Bearing away..........

[Jeff Brewster 59s]

I have often wondered why drivers rarely get called for bearing away???
Sure it's nice to keep the rev's up and slide out a little on the last pin but every lap???
I had the misfortune of being a spectator yesterday and watched one certain heat in amazement.
What do you guys think? Do you watch for this when you are a turn judge or refereeing?
This is a good thread for the winter duldrums but I couldn't wait.
By the way, being a spectator stinks!

[Andrew 4CE]

My experiance is nothing ever gets called. People are out there to enjoy the view it seems. I can't remember the last race I was at where someone was DQ'd.

Several years ago was the best race I ever work at, it was a TRORA race and either your Dad or maybe Jeff Williams was the ref. After every single heat they ran he asked every turn "Was the racing clean?" This made you respond (and was also a radio check)... you couldn't just say "Yes" because then you be lying instead of just ignoring what you saw like most people do. it made you think and respond. If nothing else it made you watch for infractions.

I take turn judging seriously and I can't stand it when I see people just sun tanning, taking pics, sleeping, etc... in the turn boat. But what do you... numbers of workers are so low at races you have to work with what you get.

So all Ref's should ask "Was the racing clean Turn1?"... "Was the racing clean turn2?" You should be doing radio checks anyway... so this kills the two birds with one stone.

But to your question... if there is an overlap, they should be called for repeatedly and obviously pushing the guy out. Drifting on the last bouy... if following an establish arc sounds ok to me.

I have often wondered why drivers rarely get called for bearing away???
Sure it's nice to keep the rev's up and slide out a little on the last pin but every lap???
I had the misfortune of being a spectator yesterday and watched one certain heat in amazement.
What do you guys think? Do you watch for this when you are a turn judge or refereeing?
This is a good thread for the winter duldrums but I couldn't wait.
By the way, being a spectator stinks!

[B Walker]

Good question.....

I have asked this of a couple of Referees and been consistantly told the only time they might consider calling it is if someone "pushed" another driver into a hazardous situation. Like a bridge pier, dock, another driver, or off the course.

Rubbin' is racin', right?

Personally, I think the rule should either be enforced (unlikely), or re-written to reflect the actual way it is implemented.

I can only think of one time I ever saw it called. It was at Lochaven, PA in 25SSR back when we raced under the bridge. Someone tried to push another driver into the bridge pier coming out of the second turn.

Sounds like a good topic to bring up during the "dead time". After the Nats, but before the National Meeting.

Cheers,
BW

[pops67g]

Rule 17, page xx, 2008 rulebook

"A boat shall not bear out of her course so as to hinder another in passing to starboard or port." This means to purposely cut in front of someone to block them. Letting the boat float wide out of the turn with no one there cannot be called bearing away.

[14-H]

Tough call

I watch for it not only when I am in the Patrol Boat but also when I serve in a capacity of Race Official such as the inspector, as I did yesterday.

Jeff: I believe I know what you are referring to as happening yesterday.

The problem with the bearing away rule is that it is not as specific as the "overtaking" rule. It is sometimes very difficult to determine if driver has caused the boat to "bear out of her course" as opposed to just continuing on an already-determined one.

I do not limit my calling to putting another boat in peril. It is the "hindering in passing" that should be the basis of the call.

Bottom line: it is a difficult judgment call and the penalty is rather harsh. This does not mean that the call should not be made: it should.

The one I saw yesterday was just too close to call and I was not confident that any "hindrance" actually occurred. Ed.

[Steve Warnock]

You Make the Call - Bearing Away

Lap 2 turn 2, outside boat has established an overlap, helmet to motor then helmet to helmet. Inside boat moves from lane 3 to lane 8 (drifting/sliding), outside boat still has an overlap once both have straightened course/path.

You make the call

Race Director, turn judge and Ref came to the same conclusion!

Lesson learned here tho, make sure there is crisp communication to the DQ'd driver when this happens. Announcers may not be the best choice here, but radio to inspection might work best.

Happened this year.

Warbs

[reed28n]

Bearing away, lane changing and chopping

I think the biggest issue is our viewing angle for these calls. We all think we have been infracted upon and we all think we didn't infract the driver behind us or beside us. We all think we are maintain a straight lane in the chute.

We are all cheaters! The calls that are made are usually the more serious offenses.

Until we come up with a concensus of a better way to write the rule our energy is best spent enforcing what we have. And that takes consistency with inconsistent conditions and variable judges and opinions.

I would support the creation of a training video that all racers would be able to view to enhance their education of the existing rules. With todays internet it could be hosted on a number of sites like this one or APBA.

