Team Race - CALL A 03    

Rule 11 On the Same Tack, Overlapped
Rule 16.1 Changing Course
Definitions Keep Clear

Question
A and X are overlapped, sailing parallel courses, with about ½ boat’s width between them. A has no proper course restriction. Just before position 3 A luffs slowly and X promptly responds. A continues to luff and there is no longer any means of X avoiding A. X tries to keep clear by luffing and there is contact. A protests. What should the call be?

 

Answer
Positions 1 and 2:
X is keeping clear because she is sufficiently far from A that A is able to change course in both directions without immediately making contact.
Position 3:
After A’s first change of course, X still has room to keep clear. X must, promptly and in a seamanlike way, do whatever she can to establish sufficient distance between her and A so that she is keeping clear. If X does this she is protected by rule 16.1.
Between 3 and 4:
A continues to change course, and X is no longer able to keep clear. A breaks rule 16.1. Penalize A.
If A continues to luff and X continues to respond promptly and in a seamanlike way to each luff, A will ultimately have to stop luffing when the boats are so close that any further luff from A will result in X being unable to keep clear. If A does stop luffing at such a time, and X continues to respond to keep clear, neither boat breaks a rule.

A boat that is required to keep clear must promptly take any opportunity to keep clear when a right-of-way boat changes course, but does not have to anticipate any change of course by a right-of-way boat.