Team Race - CALL D 06      

Rule 10 On Opposite Tacks
Rule 15 Acquiring Right of Way
Rule 19.2 Giving Room at an Obstruction
Rule 20 Room to Tack at an Obstruction
Rule 64.1(c) Penalties and Exoneration

Question 1
On a beat to windward A is on port tack, ahead and to leeward of opponent X and team-mate B. A tacks onto starboard. At position 3 her tack is complete and X calls for room to tack. B tacks as soon as possible, but there is not room for X to tack between A and B. X protests. What should the call be?

Question 2
The circumstances are the same, except that at position 3, X bears away to pass astern of A. B also bears away to pass astern but there is insufficient room and she makes contact with both A and X. B protests. What should the call be?


Answer to Questions 1 and 2
If A completes her tack so close to X and B that they can neither both keep clear by tacking, nor both keep clear by bearing away to pass astern of A, then A breaks rule 15, Acquiring Right of Way. Penalize A.

If X and B could have kept clear by tacking, but X chooses to bear away astern of A and there is insufficient room for B, then X breaks rule 19.2(b), penalize X. B is exonerated under rule 64.1(c) because, as a result of X breaking rule 19.2(b), she was compelled to break rules 10 and 11.

If X and B could have kept clear by bearing away, but X chooses to hail for room to tack and B responds as soon as possible to the hail but there is still contact between the boats, then X breaks rule 20.1(a) by not giving B time to respond to her hail. Penalize X.

If, when a boat acquires right of way, she forces another boat to break a rule while keeping clear, she has not given that other boat room to keep clear and therefore breaks rule 15.