When to tack

My interpretation has always been that if I, as Starboard boat, have to alter my course at all then there has been an infringement of the rules

like everything in rules land it's down to relative speed, distances, times etc,

If the tacking boat tacked so close that once the tack was complete the only way to avoid contact was for the other boat to luff immediately, then that's definitely a foul on the tacking boat

If the non-tacking boat has sailed on for 10 seconds and then luffs then in most medium sized dinghy's that's not a foul by the tacking boat.

The truth often lies somewhere between the two - pretty hard to determine without having someone sitting there on the water watching the racing.

13 WHILE TACKING

After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats

until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11 and 12 do not apply. If two boats are subject to this rule at the same

time, the one on the other’s port side or the one astern shall keep clear.

 

My understanding is that until she reaches a close hauled course the tacking boat must keep clear, however as soon as she reaches a close hauled course then it's back to rules 11 and 12, on the same tack, and generally that means it's going to be the starboard tack boat that must keep clear.

A close hauled course does not mean sails fully sheeted in and moving at race speed, it just means what it says, having tacked the boat will be moving slower than the boat already established on starboard.

 

I am assuming in all this you are talking about a lee bow tack from the port tack boat on the starboard tack boat!!!!

Thats my view anyway, always happy to look at other interpretations.

Originally posted by ericdonks We have small problem at my club, a member consitently tacks late from a port tack to starboard, causing the starboard tack boat to luff to avoid collision.His mitigation is that he has completed his tack in front of the starboard tack boat and the luff is a result of gaining hight and not to avoid collision. My intepretation is if the staboard tack boat luffs prior to the port tack boat makes its move then thats that its bussiness, if the starboard tack boat then has to luff to avoid collision the the port tack boat has tacked to late and has impeded the starboard tack boat. Any body got any thoughts

If the boat tacking has not reached a close hauled course when the starboard boat has to luff then simple...hail protest and discuss it off the water. If they are unrepenatant after a quite cha then follow it through with a hearing (informal perhaps the first time).

If they are on a close hauled course when you have to avoide then it is simple windward/leeward I am afraid. and the WW baot must keep clear....

carrying on from this. Last night i tack to port a boat length off the start line. Had i not fluffed the tack i would have been well clear. However a starboard tack boat rounded the commitee boat on a reach and then luffed up to close hauled. This led to a port/starboard situation with us both tacking. Am i right in that as he did not give me room and opportunity to keep clear (i tried to by tacking) i am fine (as if he had maintained his course previous to the line i would have been well clear). I know i should never be in this situation but i simply had to tack because there was a wall of slow boats in front of me which i would have gone into the back of.

What constitutes as room and opportunity? In my terms (rs300) and in his terms (GP14)?