Your feedback

Should race officers be able to go back on decisions? Unfortunately the rule in question was from the Racing Rules of Sailing, not a local rule, therefore must apply. I guess that the committee initially chose to exclude the OCS because common sense would suggest this, unfortunately common sense doesn't apply with the current version of the rules. If you know without question that you should not have been black-flagged, it would require a lot of confidence in the system not to go for the subsequent start.

I have sailed in a number of open meetings this year and there seems to be a general lack of confidence or understanding of the new rules by race committees, particularly with regard to starting sequences and the tie break countback system. I would be interested to know from other sailors, whether a five minute warning is long enough on sea courses, we raced at Pevensey the other week, and although not far from the line at the end of a postponement, were hard pushed to get to the favoured end of the line in five minutes.

From Hazel Carr
Jordan - the wrong image for Helena`s team?Jordan, alright she's a well-known female, but she is hardly a good representative of girls making an impression on a male-oriented sport! It rather makes a joke of the whole Alphagraphics campaign. The crew are hard-working sailors with talent, dedication and determination. Jordan is purely an image, pneumatically inflated and has got where she is through cosmetic surgery. I suppose the only good thing about it is that she has attracted media attention, but probably not the sort of media attention that the girls wanted. That's what happens when you live in a man's world! Surely there is a more appropriate female that has achieved more for females in general who could have been used instead? Not a well thought-out marketing strategy.

From Amelia Reed
Jordan - the wrong image for Helena`s team? I think that it is a great idea. Jordan exudes a fun image. Anything that gets sailing into the tabloids is the right step forward.

From Charlotte Reed, London
Jordan - the wrong image for Helena`s team? I think this is a great publicity image for womens' sailing...what better champion for this tough all girl crew than the Amazonian Jordan! A publicity event like this should be fun.

From Dennis
Jordan - the wrong image for Helena`s team? SEX!....Now that I have your attention, I would like to point out that even bad publicity can be good for the sponsors. This media event got plenty of press out onto the docks, and that got the sponsor's name all over the papers, magazines, and television. This could be the best press they'll get as limiting the team to only women and sailing a ten-year-old boat, they are not likely to place well. The wrong image for Helena's team? So? What's your point?

From James Parsons
Jordan - the wrong image for Helena`s team? What an appalling misjudgement to have Jordan, of all people, promoting this distinguished team. It sends out entirely the wrong message. What possessed the sponsor? I suppose it would be too much to ask sailing-oriented publications not to use any of this. I hope they resist the urge for cheap and tacky publicity.

From Adam Chappell
Jordan - the wrong image for Helena`s team? I am a journalist with an international sports broadcaster, and recently covered Bruno Peyron's "The Race" from the Paris HQ. I think Jordan was an excellent choice for the promotion of this all-girl crew. Professional sailing may now be financially lucrative and a huge marketing avenue for the sponsor, but it remains burdened with that misnomer as a "minor sport". Someone like Jordan can break down the cultural and social barriers blocking sailing from too many potential fans of what is often, after all, a bold and sexy sport.

From Nick Gibbons
Should race officers be able to go back on decisions? Not really a question more a point to note. Something I learned while in Kiel week this year during a protest. I went in to a protest (port, starboard) and won it. We had missed three races due to the "serious damage" caused so also asked for redress. This was given for all three races as average points. However not being used to the way this end worked I did not note down the rule in which they were going to use to give us our redress.

We ended up with average points including our discard, when we could have had average points without the discard. Had I had more time in Kiel I could have changed this but as we had a train to catch this was not possible. This mistake cost us nine points and three places. So when claiming redress make sure you know the rules, the method they will use to give you the points.