December 2011 - Errors At The Finish

placeholder image

December 2011 - Errors At The Finish

Port Over Starboard III
 This month I am going to continue to show situations where starboard-tack boats have to keep clear of or give room to port-tack boats.


In the diagram, the blue and red boats are both sailing upwind on port tack (the “red” boat changes colour from red to green to yellow to denote its tack and status – I’m going to call it the red/green/yellow boat unless I’m referring to a particular position or status, when I’ll refer to a single colour). The red boat luffs up at position 3. At position 4, she crosses head to wind and becomes a starboard-tack boat (shown in green). At position 6, she gets onto a close-hauled course (shown in yellow). From position 4 until position 6, she has to keep clear of blue according to rule 13.
 
13        WHILE TACKING
After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11 and 12 do not apply. …

14        AVOIDING CONTACT
A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room or mark-room
(a)        need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room, and ….

15        ACQUIRING RIGHT OF WAY
When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat’s actions.

At position 6, even though her sail is luffing, the yellow boat is on a close-hauled course, so rule 13 stops applying and she becomes a right-of-way boat. Since yellow has just become right-of-way, she initially has to give the blue boat room to keep clear according to rule 15. Accordingly, blue should now alter course to keep clear. If blue has to alter course to keep clear before the red/green/yellow boat achieves a close-hauled course, then red/green/yellow is at fault even though green was on starboard and blue was on port. I should also note that as soon as it is clear to blue that the other boat is not going to keep clear, she should alter course to avoid the collision as required by common sense and rule 14.
 
Rule 21 discusses a number of exception situations. Rule 21 is part of Section D. The preamble to Section D says that when rule 21 applies, Section A rules (which includes the port-starboard rule) do not apply. This month we will look at rule 21.1.
 
SECTION D

OTHER RULES

When rule 21 or 22 applies between two boats, Section A rules do not.
21        STARTING ERRORS; TAKING PENALTIES; MOVING ASTERN
21.1     A boat sailing towards the pre-start side of the starting line or one of its extensions after her starting signal to start or to comply with rule 30.1 shall keep clear of a boat not doing so until she is completely on the pre-start side.



In the diagram, the starting signal goes at position 1. Yellow on starboard tack is already partly over the line. At position 3, she starts to sail back towards the pre-start side of the line to start. According to rule 21.1, even though blue is on port-tack, yellow has to keep clear of her. Note, though that yellow didn’t lose her right-of-way until she was heading towards the pre-start side of the line or one of its extensions, which is just before position 3. Until then, blue must keep clear.

© Copyright 2011 Andrew Alberti
 
Posted: 12/1/2011 1:18:47 PM by Andrew Alberti


Trackback URL: https://rcyc.clubhouseonline-e3.com/trackback/ffc1b3f8-07e1-4918-a161-74ac2dc9f5bf/December_2011_-_Errors_At_The_Finish.aspx?culture=en-US

This page provides links to a set of articles original published in Kwasind magazine. The versions here include animated diagrams. The original articles can be found within the original magazines which are available online back to January 2007. 

Articles before December 2020 are based on the Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-12 or 2013-2016 or 2017-2020 and have not been updated to reflect the changes that apply as of January 2021 with the publication of the Racing Rules of Sailing 2021-24. A copy of the new rules can be found on sailing.org.
ABOUT ANDREW ALBERTI
Andrew Alberti has been writing these monthly articles in the Kwasind since early 1997.  They explain the Racing Rules of Sailing. Andrew is an International Judge and National Umpire. He is a member of the Sail Canada Rules and Appeals Committees. The interpretation of the rules contained in the articles is Andrew's and not that of the RCYC or any of the committees he sits on. 

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Send your questions to Andrew at [email protected].

 

ABOUT RCYC: 
166 Years of Tradition | World-Class Sailing | Toronto Island & City Clubhouse
 
Limitations on Right-Of-Way Boats - Establishing Right-Of-Way
After You Cross the Finishing Line II
After You Cross The Finishing Line I
Tacking III
Tacking II
Post Archive
October 2024(0)
October 2024(1)
July 2024(0)
July 2024(1)
May 2024(0)
May 2024(2)
March 2024(1)
February 2024(1)
September 2023(1)
May 2023(1)
September 2023(0)
May 2023(0)
January 2023(1)
April 2022(1)
December 2021(1)
October 2021(1)
August 2021(2)
March/April 2021(1)
January/February 2021(1)
December 2020(1)
November 2020(1)
September 2020(1)
July 2020(1)
June 2020(1)
May 2020(1)
March/April 2020(1)
January/February 2020(1)
November/December 2019(1)
September/October 2019(1)
July/August 2019(1)
May/June 2019(1)
March/April 2019(1)
January/February 2019(1)
November/December 2018(1)
September/October 2018(1)
July/August 2018(1)
May/June 2018(1)
March/April 2018(1)
January/February 2018(1)
November/December 2017(1)
October 2017(1)
September 2017(1)
August 2017(1)
July 2017(1)
June 2017(1)
May 2017(1)
April 2017(1)
March 2017(1)
January/February 2017(1)
December 2016(1)
November 2016(1)
October 2016(1)
September 2016(1)
August 2016(1)
July 2016(1)
June 2016(1)
May 2016(1)
April 2016(1)
March 2016(1)
January/February 2016(1)
December 2015(1)
November 2015(1)
October 2015(1)
September 2015(1)
August 2015(1)
July 2015(1)
June 2015(1)
May 2015(1)
April 2015(1)
March 2015(1)
January 2015(1)
December 2014(1)
November 2014(1)
October 2014(1)
September 2014(1)
August 2014(1)
July 2014(1)
June 2014(1)
May 2014(1)
April 2014(1)
March 2014(1)
January 2014(1)
December 2013(1)
November 2013(1)
October 2013(1)
September 2013(1)
August 2013(1)
July 2013(1)
June 2013(1)
May 2013(1)
April 2013(1)
March 2013(1)
January 2013(1)
December 2012(1)
November 2012(1)
October 2012(1)
September 2012(1)
August 2012(1)
July 2012(1)
June 2012(1)
May 2012(1)
April 2012(1)
March 2012(1)
February 2012(1)
January 2012(1)
December 2011(1)
November 2011(1)
October 2011(1)
September 2011(1)
August 2011(1)
July 2011(1)
June 2011(1)
May 2011(1)
April 2011(1)
March 2011(1)
February 2011(1)
January 2011(1)
November 2010(1)
October 2010(1)
September 2010(1)
August 2010(1)
July 2010(1)
June 2010(1)
May 2010(1)
April 2010(1)
March 2010(1)
February 2010(1)
January 2010(1)
RSS