Tacking for the mark - hail

Worst case this just looks like ignorance to me not cheating ...

Thanks everyone, I think the original question has been answered and we are now into a different discussion. I believe the other helm was ignorant of the rules rather than blatantly cheating or giving a courtesy call.

As a matter of interest I was recently on port, to leeward and ahead of another port tacker going upwind, it was quite windy so gave a courtesy call when tacking as I was in their blind spot and didn't fancy getting a 200 pole in the head as I apeared from behind their jib. They seemed baffled by this call as I was "nowhere near the layline". This is why I think there is a local view that tacking for the layline somehow changes obligations.

Edited by Matt Jackson

That whole seaman like manner thing would indicate that yes a badly sailed boat doing what you described is taking too much room. For example in a match race a seaman like manner can be to handbrake turn it so at the weekend when we were pushed wide at a leeward mark we flagged and the umpire gave the other boat a penalty. Now in a fleet race where slightly slower reactions are expected and boats don't need to be as close for rules to be broken you are entitled to a bit more room but its still a surprisingly small amount.

Do remember tho that without a witness rules situations in fleet racing are very iffy and its all about putting evidence together not taking the rules to the letter.

The only hails that hold any value as far as the rules are concerned are 'Room to tack?' for an obstruction (you know the situation i mean, and then the reply of either 'you tack' or 'tacking'. On top of that there are no others that matter tho some are useful. No call is necessary for water and if you are going to shout anything shout 'room please?' not 'water'.



Edited by Calum_Reid

I'm no expert on this one but I doubt a protest committee would have much sympathy with an inside boat that claimed it was too windy to gybe immediately at the mark.

I've always believed that if you want to poke your nose inside on a windy gybe mark you'd better accept the consequences of a big gust & just get yourself through the gybe.

If you want room to gybe or tack round at your leisure, take the outside track.

Sailing an outside boat 50 yards downwind from the mark claiming that the gust made it impossible for you to execute the gybe doesn't seem like a valid defence to me.

If I was the outside boat wanting to get on with my race I'd certainly be unimpressed!

Originally posted by Calum_Reid That whole seaman like manner thing

The words "seaman-like" applied to mark rounding disappeared from the rules several versions ago.

I think 18.4 makes it pretty clear that if you are inside you need to gybe at the mark or capsize trying.