Racing Rules: Starboard Marks on ponds

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Starboard Marks on ponds

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Racing Rules
Forum Discription: Discuss the rules and your interpretations here
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8140
Printed Date: 08 Aug 25 at 3:06pm
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Topic: Starboard Marks on ponds

Posted By: dave_c_v
Subject: Starboard Marks on ponds
Date Posted: 09 Aug 11 at 12:27pm

OK - Sailing on a small inland pond where the marks are somewhat fixed you usually end up with some winds with Starboard marks. Is there a good web site that can just explain all the rules rouding the classic marks to starbaord. I have seached for some time and cannot find anything.

The rules and the tactics change considerably. Example.

A windward mark to starboard.

A menagerie fleet.

The configuation of the lake means most boats are on Port tack laying the mark.

A starboard boat mich have rights over the port boat but cannot tack in the port boats water to lay the mark.

Or one from experience - I have no idea what happend here.....

I suppose this was best described as a lee mark. Broad reach to a beat(ish)

What are the rules when a wind shift now means that boats are aproaching on starboard to avoid a dead spot on the lake. A slower topper in light winds begins to tack around the mark while a laser behind catches a puff of wind and is catching. The topper was in mid tack onto port but left a bigish gap around the mark. The guy in the laser tacked in to the gap and declared something about continuing rights from being on starboard?

Any way a definitive guide to Starboard marks on ponds would be very useful!

Any links?

Dave

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Dave

Replies:

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 09 Aug 11 at 2:17pm

Sounds like the guy in the Laser was talking nonsense... However if a gap is left you can go in there at your on risk and if you don't impede the other boat you are in the clear.

I think the books lay too much emphasis on diferences between port and starboard rounding, its not that big a deal in the average club race when there's a reasonable amount of room. The major thing is that a boat approaching the mark is completely stuffed unless they can find a safe gap to go through and tack beyond starbord boats on the lay line. Quite likely in a club race of twenty boats of varying speed, probably impossible in a Champs fleet of 70 identical boats.

Posted By: Brass
Date Posted: 09 Aug 11 at 10:46pm

Paul Elvstrom in the 'Elvstrom Explains' books advocates that marks should be set to be rounded to starboard, so the Elvstrom books might be a good start.

Key issue with stbd hand windward mark is that there is no 'starboard tack layline parade' that an approaching port tacker has to penetrate.

Boats lined up to round the mark on port tack will have to give way to a boat approaching on starboard (which will eventually have to tack onto port to round).

Once S, having forced her way above the layline, tacks for the mark:

if she reaches her new close hauled course on port outside the zone, she will be outside boat, with mark room decided under rule 18.2(b) at the zone.
is she reaches her new close hauled course inside the zone, rule 18.3 applies and she wil not have mark room entitlements.l

At a leeward mark the main issue is that a boat approaching the mark such that she will have to gybe to round it, will be coming in on port gybe, and rule 18.4 will never apply to her, with respect to a boat coming in on the opposite gybe, but she will have to keep clear of any approaching starboard tackers that are outside her [direct] course to the mark.

Posted By: Quagers
Date Posted: 09 Aug 11 at 10:50pm

For windward mark rounding tactics have a look at team racing books where that is standard, same for reach > run, might be able to give some insight into the rules that apply and how they can be used.