Upwind/downwind right of way

I had quite a fun experience at Rutland in April that went something like this.  Windward-Leeward course, with a start line that was also a downwind convergence gate half way up the course.  I was sailing the 12 foot skiff and we were sharing the course with the 18s, and it was quite windy...small rigs on the 18s and the people who got the rig choice right were on 3 rigs on the 12s.  You can guess what happened next...that's right, with about 10 seconds to go five 12s were lining up and accelerating for the start line (complete with dirty great fixed bowsprits of course) just as about seven 18s were coming hammering down through the "gate" triple stringing with the kite up, also complete with dirty great fixed bowsprits.  Yes, it was indeed a "code brown".

Talking to some skiff sailors in the UK and down under, it's now increasingly common for there to be a "gentleman's agreement" that a boat coming downwind with the kite up racing another of the same class will have priority over a boat coming upwind.  To me, that does seem like quite a sensible, safe idea.

Boats have evolved a lot since the rules were written, and when you are hammering downhill at 20 knots twin (or triple) wiring with potentially a large blind spot your options are quite limited in terms of being able to take avoiding action quickly, and I have sometimes had situations when something like a Solo just starts to put in a gentle luff as I go over the top of them, going at least twice as fast, as they have no idea of the concept of "time and opportunity" sailing a skiff.  TBH, even though I have club raced the 18 round the cans, I have only ever once called starboard on another boat when it tacked onto port right in front of me 15 seconds after the start!  I'm not for one moment saying skiffs are dangerous, as I am a firm believer that if you are inexperienced enough to get yourself in a tricky spot in breeze sailing amongst other much slower boats, the chances are you'll probably fall over as soon as you leave the beach anyway!  I just prefer not to really get myself too near lots of traffic, a corner banging/boatspeed approach being the safer and more suitable option IMHO.

However I do wonder if the time has come to review the rules taking into account the speed, power and sailing characteristics of boats such as 800s, B14s, 49ers, 12s, 18s, 5000s, 14s, SB3s, ACs etc etc.

Discuss...

Getafix most of the time skiffs will be racing on their own or with other similar boats.  I've only ever club raced a skiff in conditions gentle enough to allow round the cans racing, as soon as the breeze is up most skiffy things will be doing W-L sailing anyway.  However if there's a "gentleman's agreement" in one class on a mixed skiff start, things will get confusing if not all those skiff classes are aware of it.  Besides, IMHO a "gentleman's agreement" is a very dangerous thing to have...rules prevent collisions, not gentleman's agreements.

Please let's not have this thread degenerate into skiff bashing/trad classes bashing (delete as appropriate), I'm just trying to play devil's advocate here and see what other people's thoughts are on the subject.

The problem i have with this is that it gives skiffs the right to charge down the course at great speeds. In a slower boat, its often very difficult to avoid them- i was coming up to a mark rounding in a 4.7 when 2 skiffs came charging into the same mark on a big gust. Although they were in the wrong, the question wasn't whether i should avoid them, but how...

I think Iain if you send a crew member along the bowsprit you will be fine.

Contender...kinda agree with you, and I don't think the PRO was aware of how quickly the 18s would do the beat and half the run.  However we are not going to moan as it was good of Rutland SC to host the event for us in the first place with such unusual classes.  As it happens I think I speak for all the 12 sailors when we say that we did not really want the downwind gate as it can be quite a challenge to go through as a 12 is a bit more "follow the kite" than an 18 and most other events I have sailed actually give you a DSQ if you go through the gate downhill