Assymetric 'luffing' on a run.

Last weekend I frequently found myself getting caught up with RS200s on a run and was never sure of rights of way, maybe you could help.

We were doing a windward/leeward series.On the run I was heading straight for the leeward mark and the RS200 were gybing downwind (we were fairly closely matched so the same thing occurred lots of times) and kept coming from behind and below and trying to push me up. I know that a boat overtaking to leeward cannot luff me but in this case we were all sailing our proper course and not altering it. Do I need to give way?

I agree with Jim. An overtaking boat can only luff to it's 'proper course' (which is subjective at the best of times).

The simple rule is to spot them coming and try to ensure that they can go past on their 'hot' angles with little or no interference to you. Either soaking low and going behind them or pointing up and getting an extra burst of speed should help.

What really annoys then is when a boat in an unstayed rig goes 'by the lee' and prevents then from gybing, they get awfully upset....

Originally posted by jeffers I agree with Jim. An overtaking boat can only luff to it's 'proper course'

That isn't quite what I said. Usually the overlap gets established when the Asymettric boat is way down to leeward. If the overlap starts when the asymettric boat is more then two boat lengths to leeward, then there are no limits at all and they can luff the other boat as hard as they like, limited only by the requirement to give the windward boat oportunity to keep clear. So in most cases proper course isn't a limitation. Its usually only an issue if the windward boat is almost completely ahead of the leeward boat or if the boats are sailing very similar angles anyway, such as on a broad reach rather than a dead run.

When this happens to me i politely but firmly tell the helm of the assy that if he really wants to remain in my dirty wind for the next 20 or 30 boat lengths fine, but otherwise it would greatly benefit both of us if he planned ahead and went behind. Most good assymetric sailors will do this anyway without the need to be told.

A Merlin.

Things like 49ers will generally avoid trouble anyway becasue they are so much faster than symetric boats.

It's 200s, 400s and boats which are not all that much faster than you that are a problem, or of course in light winds then the assys are slower.

But good sailors will genrally avoid trouble. It all very well being on starboard or having right of way but it's no good to you if you end up losing out as a result of using your right of way. It's often better to let them go their way and you go yours unless of course you're having a ding dong up the last beat or run or coming into a mark.