Three boats at the leeward mark
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Topic: Three boats at the leeward mark
Posted By: Wobble
Subject: Three boats at the leeward mark
Date Posted: 19 Aug 11 at 5:06pm
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Three boats are approaching the leeward mark, about even distance but
spread between a high, middle and low course down the leg. All on port.
Wind is moderate, speed fairly fast. About 7 lengths out, the higher boat gybes onto starboard, and promptly informs the middle boat that he has rights  . Middle boat  hails to lower boat to give room. Lower boat declines to do so and holds course  .
(It is later disputed whether, at this point in the proceedings, the
boats are in the zone, and middle boat has an overlap on the lower boat  .) For middle and lower boat, this all happens very fast.Starboard boat makes (mild) contact with middle boat  . Shouting, mostly at lower boat, ensues  .Who is at fault?  Who is innocent? 
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Replies:
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 19 Aug 11 at 6:36pm
| Best to have a diagram for this. A good start would be to tell us whether its a port or starboard rounding! |
Posted By: Brass
Date Posted: 20 Aug 11 at 1:26am
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A diagram would have helped cut down on the options, but here's the full banana. Doesn't matter which hand the leeward mark is, because mark-room is irrelevant. It would be up to the protest committee to decide: key issue would be whether M needed room to gybe away from W be given by L. General
Firstly, no matter whether this is in the zone or not, when
W gybes onto starboard, she gains right of way over both M and L (rule 10). M, to windward, must also give way to L, to
leeward (rule 11), but M, sandwiched between two boats, each of which has right
of way, is entitled to room to get
out of the sandwich under rule 19.2(b). When W gybes onto starboard she becomes an obstruction to
both M and L (definition of obstruction).
If M and L are overlapped, L must give L room between her and the obstruction
(rule 19.2(b). If M and L are not overlapped, there is no entitlement
to room under rule 19.2. L advanced on M
If L is clear ahead of M, rule 19.2(b) does not apply, but
in that case, M does not need L to give room because M can keep clear of W by
gybing astern of L. If L is well advanced on M, but still overlapped, rule
19.2(b) will apply, but it will be a question for the protest committee to
decide whether M, to keep clear of W, needed room to be given by L, or whether
there was room for M to gybe and keep clear of W, without L doing
anything. If it is necessary for L to
give room and she did not do so, L breaks rule 19.2(b) and should be penalised. Neither L nor M significantly advanced on the other
If neither L nor M is significantly advanced on the other,
as long as they are not massively separated, M will need room from L to keep
clear of W and if L does not give room she breaks rule 19.2(b) and should be penalised. M advanced on L
If M is clear ahead of L, rule 19.2(b) does not apply, but M
does not need L to give room to gybe away from W, because M is initially right
of way (rule 12), then after gybing remains right of way (rule 10), and is not
even required to give L room to keep clear under rule 15 because she has not
acquired right of way by the gybe. If M is well advanced on L, but still overlapped, once again
the protest committee would need to decide whether there was room for M to gybe
away from W without L doing anything, or whether L needed to take some action to
give M the room she was entitled to. If
it was necessary for L to take action to give M room and she did not do so she
breaks rule 19.2(b) and should be penalised. Effect of mark-room
Whether boats had reached the zone or not is
irrelevant. Although one or other of L
or M would have gained an entitlement to mark-room, this would not affect L’s
obligation, if any, to give M room to keep clear of W under rule 19.2(b) (Case
114: room includes room to keep clear or
give room). |
Posted By: Wobble
Date Posted: 21 Aug 11 at 12:15pm
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Should have said ... port rounding. Thanks Brass for that very comprehensive explanation. The situation was 'Neither L nor M significantly advanced on the other'. I wonder if W would be penalised for making contact. |
Posted By: Brass
Date Posted: 21 Aug 11 at 1:00pm
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You say there was 'mild' contact between W and M. I take it that this means that the contact caused no injury or damage. Rule 14 is the avoiding contact rule. As far as you describe, there was nothing hindering W from gybing back and avoiding contact with M. W did not avoid contact with M when it was reasonably possible to do so. W broke rule 14 Rule 14(b) provides that a right of way boat that breaks rule 14 shall not be penalised if the damage did not cause damage or injury, so although W broke rule 14, she shall not be penalised for the breach. If L was not giving M room to pass between L and W, then it was not reasonably possible for M to avoid contact with W. M did not break rule 14. There was no contact with L. L did not break rule 14.
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Posted By: Contender443
Date Posted: 22 Aug 11 at 10:54am
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I would have thought at 7 boat lengths the windward boat has all the tactical advantage but maybe not the rights until they gybe onto starboard.
However even if W does not gybe at 7 boat lengths out the 2 leeward boats will need to start thinking about giving water to W if there is any overlap or close to being one. Basically the outside of the 3 is stuffed.
If I was W at 7 boat lengths I would make my intention clear that I want water at the mark and expect to see boats in preparation. After all it may take a few boat lengths for them to realise that they will need to give mark room. ------------- Bonnie Lass Contender 1764 |