LEAVING A YACHT DURING A MATCH Under most old club rules no one was allowed to join or leave a yacht after the preparatory gun had been fired. This rule was called into existence on the Thames in consequence of the practice of having a number of hands on board a yacht prior to the start to assist in hoisting the canvas, and these men were turned out into a boat directly the canvas was hoisted. But even supposing that such a practice should be pre vented, there would appear to be no reason why a mere passenger should not join or leave a yacht during a match, and under Y.R.A. rules it is simply enjoined that no paid hand shall join or leave a yacht during a match. This of course gives permission to a passenger or owner to leave, but no paid hand could go from the yacht in a boat to put the passenger on shore. ,..
a In the case of a man leaving a yacht by falling overboard, it is assumed to be an accidental circumstance ; and if the man has been recovered again by the yacht's own boat or a life buoy, or picked up by another yacht, neither the yacht that lost the man nor the one that picked him up would be disqualified if one or the other afterwards became entitled to a prize by coining in first or by time allowance. But if a
yacht or yachts had been in such a position that she or they would in all probability have won the match, had it not been for rendering assistance to recover a man, the committee can order, if they so please, the race to be re-sailed between the yachts which were prevented winning as stated and the yacht that actually did win. Nothing is said about the yacht that lost the man overboard being allowed to take part in the match if ordered to be re-sailed, whatever position such yacht may have been in at the time of the accident ; and the inference is that a yacht which is deprived of her chance of winning a race by losing a man overboard must abide by the consequence of her own accident and not be given another chance.