Team Race - CALL A 02    

Rule 11 On the Same Tack, Overlapped
Definitions Keep Clear

Question
X closes on A from windward. When is X no longer keeping clear of A?

 

Answer
X is keeping clear of A when A can both sail her course with no need to take avoiding action and, because they are on the same tack and overlapped, change course in both directions without immediately making contact.
At positions 1 & 2: X is keeping clear.
At position 3: if A luffs, there will be contact but not immediately, so X is still keeping clear.
At position 4: A cannot change course to windward without immediately making contact with X. X is no longer keeping clear, and would be penalized under rule 11 if A were to protest, whether or not the boats make contact.

At any moment, a boat’s course (as that term is used in Part 2 and the Definitions) means the direction in which her bow is pointing. It does not mean her proper course, nor the course she could be expected to be sailing shortly.
There does not need to be contact for a boat to fail to keep clear.