US Sailing’s Prescription to RRS 70.5(a) requires its approval if the right of appeal is to be denied in cases where “it is essential to determine promptly the result of a race that will qualify a boat to compete in a later stage of an event or a subsequent event…”
These procedures outline the process by which US Sailing’s permission may be granted and the requirements with which an organizing authority and protest committee must comply once permission has been granted to balance the need for certainty of results in an event with the desirability of retaining the right to appeal to the greatest practical extent.
To read the guidance document, please click the red button below:
No-Appeal Procedures and Guidance
APPICATION FOR NO-APPEAL EVENT STATUS
Please note that this process is not for use at Protected Competitions or Selection Competitions as defined in US Sailing Regulation 12. For those events, the Expedited Appeal procedure applies.
Please feel free to email the Race Administration Director or call 401-342-7948 if you have any questions.
No-Appeal Approved Events
The following events have been granted permission by US Sailing to deny the right of appeal under rule 70.5(a):
USODA Nat'l Championship & Girls Nat'l Championship Qualifying Series - July 22-30, 2024
Event: USODA Nat'l & Girls Nat'l Championship Qualifying Series
Date: July 22-30, 2024
Venue: Sandusky Sailing Club, Sandusky, OH
US Sailing contact: Mark Townsend, IJ, IRO, IU
Junior Sabot Championship Qualifying Series and Fleet Selection Series - July 29-30, 2024
Event: Junior Sabot National Championship Qualifying Series and Fleet Selection Series
Date: July 29, 2024
Venue: San Diego Yacht Club, San Diego, CA
US Sailing contact: Mark Townsend, IJ, IRO, IU
Thistle North American Championship Qualifying Series - August 5, 2024
Event: Thistle North American Championship Qualifying Series
Date: August 5, 2024
Venue: Toms River Yacht Club, Toms River, NJ
US Sailing contact: TBA
Lido 14 National Championship Qualifying Series - August 9, 2024
Event: Lido 14 National Championship Qualifying Series
Date: August 9, 2024
Venue: Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Long Beach, CA
US Sailing contact: Bruce Martinson, IJ
Optimist Midwinter Championship - November 27-30, 2024
Event: Optimist Midwinter Championship
Date: November 27-30, 2024
Venue: Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA
US Sailing contact: Jim Capron, IJ
The following events have been granted permission by US Sailing to deny the right of appeal under rule 70.5(b):
Triple Crown Series 2024 - June-August, 2024
Event: Triple Crown Series 2024 - June-August, 2024
Dates and Venues:
Oakcliff SC: June 14-16; August 16-18
LI Maritime Museum: July 3-6; July 24-27
Seawanhaka Corinthian YC: August 28-31
US Sailing contact: Bruce Cook, IJ, IU
Blanket Permission Events Under Rule 70.5
All events hosted by, and limited to members of, the Inter-Scholastic Sailing Association (ISSA) & Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) are granted blanket permission to deny the right of appeal and a waiver of the requirements concerning composition of protest committees, provided that the denial of appeal is stated in the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions and is clearly posted on the official notice board.
Additionally, Area-qualifying events for US Sailing Championships are granted blanket permission to deny the right of appeal under rule 70.5(a) and a waiver of the requirements concerning composition of protest committees as required by US Sailing’s No-Appeal process, provided that: 1) the denial of appeal is stated in the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions, 2) the Area Re-Opening Procedure requirements are met, and 3) the requirements for appointment of race officials in US Sailing Regulation 10 are met. However, a decision resulting from a hearing under rule 69.2 may be appealed.
Procedure for Reopening a Hearing at a “No Appeal” Area Qualifier
The following language must be in the Sailing Instructions and Notice of Race of all qualifiers for US Sailing Championships. This will apply to all protests and requests for redress involving those sailors moving on, not just those sailing for the finals because any party can be party to a protest. (In other words, a sailor who is not sailing for the championship qualifier protesting against someone who is because it could change the results.)
PROTEST AND APPEALS
- Under rule 70.5(a), there shall be no appeal of the decision of a protest or request for redress. However, a decision following a hearing under rule 69.1(a) may be appealed.
- Email and phone contact information for the helm of each boat entered and for the chairmen of the Protest Committee and the Race Committee shall be posted on the official notice board or maintained by the organizing authority at all times during the event.
- Rule 65.2 is changed as follows:
- 65.2 A party to the hearing is entitled to receive the above information in writing, provided she asks for it in writing and hand-delivers her request to a member of the protest committee no later than the protest time limit on the last day of racing or one hour after being informed of the decision, whichever is later. The committee shall then, within two hours, hand-deliver the information to the party, including when relevant, a diagram of the incident prepared or endorsed by the committee.
REOPENING A HEARING – Rule 66 is Changed
- 66.1 The protest committee may reopen a hearing when it decides that it may have made a significant error, or when significant new evidence becomes available within a reasonable time. A party to the hearing may ask for a reopening no later than 24 hours after being informed of the decision. When a hearing is reopened, a majority of the members of the protest committee shall, if possible, be members of the original protest committee.
- 66.2 Area Qualifier Reopening
- 66.2(a) A party to a hearing of a protest or request for redress may request an Area Qualifier Reopening. The request shall be in writing and include the significant error that the party believes the protest committee made or the nature of the significant new evidence that is available. The request shall be made no later than 24 hours after the hearing or 24 hours after the protest time limit on the last day of racing, whichever is later. The request, along with copies of the original protest or request for redress, the facts found, the decision of the protest committee, any new evidence that cannot be presented verbally, and email and phone contact information for all parties to the hearing as well as the chairman of the protest committee, shall be sent by e‐mail to US Sailing Adult Programs Director Betsy Alison (for adult championship qualifiers), or Youth Competition Manager John Pearce (for youth championship qualifiers) and the US Sailing Championships Chair Shannon Bush. The hearing shall be reopened when the foregoing information is received by the Director and Chair.
- 66.2(b) The protest committee for an Area Qualifier Reopening shall consist of the chairman of the original protest committee plus four certified judges appointed by US Sailing. A majority of the committee’s members shall be National or International Judges. US Sailing will appoint its chairman.
- 66.2(c) An Area Qualifier Reopening will be conducted by teleconference. The time and date for the teleconference shall be established by the chairman as soon as practicably possible and no later than seven days after the request for reopening is emailed. The chairman will email to the parties to the hearing the request for reopening, the facts found, the decision of the protest committee, the time and date of the hearing, the process for joining the call and any other relevant documents.
