SWS-II Race 15 or was it 16, Schock Horror Disqualifications

Followers of this fascinating battle of wills (I am leaving my Sonata to the leading Cats Protection league charity said one skipper, if I don’t win a race soon), and sailing inability, will be disappointed to learn that the last race has been declared null and void due to disqualification of two of the leading contenders. A surprise visit by Eurocrat Dumkopf von Kraptimen, who is leading the audits on the European Working Time Directive compliance for the County of Devon, has led to this state of affairs. It transpires that hidden Euro Auditors discovered that leading skippers Sir Tom Sauvage and Msr Le-Oiseau, were working all day from 0900hrs until 1630. They then followed this by a short break until 1800, when they once again travailed on things nautical, viz the SWS-II race. This did not end until nearly 2100hrs, thus clearly transgressing the EWTD limit of 48hrs per week average of 9.6hrs per day for the Euro norm 5 day week. Herr Kraptimen pointed out to race officials that the two offending skippers had also breached the long established UK driving time limits of 11 hours per day with at least a 2 hour break included therein.

Sadly the race officials had no choice but to disqualify these two entries, thus leading to a null race with only one Sonata completing the course in a legal fashion. The defence put up by the two offenders that they had only been “Larking” about on the day in question, and not really working, was rejected by Herr Kraptimen on the observation that he had personally witnessed them driving 2 wheel trolleys of some description all day long up and down a local Brixham slipway.

Teutonic thoroughness has thus reduced the man with 3 names lead over Sir Tom to just one race, so all to play for in the last few Thursday night battles of August and September.

The above discourse was posted by quackquack.net

Race 16 . Appeal from a piano! Paris,France, early Sat am.

Lawyers for Team Piano were briefed by the, not so tight bottomed, homme avec trois noms after hearing the shock news.

Fortunately eye witness on the water saw lots of “larking about”, breaks between races when said skippers were ordered to do nowt, and cat knapping. However it is tutonic thouroughness that must win out. Team Piano lawyer and all competitors must obey the EWTD.

The EWTD allows for 9.6hrs work per day. Is Sonata sailing classed as work? Yes – the ruling above makes this clear. If so the boats BB and SA were entirely within the EWTD directive at the race start 18:55. They therefore started correctly and legally so constituting a World Series Race. HOWEVER by the end of the race both were in breach of the said law and disqualified - DSQ

Herr Kraptimen, his officials and the law lords all agreed with this argument. The appeal was upheld and Team Piano won the day and other boats get number sailing (3) + 1 = 4 points each!

Jubilation hit the streets of Mont Martre as the pink Champoo and Asti flowed once again.

Goodmooring from your slightly squiffy SWSII legal correspondent. R C