Rule clarification...

[Andrew 4CE]

As per APBA SO rule book, what is a "bona fide starter"?

A boat crossing the start line.

or

A boat crossing the start line legal.

Trying to inturpret rule 4.6.

Thx.

[Haüenstein]

I guess you need to clarify what you mean by "legal," Andrew! If you're saying gunjumpers/lane changers, etc., they do count as bona fide:

"6. A heat may be cancelled if fewer than three (3) boats cross the starting line except when a previous heat in the race has been run. However, if
the fi rst heat of a race is started with at least three (3) bona fi de starters, a rerun of that heat must be run if there is at least one (1) bona fi de starter. If
a previous heat for the class has been run, any subsequent heat shall be cancelled only if no bona fi de starters cross the starting line or if all boats cross
the starting line before the gun."

The last distinction is if ALL the bona fide starters jump the gun.


Now is the time when someone tells me I'm wrong.
–Mike

[acr924]

A bona fide starter is any boat that crosses the starting line.

[greybeard]

Bona-fide Starter - May 07 Propellor scorers forum

by Mia Fitzgerald, Scoring Committee Member • mkboatracing@aol.com

What is a bona-fide starter?

A phrase used throughout the APBA rulebook, the term “bona fide starter” has many meanings. But what is the correct meaning? Over the years, scorers have heard many definitions. A bona fide starter is “one that gets out before the white flag”, “one that has a legal start (i.e. does not jump the gun)”, and the best definition— “the one that brings the beer.”

NOT! All these explanations are wrong.

The American Heritage Dictionary, fourth edition, defines a bona fide starter as:

“Bona fide (adj.) 1. Made or carried out in good faith; sincere. 2. Authentic; genuine.”

“Starter (noun) 1. One that starts. …

4. Sports

a. One that signals the start of a race.

b. A participant that starts a game or race.”

In laymen’s terms, a bona fide starter is a genuine participant that starts a race. In boat racing terms that means the starter meets the specific qualifications for the class in which he/she is competing (i.e: weight, boat, motor, etc., as outlined within the rules of each class/category). And, that the racer is an APBA member (even for the day), has paid the appropriate fees, and signed the appropriate entry forms and waivers.

One of the most common interpretations refers to gun jumpers not being bona fide racers. A classic scenario is that five drivers made the start of a race. Three drivers jumped the gun and were disqualified. Two drivers did not jump the gun and were not disqualified. The common interpretation is that in this scenario there were only two bona-fide starters. NOT! There were five bona-fide starters, of which three jumped the gun. The race is scored counting all five boats as bona-fide starters. When it is determined that the three did indeed jump the gun, they are marked as BG, but they are still counted as part of the five bona-fide starters.

The correct interpretation of rules is crucial to accurately score and designate awards such as National High Points, North American Championships and National Championships.

As a scorer, if you are not sure of a rule, do not ask another racer, or even the other judges. Get out your rule book and look up the rule. Every judge’s stand should have a rule book on the stand at all times. By looking up the rule, you are assured that the right call is being made. If there are still questions on calls/rules (per the APBA Genral Racing Rules) then the Race Committee meets to discuss them.

As you all know, we have results programs available for APBA events. We have them for Inboard, Outboard and OPC events. The spreadsheets used in these programs are generated by inputting the driver’s APBA member number. Their information is listed in the “data” section of each program. The current list of members (APBA #, name and city/state) is currently available to update your files. There are two separate lists—one for Inboard, and one for Outboard members. If you email me at mkboatracing@aol.com I can send you the Microsoft Excel file for you to update your “data’” sheet for these programs.

Thanks, and have a safe and happy racing year!

—Mia Fitzgerald

[Andrew 4CE]

Thanks all! Especially Mia/greybeard.

I was leading to:

4 boats start... there is a crash and restart... 2 boats left. If I read correctly, and this was my understanding, 'techinically' even if there was one boat left that was runable, they would have to run the race with one starter and see if that person could cross the start line legal and finish.