The recent St. Barthelemy to Anguilla race, where the majority of boats were scored as DNF, has led to the proposal of two new scoring abbreviations and a review of Cases 82 and 145 for potential amendments. Potentially further delaying the release of the Case Book.

 

The St. Barthelemy to Anguilla race starts in Gustavia and concludes in Anguilla on the last weekend of March. The race committee assumed that boats would pass north of St. Martin (the French side of the island) and approach the finish line from the east, crafting sailing instructions based on this expectation under the new 2025-2028 definition of finish. The only designated course marker was Île Fourchue, a small island northwest of St. Barthelemy, which competitors were required to leave to starboard.

An unusual wind direction and forecasted stronger winds on the Dutch side of St. Maarten, however, encouraged some navigators to choose a southern route around St. Maarten (the Dutch side) instead. Boats taking this southern route finished over an hour ahead of those who sailed north around St. Martin (the French side). Further complicating matters, the race committee enforced a finishing window time limit. Consequently, most boats were scored as DNF for either crossing the finish line in the wrong direction, or finishing outside the time limit, resulting in considerable confusion and hours of clarifications responding to scoring inquiries by the race committee.

 

To address these challenges, the organizing authority has proposed two new scoring codes:

 

Mark Townsend, 1-April-2025.