Team Race - CALL J 03      

Rule 11 On the Same Tack, Overlapped
Rule 18.2 Giving Mark-Room
Rule 18.5 Exoneration

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).