Team Race - CALL E 08      

Rule 18.3 Tacking When Approaching a Mark
Rule 18.5 Exoneration

Question 1
B reaches the zone of a port-hand windward mark on starboard tack clear ahead of X. A approaches on port and tacks inside the zone ahead of X. A reaches a close-hauled course and X has to bear away to avoid her because of the presence of B. As a result X passes the wrong side of the mark. X protests. What should the call be?

Answer 1
Penalize A.
As B reached the zone clear ahead of X, X must give her mark-room. After A’s tack X must keep clear of her under rule 12, and can only do so by passing the wrong side of the mark. A’s tack prevents X from passing the mark. A breaks rule 18.3(a).

Question 2
The situation is the same except that A tacks slightly further to windward and X establishes a leeward overlap on A. The presence of B prevents A from giving X room, and X makes contact with A and the mark. X protests. What should the call be?

Answer 2
Penalize A. Exonerate X under rule 18.5 for breaking rules 15 and 16.1. A tacks inside the zone and X is fetching the mark. When X establishes an inside overlap, A is required to give X mark-room. She fails to do so and breaks rule 18.3(b).
X acquires right of way when she becomes overlapped to leeward of A and must give A room to keep clear under rule 15. However, when X luffs, she is rounding the mark on her proper course, and she will be exonerated under rule 18.5(b) for breaking rules 15 and 16.1.


One boat prevents another from passing a mark when her actions compel the other boat to sail the wrong side of the mark.
When a boat must alter course in order to round a mark, she is at the mark.