TBF: "Fourth" Mark?

[bobwalden]

"In addition, buoy R “2” (Q R, approx.. 4/10 nm SW of the Richmond Long Wharf) is a mark of the course and must be left to the East. "

I realize the purpose of this--to keep us away from the long wharf, and to simplify the process of describing that restriction and enforcing it, compared to the "fence" approach used in previous races. But what is the advantage of making R2 a mark, rather than simply making it a restriction, such as lil' Alcatraz, south tower, etc?

And a few questions, since we're doing it this way this year:

1) "...must be left to the East." Does this mean I must remain West of an imaginary line passing directly North-South and through R2?

2) if the answer to #1 is "yes"...are you mad? And are we talking true or magnetic compass?

3) Did you really mean "...must not pass between R2 and the Richmond shoreline.", which would be more in keeping with other restriction area descriptions?

4) If I tack right up to the long wharf (breaking the USCG 100 yard restriction in the process), but then tack away, around R2, leaving it to the East, and then proceed, have I committed a fault?

Making it a mark of the course opens the question of passing vs rounding marks, but does not keep people away from the long wharf. It also inelegantly adds a 4th mark to a 3-mark race. I like the idea of simplifying the description of the restricted zone at the long wharf, but making this a mark causes confusion and does nothing to keep us away from the long wharf.

I would suggest just adding it to the standing SI list of restrictions, saying:
b. Boats shall not pass between the following buoys or landmarks and the nearest point on the specified shore.
i. buoy R “2” (Q R, approx.. 4/10 nm SW of the Richmond Long Wharf) -- and the Richmond shore