Bullshit Moves, Question of the Week 4/25/07 Options

[Editor]

From the front page....


Question of the Week

Bullshit Moves

I've always been a guy who does not like bullshit moves, either on the race course, in the protest room or anywhere else around this sport. I like to sail clean, avoid trouble and almost never start it, unless it is completely necessary.

While racing our Flying Tiger last weekend, we were rounding the only leeward mark in the 9 mile SDYC Opening Day Race. It was a pursuit start and we had passed all the boats except a J/105 that rounded directly in front of us. We stuck our bow up a bit after we rounded to try get a bit of a lane, but like almost any situation like that, there is really no opportunity to do much. But instead of just sailing away, or even in a slight pinch mode, the 105 stuck it up, parking them and us. I looked to leeward and instead of the helmsman steering a tiller boat the way you are supposed to, he was standing up, tiller in the air and just looking at us as he luffed us. So lame. I yelled something like "How about you just sail your boat and not fixate on us", but it had zero effect.

It was stupid, and in my mind, while not particularly egregious, a classic example of a bullshit move. He slowed to a crawl with one goal only - fuck us. We couldn't have gone over him, and had he had the boat in normal upwind mode, would have sailed away and then could have pinched us off later if he wanted. But no, he pulls this move right after the mark, forced us to tack and it pissed me off.

So the question of the week is, can you tell us about a bullshit move that has been pulled on you? Or maybe you've pulled one on someone else? Bring it! Oh yeah, and have fun.


04/25/07

[Pete M]

shoot Ed, that's the prob with pursuit races - gotta get thru the back markers - stay way wide.

Not too much of that happens in the front of the fleet, where everybody is supposed to know how the game is played

[Ringmaster]

One Wednesday night we were only 50 yards from the finish sailing on port with a J24 to leward and slightly ahead. We were both going to make the line. We owed the J24 time so he had it made. The putz tacks forcing us to tack. A true bullshit move. BTW, this is a guy who never seems to bring his motor and never has lights after dark. (no battery)

[moorphined]

Here's the obvious one for you, over early in a fleet I usually do pretty decent in. On the way through the fleet on the first of many legs. One particular boat gets excited to be in front of me. Mind you we're in about 15th out of 30 so nothing to write home about. Boat starts tacking on me in tight cover to the point that we are both doing down speed tacks and not going in the right direction as the front of the fleet starts to stretch. This stuff used to drive me crazy. Now I just write it off as back of the pack syndrome and try not to have bad starts.

[Frumious Banders...]

It is a bush league move, but you had to tack away anyhow so tack and bail out. Forget about 'em.

[WhereTodaySkip?]

Port to port in sight of the finish. Ahead of us is a vastly earlier starting T-10 who is third in his fleet at that time. A much bigger, much faster vessel is rolling up on his hip. Looks like the fast boat will roll him to winward but close and quick. The T-10 takes him up...and up...and up. Big boat eventually dives down without having lost fleet position (2nd.). T-10 went from third to seventh. In the bar afterward I'm flirting with a young lady and it turns out she races on a different T-10. I inquire as to the mind set that would make that choice. All she says is "Never try to roll a T-10." She said that repeatedly. Go figure.

[Frumious Banders...]

The other BS move is when you dive down and the prick dives down too, illegal but they don't realize it is illegal and block you anyway. Time to take 'em to the ROOM. It sucks but thats the only way some jerks learn the rules.

[FastHolder20]

Watching a local cut in line at the hoist. I guess getting to the bar in time to see Matt Lock is more important than not being a d!ck to some out of town boats that have mega drives in front of them. Welcome to our yacht club. Please come back again..................

Fast

[russell_miller]

truth be told gouv,

fleet rules are written based on avoidance. using the rules as a weapon is called either match or team racing. hacks that do this type of stuff are breaking the rules in a fleet race.

thats why match racing and team racing is great, everybody understands that its just part of the game. There is a gentleman's agreement to not be gentlemen. Whereas with fleet racing its a gentleman's agreement to be gentlemen.

[SparxFly]

I think there is a big diference between stupid moves (like the T-10 stuffing it) and bullshit moves, (like the guy who can't execute a gybe after trying to be cute and drapes his spinnaker over a competitor then doesn't do his turns - I hope you followed through on your protest!)

As for Ed's situation, I gotta agree with Gouvernail that his move was legitimate, even if it standing up and focusing on your boat was obnoxious. You've got a lighter (and hopefully faster) boat, so tack away and school him that way.

I know... you were worried about the bigger faster boats trying to track you down, but don't sink to his level.

Sparx

[bad sandwhich]

DUH! its a sport.

End of story.

Grow up.

BS

[LeftSA]

Isn't the big factor here the difference between the two boats:

E.g.1. A faster boat in a different class. You steer your fastest course without trying to fuck them up, but don't give way just cos they're bigger.

