The Price of Progress: Should We Update Our Class Rules?

by Pietro Fantoni

Antonio Bari’s article “Snipe Class Rules Enforcement” highlights the repeated violation of some Class Rules.

I’d like to focus once again on Class Rule C.5.

CR C.5 PORTABLE EQUIPMENT

CR C.5.1(a)1 Any electronic or mechanical timing devices.

CR C.5.1(a)3 Any multi function electronic compass with steering and time functions only.

We often see sailors (out of a lack of knowledge) ignoring this rule by wearing smartwatches with GPS functions. These watches are indeed fashionable and widely used in other sports (running, trekking, cycling) where they are extremely useful. In some cases, sailors even upload their race tracks to Strava (a very popular sport app).

It’s clear that these devices are prohibited by the rule above.

The question is: does it still make sense to keep this rule, or, in 2025, is it time to change or even eliminate it?

I’m not taking a stance on this issue myself, but I hope to provide some new perspectives

There are a few aspects to analyze.

First of all, in any legal system or body of rules—like sports regulations or, in our case, Class Rules—a rule only makes sense if it is generally respected.

The principle of effectiveness in law refers to the need for legal norms to be not only valid “on paper” but also concretely applied and effective in reality. You cannot speak of substantive law if the rules are unable to impose themselves and produce tangible effects. This principle acts as a benchmark for evaluating the validity and effectiveness of a legal system.

Normally, a rule is respected if controllers and judges are able to find and penalize those who violate it. In this case, that means measurers, technical delegate, and protest committees.

Moreover, a rule is respected if it is generally considered “not stupid,” if you’ll allow me to use a non-technical word. And the concept of “stupidity” can change over the years.

This brings us to the concept of a rule’s ratio. The ratio of a rule, or ratio legis, is its logical foundation and the purpose the legislator intended to achieve when it was enacted. It represents the profound reason a law exists and its function within the legal system.

In the case of a Class Rule like C.5, the ratio, in my humble opinion, is based on the following:

to ensure that boats are as equal as possible;
to prevent the boat from becoming excessively complicated and expensive;
and to avoid portable equipment that would undermine fair competition.

There might also be another aspect to consider: to prevent devices from being brought on board that would substantially change the “game of racing” (at least, the game of racing as it has been understood so far for small boats).

Given these premises:

It’s now clear that smartwatches with GPS are widespread and, all things considered, not even that expensive.
It has to be demonstrated and understood whether it’s actually possible to use a smartwatch to get information during a race about the start (distance from the starting line, time to burn) or tactical information that would change the way we race small boats (the ability to understand where the starting line actually is, knowing when to accelerate by trimming the sails, or knowing when to tack just by looking at the compass).

Many classes (Olympic classes or dinghies) still prohibit the use of such devices (smartwatches).

Is this right? Is it wrong? Are we still able to enforce the rule in practice? Is it right to change it, given that when it was written, smartphones and smartwatches didn’t exist, and the (then heated) debate was about adopting a simple, basic electronic compass with a timer function? Is there a risk that these devices would change our game? Are we willing to take the risk of changing our “game”?

What do you think?

Note: The discussion is obviously different for the use of the Vakaros Race Sense, which is for the sole purpose of allowing the Race Committee to identify OCS (On Course Side) boats.

Note: The “Exchange of Views and Reading” section of this website hosts the views of the Snipe Sailors.
This article represents a personal opinion, which may not coincide with the official opinion or view of the Class or other sailors. We deem it useful to discuss (naturally avoiding offensive content) various topics relating to our Class, to allow for an open and democratic discussion, as has always been the case on SnipeToday for more than a decade.
Dear readers, if you want to reply to this article, agreeing, or disagreeing, or proposing different solutions, I will be happy to host you in this section of the site (email to: [email protected])

For more on this topic, you can also read: