Section A - Definitions and Fundamentals

TR CALL A5

Rule 11, On the Same Tack, Overlapped
Rule 16.1, Changing Course
Definitions, Keep Clear

Question

B and Y are sailing parallel courses with very little distance between them. Y bears away and her stern hits B. Y protests. What should the call be?

Answer

The umpires will consider how close two boats may sail in the prevailing conditions such that the leeward boat can both luff and bear away without immediately making contact with the windward boat, and also how the two boats came to be this close.

Case 1: When B has had an opportunity to keep clear but is sailing so close to Y that any luff or bear away by Y will immediately result in contact, B fails to keep clear and breaks rule 11. Penalize B.

Case 2: If B is not keeping clear, but the boats came to be this close as a result of Y's earlier alteration of course, to which B responded promptly, and B has since not had an opportunity to increase the distance between the boats, then Y breaks rule 16.1. Penalize Y.

Case 3: If B is keeping clear and Y bears away hard, then Y does not give B room to keep clear and therefore breaks rule 16.1. Penalize Y.