Team Race - CALL D 01     

Rule 10 On Opposite Tacks
Rule 11 On the Same Tack, Overlapped
Rule 15 Acquiring Right of Way
Rule 16.1 Changing Course
Definitions Keep Clear

Question 1
A and X are beating on starboard tack, overlapped with ¼ boat length between them. A bears away to give herself space to tack behind X, but X bears away onto a parallel course to prevent A from tacking. A luffs; X responds promptly, but there is contact. A protests. What should the call be?

Answer 1
At position 2 A is right-of-way boat and X is keeping clear of her. Rule 16.1 requires A to give X room to keep clear when she changes course. A fails to give X room when she luffs. Penalize A.

Question 2
A and X are beating on starboard tack. A bears away to gybe out, and X also bears away. At position 3 A is clear ahead. When A gybes onto port, X maintains her course and there is contact. X protests. What should the call be?

Answer 2
A gives up right of way when she gybes, so X is not subject to rule 15. A breaks rule 10. Penalize A.

Question 3
Same situation as Question 2, except that A is able to gybe and keep clear of X. X chooses to gybe and then luffs hard to turn inside A. Because A (now leeward boat on port tack) also luffs, there is contact. X protests. What should the call be?

Answer 3
When X gybes, she becomes keep clear boat. Rule 15 does not apply as X gave up right of way. However, rule 16.1 now applies if A changes course. By changing course without giving X room to keep clear, A breaks rule 16.1.
Penalize A.

If A were to stop changing course the moment X gybes and there were still contact (or if A does change course but there clearly would have been contact even if she had not) then X breaks rule 11.