Leeward Mark Rounding

Originally posted by Sapspec8650 Thanks indeed your contributions. I am now reassured that a new rule hasn't sneaked up on me. However - just to confirm -- My hail of 'clear ahead -- no room' at the zone requires the other boat to give me mark room and that rule outranks port/starboard .. windward/leeward in the zone?

There's no need for a hail (although it can help clarify things). If you are clear ahead at the zone you are entitled to mark room no matter what.

The way the rules are worded is that the actions of a ROW boat are *limited* by part B and part C rules.

I sill don't really understand, though, how you could be clear ahead at the zone, and yet the boat behind suddenly gets into a position where you can gybe behind him.

Assuming the OP was in the right, exoneration is small compensation for being rammed amidships.......

Edited by Sam.Spoons - 17 Jul 19 at 9:12am

Originally posted by Sam.Spoons Sounds like a little knowledge of the rules being a 'dangerous thing' in the case of your opponent. I suspect he has recently learned the W/L and P/S still apply in the zone but not that they don't override mark room.......

Perhaps he is working his way through the rule book in order, and has yet to encounter rule 18

If you were clear ahead when the closest boat reached the zone then the boat clear astern shall give Mark Room. Rule 18.2b, c and the definition of Mark Room cover this.

18.2b  If boats are overlapped when the first of them reaches the zone, the outside boat at that moment shall thereafter give the inside boat mark-room. If a boat is clear ahead when she reaches the zone, the boat clear astern at that moment shall thereafter give her mark-room. 18.2c When a boat is required to give mark-room by rule 18.2(b),  (1) she shall continue to do so even if later an overlap is broken or a new overlap begins;  (2) if she becomes overlapped inside the boat entitled to mark-room, she shall also give that boat room to sail her proper course while they remain overlapped.