Sounds like there are a few things going on here. These comments are meant in a general sense, not trying to guess what was going on at the event in question. There are good guidelines but no perfect answers for all situations. And, we are all human.

Most of the time, the PRO either writes the SIs or at least approves them. Not always the case, but very typical. They should always be aware of whether or not there are wind restrictions.

Minimum wind speeds can be a hot topic for sure. To simplify, a quick look at the SIs for the Alter Cup finals in Melbourne, FL this year reveals no minimum wind speed, and as mentioned, sometimes minimum wind restrictions have to be waived due to local conditions. However, lots of us sail with minimum speeds per class rules, standard SIs used by our class, etc. so lots of people go into these things with paradigms.

If a minimum wind speed is to be used, it is extremely helpful to make it at the discretion of the RC and not subject to protest (theoretically, an RC can always abandon or file for redress to have the race tossed). Of course, it is in the PRO’s best interest to have a good running log of the wind, but that can only get you so far. If the wind was light all morning, and just started to pick up right before the scheduled start (but is expected to remain), should the race be postponed?

A PRO is expected to look out for the best interests of everyone sailing, and most of us really try to do this. Whether or not a minimum wind speed is used, look at this situation. If the wind is light, and it is obvious that some of the boats won’t make it to the line, a good PRO might think about an AP, at least once, to make sure everyone can play the game together. This requires knowing what is going on, such as, why couldn’t those boats get back to the line? Was it their fault (late arrivals), or the club’s fault (an issue on the beach preventing everyone from launching)? Was there a long postponement, so boats were sailing around without knowing when the AP might drop? It is very likely that the PRO is working through this, and many of the sailors will be unaware of this.

So, it is sometimes challenging to balance what is perceived to be fair to all vs. favoritism, but my experience is that most sailors who have been around long enough at high-level events recognize good RC and the tools they use to try to have fair races. It’s the same reason you typically don’t hear a lot of screaming at the front of the pack at a Nationals, you expect the other boats to be high-caliber and act accordingly.

Here’s a good example. If there is a straggler off the beach, a good PRO is on the radio with the Beach Captain, finding out why. If there is a scheduled start, and you don’t want people dallying around for the rest of the week, you start the sequence as scheduled. If it’s obvious that the straggler isn’t going to make it, and it was the club’s fault (or you just want to be a nice guy on the first day), you have two immediate options: AP or general recall after the start (of course, you always need to weigh the effect on the entire fleet). This, along with reinforcement on the beach, should get people on the water sooner on each of the remaining days. Putting up the AP instead of starting the sequence sends the wrong (or no) message, typically sailors take that to mean that the RC isn’t ready, so why should they be in a hurry the next day?

Again, not everything will be popular with everyone, but the key is to try to be fair to everyone. This is not always easy to do.

Racing is much easier when there is steady wind, so it should come as no surprise that running races in very light air isn’t a picnic.

Mike Levesque