THE WINDWARD LEG - Racing Rules Episode 3 - General Limitations, Obstructions,

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[@ivorkeates2587]

ANother good session. Very worthwhile.

[@ArthurPopeye]

Thanks for the series. I already feel more confident to go racing now.

[@anthonyhowes8738]

The rule 22,1-22,3 u refer to is rule 21,1-21,3 in RRS 2024

[@cameronpierce9426]

I'm continuing to profit from this series, gents. A couple more questions: 1) ~7:50ff., on rule 16.2 (a starboard boat holding her course when a port boat is preparing to duck astern). To clarify, one's 'course' refers generically to one's point of sail, does it not--i.e., close-hauled on the upwind leg--rather than precise bearing? I ask because wind shifts demand frequent (small) course changes, and it happens not infrequently (as you know), that a port boat preparing to duck protests a starboard boat, thinking it got dialed down, when it's merely responding to a knock/header. 2) Doesn't the 'immediately' qualification of rule 16.2 permit a certain (safer, more distant) version of 'dialing down' in fleet racing? 3) Did you say that one can only hail for room at an obstruction once one is one boat-length from the obstruction (requiring significant evasive action)?? Or rather that one can hail for an obstruction *if* continuing one's course would result in requiring significant evasive action once within a boat-length of that obstruction (or: that one certainly would approach that close to the obstruction if one continued)? The former option doesn't leave a lot of time! thanks kindly,

[@badassniall]

Hi Cameron, 1)The course refers to the vessel's heading. The fact that such a course change may have been caused by a shift is irrelevant in terms of the rules. 2)Yes. Team Race Call D2 provides some furhter information on this. 3)No. A boat is entitled to hail for room to tack at the time when she needs to begin the process described in rule 20 to avoid the obstruction safely. The one-boat length comes from deciding if what you are approaching is an obstruction or not i.e. if you imagine yourself only one boat length away and sailing directly towards the thing you think might be an obstruction, would you need to make a substantial course alteration to pass it? If so then it is an obstruction, if you would not need to make a substantial course alteration then it is not an obstruction.

[@cameronpierce9426]

@@badassniall Thank you for your replies here. One lingering question remains for me regarding #1). Does your answer imply that a starboard boat cannot sail her proper course upwind, including managing wind shifts, while a port boat prepares to duck her stern? In other words, if a starboard boat runs into a knock/header, she must hold her bearing even if that means luffing her sails and losing speed, while a port boat prepares to duck? Doesn't the permission of a starboard boat to perform what I've called a 'gentle dial-down' protect her in this case too? I've always assumed the starboard boat has the prerogative to alter her bearing with wind shifts, so long as the port boat initially has room to keep clear (i.e., as long as collision can be avoided in a seamanlike way).

[@badassniall]

Cameron Pierce if the port tack boat had to immediately alter course to continue keeping clear then the starboard tacker would have broken rule 16.2

[@kevenrainbow4646]

Very interesting discussion. In relation to right of way, if two boats are moving backwards, being pushed by the tide/current, and being different hull shapes are moving at different speeds and are on a collision course, which boat would have right of way? Assuming both situations, they being on the same tack or opposite tacks. Many thanks

[@badassniall]

Hi Kevin, Rule 22.3 only applies if a boat is moving astern through the water by backing a sail, so if they were moving astern over the ground because of the tide & current the normal section A rules apply so port/starboard, windward/leeward or clear ahead/clear astern.

[@sailorlad]

Hi, two boats approaching a leeward port rounding mark on starboard jibe...the outside boat is just overlapped by the inside boat, just before entering the zone, the outside boat turns up to break the transom line overlap and calls no room, now in the zone, when the outside boat turns back down towards the mark, the overlap is re-established, is the inside boat still entitled to mark room ? Thanks

[@ross.venner]

Rule 17 - I sail a small dinghy (8 foot Firebug) in a mixed fleet. As a result, I am regularly overtaken to leeward by higher performance craft and these boats can point significantly higher than my craft. Is my proper course subordinate to the proper course of the faster boat, Allowing them to force me to luff?

[@spelunkerd]

Yes. Rule 17 specifically mentions the rule uses proper course of the passing boat. I commonly encounter this on the run when a mixed keelboat fleet of symmetric and asymmetric spinnakers are used. Those who fly asym spinnakers use a course that is more off the wind, often zig zagging faster down the run because they can't sail as well directly downwind. If an asym boat passes a symmetric spin boat to leeward, the upwind boat with the symmetric spin has to turn up and wait, until either the overlap is broken or the boat flying the asym decides to gybe. This applies whether or not the overlap occurs within two boat lengths since people are sailing their own proper course anyway.

[@ross.venner]

@@spelunkerd- Of course we must sail in accordance with the rules. Regrettably, one must interpret this as yet another example of the elite rigging the game in their favour. Why should we be surprised...