Section B - The Prestart
MR CALL B10
Rule C2.5 (7), Last Point of Certainty
Rule 11, On the Same Tack, Overlapped
Rule 14, Avoiding Contact
Rule 16.1, Changing Course
Question
Blue the windward boat bears away hard to pass behind Yellow. Yellow luffs shortly
after Blue begins to bear away. Blue keeps clear in position 2.
In position 3 both boats are passing each other’s windward side. There is contact
between the boats. Both boats display flag Y.
What should the call be?
Answer
Penalize Blue as the keep clear boat unless Yellow breaks rule 16.1 by changing
course without giving Blue room to keep clear.
As stated in rule C2.5 (7), the umpires will assume that the state of a boat or its
relationship with another has not changed until they are certain that it has changed.
The umpires cannot be certain which is the right-of-way boat in position 3. Their
last point of certainty was that Yellow was the right-of-way boat.