Rule M8: PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE

Appendix M — Recommendations For Protest Committees

This appendix is advisory only; in some circumstances changing these procedures may be advisable. It is addressed primarily to the protest committee chair but may also help judges, protest committee secretaries, race committees and others involved in hearings.

In a hearing, the protest committee should weigh all testimony with equal care; should recognize that honest testimony can vary, and even be in conflict, as a result of different observations and recollections; should resolve such differences as best it can; should recognize that no boat or competitor is guilty until a breach of a rule has been established to the satisfaction of the protest committee; and should keep an open mind until all the evidence has been heard as to whether a boat or competitor has broken a rule.

EN • HE

PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE

Photographs and videos can sometimes provide useful evidence but protest committees should recognize their limitations and note the following points:

(a) The party producing the photographic evidence is responsible for arranging the viewing.
(b) View the video several times to extract all the information from it.
(c) The depth perception of any single-lens camera is very poor; with a telephoto lens it is non-existent. When the camera views two overlapped boats at right angles to their course, it is impossible to assess the distance between them. When the camera views them head on, it is impossible to see whether an overlap exists unless it is substantial.
(d) Ask the following questions:
- (1) Where was the camera in relation to the boats?
- (2) Was the camera’s platform moving? If so in what direction and how fast?
- (3) Is the angle changing as the boats approach the critical point? Fast panning causes radical change.
- (4) Did the camera have an unrestricted view throughout?