A novices question. If the leading boat has passed through the finishing line and started a new lap before the shortened course (S) flag is displayed, does a following boat which has not yet passed through the line to complete that lap finish when they do so or do they carry on to complete the same number of laps as the leading boat. Thank you.
See my reply to Calum Polwart below for more clarity
Signalling shortened course at a rounding mark, gate or line after the first boat crosses the indicated finishing line is contrary to RRS 32.2 and is an improper action by the race committee. The only way it could not make the score or place of the leading boat worse is if the leading boat, in a non corrected time race, came back and finished ahead of all other boats. Otherwise the leading boat is entitled to redress in accordance with RRS 61.4(b)(1).
If the race committee realises its mistake it should request redress for that boat, otherwise the boat, or any other boat may request redress.
Redress given could be to adjust the score or finishing time of the boat in accordance with RRS 61.4(c). The protest committee could simply ask the next boat behind 'how far in front of you was X?'
My take is:
The poster is likely asking about a race where competitors pass through a gate each lap, which is likely to also form the start line and the finish line. This would be normal for average lap handicap racing. The poster has incorrectly stated that the leading boat crossed the finishing line, when I suspect they meant they had crossed the gate because as you say the finish is only the finish when it has been designated as the finish.
The correct response to the poster is to say they need to tell us what the SIs (and or notice of race) have to say about:
Depending on the content of that you will know more. I am expecting they competitors don't need to sail the same number of laps but that results reflect that. i.e. the places would be:
🥇ILCA 123 - does 4 laps and crossed first
🥈ILCA 678 - does 4 laps crossed third
🥉ILCA 999 - does 3 laps and crossed second
🏅 ILCA 567 - does 3 laps and crossed fourth
If you are using handicap the same should apply after the calculation
How many laps was the race originally? How many laps did each boat sail? Where did the RC score each boat, and in what order did they cross through the gate and stop sailing the race? I think we need lots more info other than just when the flag was raised.
If the RC is doing their job correctly, there should be little or no confusion as to when and where the race would be finished following an S-flag signal; but it sounds like there was lots of confusion. Here are a couple of scenarios that RC might have wanted:
1) all boats are on the same lap of the course (though they might be on different legs). No one has "lapped" another boat. The RC might have realized after the first boat crossed that they needed to shorten course in order to finish the race at all (time limit, weather, traffic, etc.), or they fumbled with the flag or something. They incorrectly shortened course, but expected to simply apply for the first boat to receive redress... no harm no foul. They out to communicate such to the first boat of course.
2) all boats are on the same lap of the course (though they might be on different legs). No one has "lapped" another boat. The RC might have missed the first boat(s) to cross and believe they are doing the right thing. This can likely be easily straightened out, but not without a redress hearing. NOTE: in a timed (handicapped) race, RC best practices might be to take times through the gate every loop even if it's not the finish, just in case something like this happens.
3) all boats are on the same lap of the course (though they might be on different legs). No one has "lapped" another boat. The RC might have simply put the flag up a few minutes earlier than they should have... This one could be tricky unless everyone sails the remaining lap of the course and finishes after sailing the course. Anyone believing they had finished should be eligible to request redress. For example if Charlie is in third and stops racing after crossing the line, and several other boats keep racing, and finish after the next lap, then Charlie might have a good case for redress, as the improper action of the RC indicated he could finish.
4) boats are NOT on the same lap of the course. One or more boats has been "lapped" by the leaders. This could be tricky even if the RC raises the S flag properly, right before the first boat. Because the boat right behind them might need to sail another lap to sail the course, they should not "finish" right then, but some communication may be required to avoid a mis-scoring. If Zulu, in last is right behind Alpha, who wins the shortened race, Zulu needs to sail another lap before finishing. However, the RC are required to write down Zulu's finish as second, and if Zulu does not continue to race, nor indicate she has not sailed the course, then she should be scored second, and I believe a protest would be required to alter her score.
You are in the UK. It would be very normal here to be using PY based handicap racing with average lap times. Or potentially a club fleet race with a similar approach. For the RO this does mean they need to know how many laps have been completed by each sailor - hence the need to sail through the gate (aka start/finish line)
Best practice is usually to aim for all boats of a type (e.g. the ILCA) to do same number of laps. Sending the one really good ILCA sailor for an extra lap and stopping the others leads to a risk of requests for redress if the wind changes.
On the other hand, if one ILCA capsized 10 times on lap 1, and is now a lap behind - in average lap racing you don't make them do the extra - they won't make the time up and will just hold everyone else up. In "purist" racing (where people would never allow you to call a gate a start/finish line for instance, you just end up with that ILCA not getting a finish position (because the SIs will say when he needs to have finished), being frustrated and going home and not racing again.
A couple of people asked how many laps were posted. Increasingly in UK club racing there is no specified number of laps. So you keep lapping until the S flag is displayed. The race is always ended by shortening rather than reaching a natural finish point. It means the amateur race officer doing a duty once a year doesn't need to know if 4 laps or 6 laps will get the desired target time. Send them round infinite times and hoist S at an appropriate gap in the fleet after the target time is reached.