In that case I'll bow out. I go to about one protest a decade, these guys will understand that kind of thing far better than I do!

Adam? I'll assume you meant me... As a club sailor who only occasionally wins something I'm not able to look at a rule number and know what it says, so I looked it up at https://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/WorldSailingRRS20172020new-[24067].pdf where I find 42: Propulsion ... 42.2 Prohibited Actions (this sections prohibits pumping etc) 42.3 Exceptions 42.3(c) "Except on a beat to windward, when surfing (rapidly accelerating down the front of a wave) or planing is possible, the boat’s crew may pull in any sail in order to initiate surfing or planing, but each sail may be pulled in only once for each wave or gust of wind" My boat is set up in the conventional mannner: There's a becket on the traveller, the mainsheet goes from there, up to the boom, back to the traveller, up to a second block on the boom, then back down to the swivel jammer. That means that there are three blocks in use, and I won't be affected by this as I always use the last part when trying to plane. Those unusual people who only have three purchases in the mainsheet should also be OK. I'm also not clear why I shouldn't be allowed to take the last purchase directly from the boom, instead of through the swivel. I don't think it would give any unfair advantage. But... I think I have a problem with the wording. Between my hand and the boom there is • The swivel/jammer. One block. • The block on the boom. A second block, and it's not clear if it counts. That's one block only between me and the boom. Or maybe two if you count the one the sheet goes through. The sheet then carries on down to the traveller, and back to the boom - but that's not between my hand and the boom. I know what you mean but this is going to come up in front of protest comittees full of amateur lawyers. It needs to be clear and unambiguous.

I'll ask again what I did before - can someone please link to the proposed new rule?

When I look it up on the OK rules https://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/OKD2020CR20200506-[26308].pdf it says in C1.1 (a) RRS 42.3(c) is changed to add: "When the sail is pumped it shall be done with the mainsheet turning through at least three blocks between the boom and the crew. The final block shall be securely fastened in the cockpit area.” which is not at all what I thought this proposal was. Among other things it doesn't stop me from using the forward run (I have a 4-purchase main) when offwind in light weather, which is when I do it. In marginal planing conditions I use the whole mainsheet. Can someone link me to the correct wording for the proposal?

On Wednesday evening we were drifting around our pond in really light wind. I wanted to get more twist in my sail, so I was standing up and holding the boom up with the kicker and mainsheet loose. Will that be permitted? (and reading the other comments, no I wasn't pumping... apart from anything else in that weather the ripples you make mean it is really easy to spot) In general though I'm not in favour of this. The obvious thing that will happen is people will redesign their mainsheet system so that they can change the number of purchases. And then get caught out when the wind changes.