Two Racing Rules Scenerios

[laserxd]

A. In the given situation: In medium wind, A starboard tack boat is nearing the upwind finish of a windward leeward course and abeam is a port tack boat, the port tack decides to tack close under the starboard tack boat,(the bow of the boat initially on port was even with the mast of the boat initially on starboard) as the port tack boat tacks on starboard he hikes out and breefly touches the windward starboard boat just as the boats are crossing the finish line.

B. A large group of boats are approaching the leeward mark and room is being given, the windward boat (closest to the mark) comes out of the rounding wide and a boat that granted room tries to take advantage and sail over him coming out of the mark while at the same time the boat that went wide tries to tack, there is a collision and several more boats that could not avoid the situation collided as well.

Discuss...

 

[Tillerman]

A. In the given situation: In medium wind, A starboard tack boat is nearing the upwind finish of a windward leeward course and abeam is a port tack boat, the port tack decides to tack close under the starboard tack boat,(the bow of the boat initially on port was even with the mast of the boat initially on starboard) as the port tack boat tacks on starboard he hikes out and breefly touches the windward starboard boat just as the boats are crossing the finish line.

Boats are racing until they have cleared the finish line. If the boat tacking had not reached a close-hauled course when contact occurred, then the tacking boat has infringed Rule 13. If the boat tacking had reached a close-hauled course before contact occurred, she initially has to give the other boat room to keep clear under Rule 15. So if contact occurred just as the tacking boat reached close-hauled then she has infringed Rule 15. If the windward boat had time to luff up and avoid a collision after the tacking boat had reached close-hauled, but didn't do so, then the windward boat has infringed Rule 11. This assumes that the skipper of the leeward boat was just hiking normally for the conditions. If he deliberately leaned out further than necessary in order to touch the windward boat, then I would say he has infringed Rule 2.

B. A large group of boats are approaching the leeward mark and room is being given, the windward boat (closest to the mark) comes out of the rounding wide and a boat that granted room tries to take advantage and sail over him coming out of the mark while at the same time the boat that went wide tries to tack, there is a collision and several more boats that could not avoid the situation collided as well.

Under Rule 18.2(c) if a boat entitled to mark room passes head to wind, she is no longer entitled to mark room under Rule 18.2(b). So if the collision occurred after the tacking boat passed head to wind but before it reached close-hauled then it has infringed Rule 13. If the collision occurred just as it reached close-hauled then the tacking boat has infringed Rule 15.

But if the boat that didn't tack had opportunity to avoid the tacking boat by taking action after the tacking boat had reached close-hauled starboard tack, then the boat that didn't tack has infringed Rule 10.

Note also that mark-room, by definition, is room to sail your proper course while at the mark and does not include the right to tack unless you are overlapped to windward and on the inside of the boat that has to give you room.