These articles will talk about the standard version of Rule 18, which is used for fleet racing. If any of you watch Sail GP or match racing you will see that the rules are different. They have their own version of this rule. I won’t be discussing it. These articles will discuss the current (2025-2028) version of the rules. I won’t be discussing the changes. Some of the changes can be found in the previous two articles that I wrote.
We will start with Yellow and Blue. The core of the rule is 18.2(a). Yellow is the first of the two boats to reach the zone. The zone is an area within three hull lengths of the mark. A boat reaches the zone when her hull (not her spinnaker or spinnaker pole) enters the zone. When Yellow enters, the zone at position 1, she is overlapped with Blue, so Blue has to give Yellow mark-room according to 18.2(a)(1). Even if the overlap is later broken or even if Blue gets an overlap inside Yellow, the last sentence of 18.2(a) says that Blue still has to give Yellow mark-room. What does mark-room mean? We see this in the definition of mark-room. First Blue has to give Yellow room to sail to the mark. In this case Yellow has to bear away at position 3 to get to the mark and Blue has to give her room to do that. Second Blue has to give Yellow room to round the mark which might include space to take down a spinnaker and head up. Finally Blue has to give Yellow room to pass the mark. Once Yellow is past the mark, just after position 6, Blue has given the mark-room.
Now let’s look at the Blue and the Red boat. At position 2 when Blue gets to the zone, Red is not overlapped, so according to 18.2(a)(2) Red has to give Blue mark-room. If Red tries to tuck inside Blue at position 6, she does so at her own risk. Blue is allowed room to round the mark, so as Blue heads up she would probably make contact with Red. Instead, Red stays astern of Blue and gives her room.
Now let’s look at the Blue and the Red boat. At position 2 when Blue gets to the zone, Red is not overlapped, so according to 18.2(a)(2) Red has to give Blue mark-room. If Red tries to tuck inside Blue at position 6, she does so at her own risk. Blue is allowed room to round the mark, so as Blue heads up she would probably make contact with Red. Instead, Red stays astern of Blue and gives her room.
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 apply to boats on opposite tacks only when rule 18 applies between them or when both boats are sailing more than ninety degrees from the true wind.
Mark‑Room Room for a boat
(a) to sail to the mark when her proper course is to sail close to it,
(b) to round or pass the mark on the required side, and
(c) to leave it astern.
Room The space a boat needs in the existing conditions, including space to comply with her obligations under the rules of Part 2 and rule 31, while manoeuvring promptly in a seamanlike way.
Zone The area around a mark within a distance of three hull lengths of the boat nearer to it. A boat is in the zone when any part of her hull is in the zone.
18.2 Giving Mark-Room
(a) When the first of two boats reaches the zone,
(1) if the boats are overlapped, the outside boat at that moment shall give the inside boat mark‑room;
(2) if the boats are not overlapped, the boat that has not reached the zone at that moment shall give the other boat mark‑room.
When a boat is required to give mark‑room by this rule, she shall continue to do so for as long as this rule applies, even if later an overlap is broken or a new overlap begins.
Copies of these rules articles along with animated diagrams can be found at www.rcyc.ca > sailing > racing > know your rules
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