Forum: The Racing Rules of Sailing
Gate Starts - Proper Course
Bill Handley
Nationality: United Kingdom
Certifications:
- National Judge
0
This has been bothering me for a while and I would appreciate the thoughts of others on the subject.
At a normal line start a very commom tactic is for a boat to establish and overlap to leeward and from clear astern of a boat or group of boats and then to luff slowly. This has the effect of forcing the windward boats to respond unde rule 11 disrupting their own starting tactics and creating a space to leeward of the luffing boat that she can accelerate into when the starting signal is made. As long as the leeward boat luffs slowly she does not break rule 16.1. Rule 17 applies to the overlap that she creates (if within two hull lengths) but because there is no proper course before the starting signal (see definition) she does not break it and as long as she bears away as soon as the starting signal is made no rule is broken.
At gate starts boats frequently adopt the same tactic as the path finder and gate boat approaches for the same reasons. The leeward boat creates space she can accelerate into and pass the stern of the gate boat travelling at speed. The problem as I see it is that the starting signal for the race was made when the gate was opened and the path finder started to sail her port tack. It follows that in these circumstances not only does rule 17 apply to the leeward boat but that she has a proper course as the starting signal has been made
My question is what is the proper course of the leeward boat in those circumstances? The definition says that it is the course she would sail in the absence of the windward boats to finish as soon as possible. Does this mean that L has to sail directly to the nearest point of the opening line which is of course moving ?. Can L argue that she is simply luffing to slow down as the path finder approaches and make a timely start? Does this come down to the motivation of L, if she luffs to slow down it's ok but if she luffs to affect windward boats she breaks rule 17 notwithstanding that the effect of the two different motivations may be the same?
I am interested in the views of others on this as I struggle to get a clear and consistant set of "rules" clear in my head to apply to that situation.
At a normal line start a very commom tactic is for a boat to establish and overlap to leeward and from clear astern of a boat or group of boats and then to luff slowly. This has the effect of forcing the windward boats to respond unde rule 11 disrupting their own starting tactics and creating a space to leeward of the luffing boat that she can accelerate into when the starting signal is made. As long as the leeward boat luffs slowly she does not break rule 16.1. Rule 17 applies to the overlap that she creates (if within two hull lengths) but because there is no proper course before the starting signal (see definition) she does not break it and as long as she bears away as soon as the starting signal is made no rule is broken.
At gate starts boats frequently adopt the same tactic as the path finder and gate boat approaches for the same reasons. The leeward boat creates space she can accelerate into and pass the stern of the gate boat travelling at speed. The problem as I see it is that the starting signal for the race was made when the gate was opened and the path finder started to sail her port tack. It follows that in these circumstances not only does rule 17 apply to the leeward boat but that she has a proper course as the starting signal has been made
My question is what is the proper course of the leeward boat in those circumstances? The definition says that it is the course she would sail in the absence of the windward boats to finish as soon as possible. Does this mean that L has to sail directly to the nearest point of the opening line which is of course moving ?. Can L argue that she is simply luffing to slow down as the path finder approaches and make a timely start? Does this come down to the motivation of L, if she luffs to slow down it's ok but if she luffs to affect windward boats she breaks rule 17 notwithstanding that the effect of the two different motivations may be the same?
I am interested in the views of others on this as I struggle to get a clear and consistant set of "rules" clear in my head to apply to that situation.
Comments
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The definition of Obstruction makes it clear that SIs can't designate an object as an obstruction. An object either meets the definition of obstruction and is one or doesn't and isn't. The SIs can only designate an area as an obstruction, not an object. The pathfinder can't be an obstruction as the definition says that can only be the case if she is a boat that the others have to keep clear of which as a port tacker she isn't. As the gate boat is a starting mark surrounded by navigable water no part of Section C applies so no boat can claim mark room under rule 18 or room under rule 19 on the gate boat.