Agreed.  If needed, they do need to drop the kite.

in that situation pre planning is the best and try not to go below somone. the chances are you wont get past and will then be stuck there. if that happens then no matter if you try to push them up they will prob get overpowered first then capsize on u or have to bear away. if there kite hits you then it may be your fault for not giving them sufficent room. but gybing off if a good option.

it is depressing sitting stuck in someone elses rubbish wind

Nope; in theory, and I've not seen a Case YET on this.  If he says "I need room to bear off to take the kite down to ALOOW YOU to then luff me further", you have to give him the room to take the kite down and then come back up!!!

This does however opena  large can of worms as how long SHOULD it take to drop the kite adn then head back up!   At what windspeeds should you expect a certain type of boat to be able to luff, collapse the kite and not break someting / capsize?

In a few kts of wind I can tack with my kite up; 1 kts more and I'll just blow over!

I find it incredible that the rules effectively grant the give way boat temporary right of way to get themselves into shape to give way. I'm not aware that RoW has to give 'room' to the GW boat, only 'time and opportunity' to keep clear. Having been given time & opportunity GW has to give RoW room to sail their course.

What happens if the kite from w/w touches l/w during the drop? Who is at fault then?

In the situation described, I would have thought that w/w has to give room to l/w to sail their course, even if w/w has to flog or stall their kite to do so.

Some Asyms boats CANNOT flog the kite without going swimming.  If I let go of my KIte sheet when trying to go high I'll just fall in, if I go too high, I'll just fall in!

For me to drop the Kite, I need to come in off the wire (and thus bear off) and then drop the kite. 

Whilst w/w is protected from a l/w ambush by the 2-lengths to leeward rule if the overlap is achieved from astern, in the OP situation l/w was rolled while getting up to speed, so it doesn't apply. IF this went to protest, I would expect w/w to have made some allowance for the fact that they made themselves g/w boat by going to w/w. The rules say that g/w does not have to anticipate any moves RoW makes (don't they?), but they put themselves there, so should suffer the consequences.

Scooby - I reckon you'd just have to slow / stop 'till l/w has gone through to avoid an infringement...

Luffing as a weapon is only really any use when used against a boat in the same class or of similar performance to yourself. As you have rightly pointed out, clear air is king (especially on smaller inland waters).

But the only way to stop IS to bear off and stop; down wind, on the wire with the kite up; 16-20kts in not unusual and when it all goes well much more.  You simply cannot just "stop" a boat weighing 104kg with 32.5sqm sail up!!  Once the windward hull is more than about 3 feet out of the water, you cannot go any higher (on bearing) without capsizing. 

This is why I generally go below most things!!!! as I'm catching them at 10+kts!!!

It's generally good not to get caught up in luffing matches/ bumps of rapid takcs - they all slow you down!

Unfortunatley, when push comes to shove, you need to know which boat to hit first - or at least which boat should give way.

The Racing Rules (and indeed the Collision Regulations) are not written with specific examptions like "I was windard multihull, therefore I could not give way to a leeward boat - because I need to turn downwind to slow down".

Perhaps the multihuills should fly code flag "D" - or the "ball + Diamond + ball" for a vessel restricted in its ability to manoeuvre? Otherwise the assumption is that the normal rules will apply - and that can raise a significant risk of damage and injury.

Colin

I sympathise, Simon, and it's all a bit tricky when you are single handed. I am getting strangely addicted to taking the Hurricane out on my own on Thursday nights but 10kts is about my limit at the mo. But when I club race (with crew) we are often set "butterfly courses" and choosing your line through a convoy of Lasers racing across your path is a constant hassle. It's quite common for me to have to let the kite flog and dump the traveller to avoid them and I'm surpised the same isn't possible for you. Although I do appreciate that you only have two hands and the mainsheet is probably lying cleated on the tramp. While you hold onto kite sheet and tiller.

Dave

Differences are the following

1, Boat is 90kg (almost 50%) lighter than the Hurri
2, Your mainsail is only 2.5sqm bigger 15sqm vs 17.5)
3, Your Kite is only 3.5Sqm bigger (17.5 vs 21)
4, Dumping the traveller will only gain me 15-30 degrees and I'd have to lean in to get it if it has not washed out the back; Yes, usually it's all on the tramp

As I said; let the kite flog and you are usually swimming very quickly unless you BEAR OFF; the boat IS light!!!!

In order to be luffed any higher than I am already(so someone comes up from behind; I need to take the kite down or capsize on top of them.  It's not "seaman like manner" to capsize!!. 

If someone luffs I'll simply state "if you want me to avoid you in a seaman like way, I need to take the kite down.  To do that I need to bear off, come in off the wire and take it down, this will take a few seconds, I'd suggest it would be far better if you gybed away.  Do you intend to take me higher, if so, you need to bear off NOW to allow me to take the kite down, see R15"  and see what happened!!!

15 ACQUIRING right of way

When at boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boats actions.

To refresh ;

Room: The space a boat needs in existing conditions while manoeuvring promptly in a seamanlike way.

Comments Rule Guru's ??????

All points taken Simon. Like I said, I know it's difficult.

With regard to the rules, however, I think that the key phrase is "unless she acquires right of way because of the other boats actions."

Given that you are bowling along faster than the others, you will be "rolling" the leward boats as you scoot past. That gives them right of way from "your" actions and they can luff you without warning or room. However, their timing has to be spot on. At a speed differential of 5+ kts your will only be overlapped for a couple of seconds.

Totally agree.

Perhaps this should have been posted under the 'rules' column. A recent 'luffing' thread has just concluded, which gives a clear obligation for windward to 'keep clear'. Gordon suggested that more of us should make ourselves familiar with the definitions as well as the rules.

I thinking in this case where I'm being over taken to leeward; Agree; IF I'M overtaking, then I'm stuffed!!  Thus my earlier statement that I'll overtake to leeward.    

Which would hopefully solve the problem.  I get a big gust I can be bearing off 40 degrees!!!