and is unable to take it without disturbing other boats, may postpone it by writing "Post" in the chat. He/she can then ask for cancellation which gives the skipper time to find a proper place to take the penalty. As for all cancellation requests an Explanation must be submitted.

The requesting boat cannot change its mind and complete a penalty turn afterwards.

PC may need to contact parties involved to gather more information for making a correct decision.

Manual Protests

Skippers that comes to the pre-start in order to participate in a race, may at any time during a race protest against another boat in the race by writing "P Skipper Name" in the game chat.

A Manual Protest submission MUST include a Print Screen as evidence of protest.

A boat that has been protested in the chat may give evidence by submitting a reply. The reply must be submitted within 24 hours after the protest is published in the Forum.

If a skipper hailing P Skipper Name, does not submit a protest,or if the protest is not valid, or if the protest is not upheld, i point will be added to his/her score.

Exception 1:

The protested skipper accepts and takes the penalty. That skipper MUST write "360 done" in the chat after he/she has taken the penalty. In this case there  will be no penalty point added if the Protest Form is not sent.

Exception 2:

If a protesting skipper, after reviewing the replay, finds that no rule was broken, the skipper can post in the Forum, that he/she withdraws the protest, and no penalty point will be added.

Redress Requests

If a submission asking for redress is received, or if the PC itself finds that a rule has been broken, a redress may be given in these situations:

- If a Pen Cancel Request is refused, not answered or answered too late.

- If a boat is badly affected by another boat's 'ghost'. I.e. A boat which has already disconnected.

- If a boat's result is affected by another boat breaking Rule 2.

A redress will only affect the score of the compensated skipper and this score may be calculated in different ways using RRS.

Rule 2

At any time during a race, a boat participating in the same race can protest another boat under Rule 2. This change RRS 61.1(a) since the call does not have to be right after the incident.

The PC may at any time protest any boat under Rule 2 if it hears, learns or sees an infringement that may be a violation of Rule 2. PC will then inform the boat a.s.a.p. and the protested boat may give evidence. The evidence shall be submitted within 24 hours after the protest is published in the forum.

RRS:

"... BASIC PRINCIPLES

SPORTSMANSHIP AND THE RULES

Competitors in the sport of sailing are governed by a body of rules that they are expected to follow and enforce. A fundamental principle of sportsmanship is that when competitors break a rule they will promptly take a penalty, which may be to retire.

...

RULE 2

FAIR SAILING

A boat and her owner shall compete in compliance with recognized principles of sportsmanship and fair play. A boat may be penalized under this rule only if it is clearly established that these principles have been violated. The penalty shall be either disqualification or disqualification that is not excludable. ..."

This rule regulates fair, honest and sportive sailing, which can basically be divided into 3 parts:

- You should not deliberately break a rule.

- If you know you have broken a rule (or should have known...) you should voluntarily take a penalty.

- Choose your words carefully when using the chat. Foul language is not accepted. Insults directed at a particular skipper are shown to everybody in the race...

Thus: If you have deliberately broken a rule, not volunteered to take a penalty when you clearly should have, or have abused the race chat, then you may have broken Rule 2.

Protest Decisions

A PC member will NOT take part in cases or decisions involving him-/herself or a team member.

The protest decisions will be published in the Forum when the PC has evaluated all situations.

Individual boats or teams may not request to re-open a case and there are no appeal options.