A question of courtesy

Not all boats that race are flat-out ‘Grand Prix’ jobs. Many a cruiser enjoys the odd weekend’s sport with the local club. A boat like this could easily be taken for a cruiser, which on any other day she may well be. Today, however, she isn’t flying an ensign. This is the international sign that she’s racing. As soon as she finishes or retires, she should hoist her ensign again so that her fellow competitors and anyone else around knows that she’s no longer subject to the racing rules. Right now, those of us who are cruising might like to give her clear wind. It could be us one day.