E.g.2. One of the leaders in your fleet, that you're nowhere near on the results page, trying to lap you. Ditto above.

E.g.3. Same guy as in 2, but you're on the same lap. Game on - If you beat this guy it's a result for you.

E.g.4. Anyone in the same fleet, near you on the leaderboard. Game on, balls out, all guns blazing.

[eastcoastdude]

bullshit thread. get a life. tack and sail right past. i thought you said it was a pursuit race. you are faster. it is your job to overtake him not his job to let you through.

to the guy who reckons that he has a right to his Championship result going into the last race. no way. you have to earn it. it is called fleet racing and you have to sail the fleet dickheads and all. if you were any good you would have been well ahead and would not have had the problem that you had to deal with. so you are not so good and have to fight for it. life sucks.

[dogwatch]

It is the final race of a seven race series

So you are saying he is not entitled to attempt to beat you in the final race because you are in contention for a podium position overall and he isn't? I call "bullshit".

[us7070]

I think you are all complaining too much.

If the move is illegal, protest - if not, live with it. There's always another race.

There's way to much whining in this sport.

[sherpa]

One year at Key West I was crewing for a pro known for his aggressiveness. On the last day, we approached the weather mark with the 2 leaders of another class. The pro chose to go a little wide and let the guys in since stuffing them served no purpose and these guys were in a battle.

I have always remembered that consideration.

The antithesis of a bullshit move.

[waterboy]

Oh come on ED.

Sould the guy just let you sail by? If it's a pursuit race and he was the only boat in front of you- Man I would have camped on you the rest of the race. Why would he just let you go? It is a race for criminy sake, maybe he should just go home any time you get close. Better yet why doesn't everyone just let you sail on the course by yourself so you can get first in a fleet of one.

[Lazy Guy]

Too quote the great Randle Patrick McMurphy


"Play the game, Hard On."

[BaDaBing!]

I think you are all complaining too much.

If the move is illegal, protest - if not, live with it. There's always another race.

There's way to much whining in this sport.

Hear hear (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[lofty]

Whiner.

[dogwatch]

shoot Ed, that's the prob with pursuit races - gotta get thru the back markers - stay way wide. Not too much of that happens in the front of the fleet, where everybody is supposed to know how the game is played

Except that if you read Ed's account, he is attempting to pass the leading boat at this point.

[maggie40738]

Ed - "But no, he pulls this move right after the mark, forced us to tack"

If he thinks the left is favored forcing you to tack seems like a pretty smart move to me.

The only BS move is Ed using the power of SA to whine about a getting schooled.

[gasmandew]

Ancient History.. but has stuck in my craw ever since......

spring Series race - Galveston bay in the 80's. We were racing PHRF on an S-2 7.9 and their were some J-24's that rated the same (168). We were leading the series and one guy (nickname: fuzz nuts because his head look like a scrotum - we think he was an early tester of rogaine) in his J-24 was within a point or two of us. It is the last race and conditions are bumpy with about 18 knots of breeze. We are in the lead by 20 boat lengths over fuzz nuts and its the last downwind run to the finish and a bullet and the spring series championship for our class. We vaguely hear some yelling coming from fuzz nuts J-24 but pay him no attention because beers are being passed up from the companionway. For those of you who have not sailed an S-2 7.9 dead downwind in rolling bumpy conditions, the daggerboard needs to stay all the way down or close to it because the boat rolls like crazy and in this instace, it was causing our spinnaker pole to slip down the guy and away from the clew every time we rolled. No real advantage to flying the kite with the pole tip off the clew. No intention of doing so. Conditions were such that when the boat rolled, the pole came off the clew....... Fuzznuts protested that we were intentionally flying the kite with the clew off the pole... race committee bought his bullshit.... he wins the race and the series.........
Have detested the man ever since.

[sylkill]

It was several years ago... but still fresh in my mind !

Start of coastal race, south brittany, France. We are on a Sprint 108 - good weather - good mood. Chance is with us - we are well located on the line, going full speed, and we cross the line in 1st rank at 10 knts. All the race goes smooth (hard sail, but still 1st ahead of several much bigger boats) and we cross the finish line in 1st position, winning all classes.
But... umpires were waiting for us : one skipper protested against us for "dangerous start" : he was resting on the starting line with no speed at all, and has been very frightened by the boats going fast and very close to his poor nut, and the only numbers he got was ours. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

Conclusion : 50% penalty on final rank for us - and funniest thing : this guy was the only other representative of our sailing club !!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[Turkey Slapper]

Tough fucking Titty ED!

He got on your nerves with a legit move and put you off your race? Good on him, he wins this episode.

Next time duck him or do a couple of quick tacks and "Buffalo Girl" him, and kick his Ass.

Quit Bitching, Bitch!