Forum: The Racing Rules of Sailing
Rules 11 and 13
Matt Michel
Nationality: New Zealand
0
Circumstances during a race today lead me to wonder about how rule 11 and 13 apply in a certain situation - my example is based on a similar but simplified version of what happened, for the sake of exploring how the rules work together.
We were a faster boat, overtaking another boat to windward in very light, patchy conditions - 0 to 3 knots, in boats 30-35’. As we neared an overlap, both on port, the leeward boat pinched up a lot, reducing the windward/leeward separation between the boats from approx 9m down to approx 3m, at which point we went up also to maintain about that gap.
As this happened, the wind dropped, and maybe 0.5 knots remained. The leeward boat continued to head up, until their head sail was backed against the mast. There was some civil discussion between boats about which rules were applicable.
They believed as their main was still to the starboard side, they were not tacking. Although with the jib fully backed, that seemed to us, more likely because they had all crew to what had been the leeward side, and the boat was healing that way, with the weight of the boom and sail keeping it there against the wind. Regardless, with us matching their angle to maintain some separation, maybe down to 2m, if they had past head to wind, so had we?
As such, we are both tacking, albeit against our will? If so, being on their port side, we still need to keep clear per rule 13? So we’d have no rights until on a close hauled course on starboard, when they would become the windward boat? I don’t think this is the intent to the rules, but can’t find any limitations that say why not. There is no proper course limitation, and even if rule 11 only applies until the leeward boat is head to wind, then rule 13 takes over and windward is still the keep clear boat due to being on leewards port side.
I guess the windward boat can stop going up when leeward is beyond head to wind, and reduce the gap, but at some point you’d need to avoid contact, at which point your tacking, and in the wrong again if contact is made, or it would be hard to prove otherwise in a protest hearing. I’d like to hear why I’m wrong?
None of the cases seem to explain anything relevant either. In our case, leeward went back down a bit until their head sail wasn’t against the mast, we’d both drifted to a stop, both still pointing too high to regain any speed, we tacked away to space, looking for better wind - which quickly saw us tacking back, dipping the other boats stern, and sailing that way to new breeze. Yes, tactically we’d do it different next time, but I’m interested in learning the rules.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts. Apologies for the long post.
We were a faster boat, overtaking another boat to windward in very light, patchy conditions - 0 to 3 knots, in boats 30-35’. As we neared an overlap, both on port, the leeward boat pinched up a lot, reducing the windward/leeward separation between the boats from approx 9m down to approx 3m, at which point we went up also to maintain about that gap.
As this happened, the wind dropped, and maybe 0.5 knots remained. The leeward boat continued to head up, until their head sail was backed against the mast. There was some civil discussion between boats about which rules were applicable.
They believed as their main was still to the starboard side, they were not tacking. Although with the jib fully backed, that seemed to us, more likely because they had all crew to what had been the leeward side, and the boat was healing that way, with the weight of the boom and sail keeping it there against the wind. Regardless, with us matching their angle to maintain some separation, maybe down to 2m, if they had past head to wind, so had we?
As such, we are both tacking, albeit against our will? If so, being on their port side, we still need to keep clear per rule 13? So we’d have no rights until on a close hauled course on starboard, when they would become the windward boat? I don’t think this is the intent to the rules, but can’t find any limitations that say why not. There is no proper course limitation, and even if rule 11 only applies until the leeward boat is head to wind, then rule 13 takes over and windward is still the keep clear boat due to being on leewards port side.
I guess the windward boat can stop going up when leeward is beyond head to wind, and reduce the gap, but at some point you’d need to avoid contact, at which point your tacking, and in the wrong again if contact is made, or it would be hard to prove otherwise in a protest hearing. I’d like to hear why I’m wrong?
None of the cases seem to explain anything relevant either. In our case, leeward went back down a bit until their head sail wasn’t against the mast, we’d both drifted to a stop, both still pointing too high to regain any speed, we tacked away to space, looking for better wind - which quickly saw us tacking back, dipping the other boats stern, and sailing that way to new breeze. Yes, tactically we’d do it different next time, but I’m interested in learning the rules.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts. Apologies for the long post.
Comments
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As to whether the other boat passed head to wind, the determining factor isn't whether her jib backed or where her boom lay, but which side of the boat was her windward side. The jib and main are evidence but not determinants of that, and in fact the backed jib isn't even very good evidence, because the jib would be fully backed when she was head to wind as long as she didn't release the jibsheet. The definition of "Tack" says she's still on port tack when she's head to wind, so I think a protest committee would hesitate to conclude she was subject to rule 13 unless there was conclusive evidence, as for example that you were head to wind and she was clearly turning toward you.
You could, of course, just stand your ground, stay head to wind and wait for the other boat to come hit you. In those conditions, damage is unlikely so you'd be exonerated for breaking rule 14. But why do that? Tack and protest.
Nicely put. Light air, 30’-35’ boats in a mixed fleet. I’m thinking light-air genoas likely rigged, spreader patches … with sheeting angles limited by the spreaders .. sheeting angles easily 15-20 deg off the centerline of the boat.
Let’s call your boat Boat 2 and the other Boat 1 (B1 and B2). Also, since we are outside the zone and no other boats around, let’s just focus on the rules of Part 2, Section A and Section B (only 7 rules .. RRS10 through RRS17).
First thing is to break up the scenario into segments based on where you think the rules might change. Here are the segments that I see in your scenario. Let’s assume that there is no contact between the boats and neither boat was forced to maneuver in an unseamanlike way.
For each segment above, you answer:
Have fun!
PS: As a 2nd pass, you can look at Rob's version of your scenario. We can do this by adding a Segment 4-1/2. With contact, you'll have to add looking at rule 43(a)-(c).