Section B - The Prestart

MR CALL B5

Rule 11, On the Same Tack, Overlapped
Rule 16.1, Changing Course

Question

Yellow and Blue are sailing parallel courses. Yellow bears away hard and Blue is unable to keep clear. Contact occurs. Flag Y is displayed. What should the call be?

Answer

Penalize Yellow. Yellow is a right-of-way boat changing course. She did not give Blue room to keep clear and therefore broke rule 16.1.

If Yellow had borne away slightly and immediately made contact with Blue, then Blue was not keeping clear under rule 11. Penalize Blue.