Question
X is on a reach clear ahead of A when she enters the zone of a leeward
mark. X’s course will take her to windward of the mark. She slows,
and A becomes overlapped to leeward and about ½ boat’s width
from her. X now bears away hard to round the mark. A reacts promptly,
but is unable to keep clear. A protests. What should the call be?
Answer
Penalize A.
A must give X room to sail to the mark. At position 2, she fails to do
so and breaks rule 18.2(b).
When X bears away after position 2, she breaks rule 11 (a rule of Section
A).
However, her course alteration is consistent with sailing her course to
the mark and, because A fails to give her mark-room, X is exonerated under
rule 18.5(a).