July 2012 - Luffing Rights

placeholder image

July 2012 - Luffing Rights

One area of the rules that seems to continue to cause questions is the area of luffing rights – who can luff? – and who can’t. This month I will start with a review of who has luffing rights. Next month I will cover what you can do if you don’t have them. I need to start by explaining that luffing rights is an informal expression that is not in the rule book. Some judges would prefer that we not use the term, but I find it useful. The concept appears in the negative in rule 17.
 
17        ON THE SAME TACK; PROPER COURSE
If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of her hull lengths to leeward of a boat on the same tack, she shall not sail above her proper course while they remain on the same tack and overlapped within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat. This rule does not apply if the overlap begins while the windward boat is required by rule 13 to keep clear.

Clear Astern and Clear Ahead; Overlap   
One boat is clear astern of another when her hull and equipment in normal position are behind a line abeam from the aftermost point of the other boat’s hull and equipment in normal position. The other boat is clear ahead. They overlap when neither is clear astern.However, they also overlap when a boat between them overlaps both.

These terms always apply to boats on the same tack. They do not apply to boats on opposite tacks unless rule 18 applies or both boats are sailing more than ninety degrees from the true wind.

Rule 17 describes the one situation where a leeward boat does not have luffing rights. Almost all other leeward boats do.


(click on the diagram to see a larger cleaner version)

In the diagram the Blue boat in position 1 is clear ahead of Grey and Yellow. Both Grey and Yellow are sailing faster and establish overlaps from clear astern at position 2. Yellow establishes the overlap to leeward. She is within two of her hull lengths of Blue. If we look at the wording of rule 17 we see that these two conditions – establishing the overlap to leeward and being within two of her hull lengths – mean that rule 17 applies to Yellow. Therefore, she is not allowed to sail above her proper course while Blue and Yellow remain overlapped on the same tack within two hull lengths of each other. This restriction continues until position 7 when she is clear ahead. Since there is no longer an overlap.at position 7, Yellow is now allowed to go above her proper course. Although the term isn’t used in the rules, saying that Yellow has “no luffing rights” is a handy way of describing her situation from position 2 through position 6.

Grey establishes the overlap to windward of Blue. Since her overlap is established to windward of Blue, Grey is not subject to rule 17.  Blue is now overlapped to leeward, but she did not establish the overlap from clear astern, so she is not subject to rule 17. Blue can head up and make it more difficult from Grey to pass (though whether this will benefit Blue depends on several other factors). From position 2 through position 6, we say that Blue does have luffing rights.

There are several ways of establishing an overlap that are not limited by rule 17.

In the second diagram Red tacks from port to starboard. At position 1, Red and Green are not overlapped. At position 3, they are on the same tack and overlapped. This overlap was not established from clear astern so rule 17 does not apply and red has luffing rights. 

Green and Brown are not overlapped at position 1. Green is sailing quicker and higher and establishes an overlap from clear astern at position 2. The boats are still more than two hull lengths away when the overlap is established so rule 17 does not apply.


(click on the diagram to see a larger cleaner version)

Purple and Orange are sailing on opposite tacks. Although the definition of an overlap states that one cannot “apply to boats on opposite tacks”, these boats are overlapped because “both boats are sailing more than ninety degrees from the true wind.” No matter how the overlap was originally established, the limitations of rule 17 cannot apply since they have not remained on the same tack since the overlap was established. At position 2, Orange gybes and they are now on the same tack so the windward leeward rule (rule 11) does apply but since they have not  “remained on the same tack and overlapped” on the same tack since the overlap was established rule 17 still doesn’t apply, so Orange has luffing rights.
Next month, we will talk about what these boats can do with their luffing rights.  
 
© Copyright 2012 Andrew Alberti
 
Posted: 7/1/2012 1:08:16 PM by Andrew Alberti


Trackback URL: https://rcyc.clubhouseonline-e3.com/trackback/fdfb9bce-e305-47ec-8a8b-a42a35f7f41d/July_2012_-_Luffing_Rights.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