The Racing Rules of Sailing
Rule 11, boom contact?
Two dinghies sailing on broad reach, overlapped (actually alongside each other) and the boom of the windward boat touches the leeward boat. Has windward failed to keep clear?
Second question - if the leeward boat gybes in order to sail away from the parallel course of the windward boat has the windward boat failed to keep clear if the leeward boats boom touches the windward boat during the completion of the manoeuvre?
Second question - if the leeward boat gybes in order to sail away from the parallel course of the windward boat has the windward boat failed to keep clear if the leeward boats boom touches the windward boat during the completion of the manoeuvre?
Created: Today 11:45
Comments
Format:
You must be signed in to add a comment.
First question. Yes
Second question
If the leeward boat is gibing from starbd to port, then she is no more right of way, and breaks rule 10
If the leeward boat gibes from port to starbd, she gets right of way from her own action. Rule 15 applies. If gibing and touching are very close in time, then she breaks Rule 15
I don't think 15 would apply, as the newly starboard boat is not acquiring ROW... they are already ROW.
However, I think that 16 would apply. They'd be hard-pressed to argue they didn't change course while gybing.
Depending on how close they were before the gybe, they might argue that RRS 11 had already been broken, that they were gybing to satisfy RRS 14 (in an effort to avoid contact) and that the minor contact is exactly the preferred outcome from RRS 14 as opposed to the more dangerous alternative.
Lastly, in the second situation, it's more likely the booms would hit than boom on boat.
Absolutely. Whenever there is contact between boats the right-of-way boat needed to take avoiding action (RRS Definition Keep Clear) in order to comply with her obligation to avoid contact under RRS 14.
If boats were initially on starboard tack, after gybing, the leeward boat will be on port tack, and required by RRS 10 to keep clear of the windward boat on starboard tack. The windward boat will have acquired right-of-way because of the leeward boat's action, and will have no RRS 15 obligation to give the leeward boat room to keep clear.
If boats were initially on port tack, after gybing the leeward boat will be on starboard tack, and continue to be the right of way boat. Because the leeward boat was a right-of-way boat changing course through her gybe, she was probably required by RRS 16.1 to give the windward boat room to keep clear, and if there is contact she has failed to do that and broken RRS 16.1.
So, either way, on valid protest, penalise the leeward boat.
I don't think that's right: The leeward boat was initially the right-of-way boat (RRS 11). If boats start out on port tack and the leeward boat gybes onto starboard tack, she does not acquire right-of-way, she already was the right-of-way boat, only the right-of-way rule has changed from RRS 11 to RRS 10. Because the leeward boat does not acquire right of way in the transition, RRS 15 does not apply. See the discussion above: RRS 16.1 probably does apply.
I could have swore that there was a Case that said that, but I looked and can't put my finger on it.
Anyone recall a case that states that?
Not a Case but US Appeal 52 notes that Rule 15 does not apply "because L was the right of way boat throughout the incident", first with 10, then 12, then 11.