Rule 10 On Opposite Tacks Rule 15 Acquiring Right of Way
Question
Boats A and X are running on port tack, overlapped and level, with their
hulls between ½ and 1 length apart. A, the windward boat, gybes
onto starboard tack and then holds her course. X responds promptly by
gybing but her boom hits A's hull. A protests. What should the call be?
Answer
When A gybes onto starboard, she acquires right of way, and must initially
give X room to keep clear.
If X reacts promptly, and in a seamanlike way, and contact occurs, then
A breaks rule 15. Penalize A.
If X either delays her response, or gybes in an unseamanlike way, and
as a result contact occurs, then X breaks rule 10. Penalize X.
When a boat gains right of way and another boat must take action to keep clear,
the keep-clear boat must begin to take that action immediately and the right of
way boat must give her room to do so. A seamanlike gybe includes letting the boom
go out at the end of the gybe, but not necessarily fully. It also includes rolling
the boat, but only to the extent required to facilitate steering. See also Umpire
Principle 4.