[forshey99]

just for discussion's sake....

What constitutes the "hinder" verbage of the rule? If an overlap is established and the inside boat alters his/her course to starboard in a manner which does not cause the outside boat to either crash or collide with an obstruction(pier,dock,etc), has the outside boat been "hindered". In order for the inside boat to affect the outside boat, both boats must take roughly the same course and as such they are traveling roughly the same distance. At least this is the case with the slide move most every one uses.

An abrupt turn to starboard directly into the path of the overtaking boat would be an entirely different story.


Nate

[14-H]

Hinder

From Webster's:

transitive verb
1 : to make slow or difficult the progress of : hamper
2 : to hold back : check
intransitive verb
: to delay, impede, or prevent action

hinder stresses causing harmful or annoying delay or interference with progress

block implies complete obstruction to passage or progress

[Brian10s]

Point of view

Bearing away is probably the hardest call to make mostly because of where our officials view the "infraction". It usually happens as the boats exit the turn, so that turn judges not only has a view of the boats going away from them but must also keeping an eye on the boats behind the lead boats looking for dumps, chops, etc. The other turn boat might have a better view of it but now distance comes into play (ie was the overtaking boat beside him as they exited the turn or catch him down the stretch? Was that both boats normal arc or did the inside boat "slide out"?). Coming out of turn 2, at least the Judges Stand has a better view and could make the call.

Mostly, it comes down to degree's. Is it one or two lanes or did the inside boat take him to the bank (20 lanes)? One is easy to call, while the other is much more difficult.

Like almost all of our "On the water" rules, a case could be made to throw out everybody, from lane changing in the chute, to a chop or bearing away. Everything is from "your point of view" and judgement. The practical answer comes down to safety, the rule, the degree and what is in the best interest of the event, sport and the drivers. If a Referee used his "judgement" poorly, ever boat on the water would be DQed for something during a heat.

[Jack Stotts]

Bearing Away

Most comments on this subject have mentioned that the rule says "A boat shall not bear out of her course so as to hinder another in passing to stardoard or port" (General Racing Rule 17, pg XX). The big issue is defining "her course". Some drivers tend to slide out as they exit the turn and that is "her course". Now if a deliberate turn is made, the offense is obvious but simply not going exactly where the approaching driver thinks the other boat should track is not a rule violation. The lead boat has the right to follow it's course and that's where it gets tough to call. I don't have a solution, but just because a driver thinks the boat ahead of him should prcecisely follow the buoy line the boat in front does not have to. It follows it's course. I know some will not agree with my thoughts but this is how I have applied the rule. If someone could write something better, then give it a try.

[Brian10s]

Jack makes a good point.

Here is another - distance between boats. If there is over boat length between boats, then the lead boat can go where it wants. Until the "overlap" is established, there is not an infraction. There is nothing that states the boat behind is guarenteed his or her line.

[Matt Dagostino]

Solutions,................

When you have courses like the one we ran last weekend in Constantine or in Ocoee in the spring you really compound the problem of boats 'bearing' in and out. The focus should be on keeping the course as straight as possible and doing what we have to do to keep boats lined up straight and maintaining a gentle left ark.

Although it can be a challenge due to topography of the rivers/lake, a good course often eliminates many 'bearing away' issues...............

Just a thought.

Matt

[Jack Stotts]

Matt, you are correct. The times that I have raced at Ocoee the front straight was not straight. The inside marker of the starting line was too far to the drivers' left and not lined up with the turn 2 exit pin and the turn 1 entry pin thus causing a dog leg and a slight right turning or angling to the right as you approached the 1st pin. This angling could be seen by some as bearing away but actually one would have to do that if you chose to be in lane one and it was close to the inside starting line marker. It all boils down to the bearing away call is probably the most difficult in our sport. If you are not sure of an infraction then you should not call it and that's why it is seldom called from the turn judges or judges stand. The angles involved preclude being sure of the violation.

[bill boyes]

As a Referee I make a point of the bearing away rule at drivers meeting. It can be a difficult call exiting the first turn from the Judges stand. drivers know this and do take advantage of it at times. What I see most is a boat overtaking another boat exiting the turn and the boat being overtaken drifts out. The amount that the boat drifts out of their normal line is where the call can be made. They all have excuses such as I went to hard into the turn and could not turn the boat so i drifted out. Etc.
In the olds days I put oak rub rails on my CU and DU. One who drifted out and wanted to make contact returned to the pits with a hole in the side of there boat. Did not take long for for it to stop.