Section B - The Prestart
MR CALL B6
Rule 11, On the Same Tack, Overlapped
Rule C2.6 (13.1), While Tacking or Gybing
Rule 16.1, Changing Course
Question 1
Yellow, a leeward boat, luffs head to wind, and Blue luffs in response, so that both
reach positions side by side, head to wind. Blue continues to change course and
passes head to wind. In so doing she makes contact with Yellow. Flag Y is displayed.
What should the call be?
Answer 1
If, when Yellow begins her luff, Blue immediately responds and continues to do
what she is able to do to keep clear throughout the incident but there is contact
anyway, then Yellow is not giving Blue room to keep clear and she breaks rule 16.1.
Penalize Yellow.
If Blue could have kept clear, but either responded too slowly, not enough, or over
rotated, then Blue has broken rule 11 or rule C2.6 (13.1). Penalize Blue.
Question 2
In similar circumstances, Blue responds and when head to wind, she remains so for
a time. Then Yellow bears away and their sterns make contact. Flag Y is displayed.
What should the call be?
Answer 2
If Yellow's change of course immediately results in contact with Blue, Blue was not
keeping clear and broke rule 11. Penalize Blue.
If there was more distance between them, and Yellow bears away hard giving Blue
no room to keep clear, then Yellow breaks rule 16.1. Penalize Yellow.
The umpires' decision is based on the distance between the boats, the nature of
Yellow's bear-away and the efforts of Blue to keep clear.
Question 3
In similar circumstances, Blue keeps clear, but when head to wind, she maintains it
for a time. Blue then passes head to wind, and slightly later Yellow bears away and
their sterns make contact. Flag Y is displayed. What should the call be?
Answer 3
When Blue passes head to wind, the boats are no longer overlapped on the same tack
and the second part of the definition of Keep Clear no longer applies.
If the contact would have occurred without Yellow bearing away, Blue broke rule
13.1. Penalize Blue.
If the contact would not have occurred without Yellow's bearing away, Yellow broke
rule 16.1. Penalize Yellow.