Interpretation #3 ‘Roman Nose’ Headsail Measurement

It has come to the attention of the IRC that a headsail was used at the recent UK Nationals which featured a stiffened region above the clew cringle (grommet for sheeting the headsail) and, in particular, a section of sail which defined the widest part of the sail (luff perpendicular) well above the clew cringle. This portion of the sail would extend aft of the straight line between the aft head point (as defined in the ERS) and the clew cringle. For discussion purposes, I have dubbed this a ‘Roman nose’ headsail. Apparently, this sail was measured using this widest part of the headsail as the luff perpendicular (LP) which has the effect of defining this ‘Roman nose’ as the Clew Point, and permitting a significant part of the sail below this point as unmeasured area.

Albacore Rule A.1.3 states: These class rules shall be read in conjunction with the ERS and RRS. Except where used in headings, when a term is printed in “bold” the definition in the ERS applies and when a term is printed in ”Italics” the definition in the RRS applies.

Albacore Rule A.1.2 states: The word “shall” is mandatory and the word “may” is permissive.

Albacore Rule G.4.2(c) states: The leech shall not extend beyond a straight line from the aft head point to the clew point. (note that clew point is ”bold” ).

ERS G.4.1 defines the clew point as “The intersection of the foot and the leech, each extended as necessary”, and provides a figure with 3 different possible configurations. One of these is very similar to the ‘Roman nose’ headsail in question. The clew point is very clearly defined at the intersection the extended foot and leech lines, not the widest part of the sail above the clew cringle.