The Rules Thread

S

Sunfish_fry

New Member
I think we are due for a fresh thread on the racing rules of sailing. A couple of questions on overlaps:

1) When sailing to the windward mark, say that I am the leeward boat and am sailing clear astern of a windward boat, but am quickly overtaking the windward boat. At what point do I gain the overlap? I've heard different accounts, one is that my mast has to be ahead of the helmsman of the windward boat and the other is that my bow has to just pass the windward boats stern.

2) Say that I am approaching the windward mark with another boat and my bow is overlapped with the windward boats' stern, do I have right to room on the inside when the other boat reaches the two boat length circle, or does the overlap have to be established when I reach the two boat length circle?

If anyone else has questions on other rules, ask away!!!!
 
You should join US Sailing. One of the benefits of membership is a rulebook. The rules for the questions you ask are well-explained in the rulebook. I think the rules can be downloaded as well. Just go to www.ussailing.org

Buoy room!

BB
 
You can download the rules from http://www.sailing.org/racingrules.php
You should also look at the casebook which contains interpretations of the rules.

You would be overlapped if any part of your hull or equipment was forward of a line perpendicular to the aftmost part of the leading boat. On a Sunfish that would be the rudder.

If you are overlapped inside another boat when "ABOUT TO ROUND" the outside boat must give room. About to round can be further than 2 lengths away depending on the circumstances and boats involved. The best definition I could give you is when you need to start setting up for the next leg by pulling on the outhaul, dropping the centerboard etc. Not much distance in a Sunfish, but certainly more for a boat that has to drop a Spinnaker.

At two boat lengths the conditions are frozen, meaning that if you had an overlap, you are entitled to room throughout the rounding. If you didn't then you are not entitled to room even if the conditions change.

Foxy
 
The previously quoted location for racing rules is the ISAF version. There are US Sailing prescriptions which change those rules slightly. US Sailing does not post the prescriptions, last I knew, to encourage people to either join or buy the book. I think the next round of updates is due in 2009 ...
 
There is no difference in the rule definitions or the right of way rules (section 2) between the ISAF rules and those published by US Sailing. The National Authorities are not permitted to change those sections. The prescriptions deal mainly with elegibility and administrative functions.

I really don't think that statements like "Join US Sailing" and "Buy a rule book" are particularly encouraging to new people who are trying to decide if racing sailboats is something they want to do. Its more productive to tell them where to find the rules and to help them understand what they mean.

The rules are there to help us get around the course without injury to our boats and ourselves. If people follow the rules, you know how they (and you) should respond in close situations and avoid problems.

The real problems arise when people try to use the rules as tactical weapons rather than a tool to avoid conflicts.
 
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