Team Race - CALL K 02      

Rule 20 Room to Tack at an Obstruction

Question
A and X are overlapped and beating on port tack towards the committee boat at the starboard end of the finishing line.
X can fetch the committee boat but A, the leeward boat, cannot. A sails up to this boat and hails for room to tack. X does not respond. A hails a second time, luffs and passes head to wind, whereupon X tacks and protests. What should the call be?

Answer
Penalize both.
Because X can fetch the committee boat, which is a mark, A is not entitled to hail for room to tack. A breaks rule 20.3 by hailing, however, when a boat hails for room to tack rule 20.1(b) requires the hailed boat to respond to the hail. X fails to do so and breaks rule 20.1(b).