NOYC SAILOR GRANTED REDRESS & DECLARED WINNER OF ONE DESIGN REGATTA

NOYC sailor Anthony Hudson is declared winner in the laser class of the Commodore Juby Wynne Memorial One Design Regatta at Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans. The regatta was held May 26 and 27, 2001 in the waters of Lake Pontchartrain.

We originally reported that Anthony had won second place in the regatta based on the unofficial results posted on the last day of the regatta. Soon after seeing the results, Anthony filed a request for redress with the SYC protest committee against SYC race committee. On Wednesday night, June 13, Anthony was summoned to SYC by protest committee chairman for a hearing.

According to the sailing instructions all classes were to sail a total of five races only over the course of the two day event. Anthony collected four bullets on Saturday and, believing that only one race remained on Sunday, elected not to sail the second day of the regatta. Anthony calculated that no other sailor had scored finishes low enough to beat him overall for the regatta. The race committee committed a blatant error by starting a sixth race and scoring the finishes! Even if a majority of sailors agree to on the water changes, NO ORAL COMMUNICATION SUPERCEDES THAT WHICH IS WRITTEN IN THE SAILING INSTUCTIONS!

In his petition for redress, Anthony asked the committee to discard the results of the sixth race and reinstate him to first place in the regatta. Under the racing rules this was a clear cut case for victory for Anthony because sailors are entitled to rely on the sailing instructions alone for all pertinent information about the regatta unless those instructions are officially changed. No official change was made during the Juby Wynne regatta.

Following the hearing and deliberation, the protest committee, ruled in favor of Anthony and against SYC race committee for this major error. His request for redress had been granted. Anthony was given a revised copy of the regatta results, but has not received his trophy or a copy of the facts found.

Congratulations to Anthony Hudson for a regatta well sailed and to the SYC protest committee for administering a fair and just hearing.

----NOYC.org