Racing Rules: Rounding windward mark in the wrong direction

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Rounding windward mark in the wrong direction

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Racing Rules
Forum Discription: Discuss the rules and your interpretations here
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9208
Printed Date: 28 Jun 25 at 8:15pm
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Topic: Rounding windward mark in the wrong direction

Posted By: Chris415700
Subject: Rounding windward mark in the wrong direction
Date Posted: 15 Apr 12 at 8:27am

An incident from last week that caused much discussion afterwards, but no conclusion.

Windward mark to be left to starboard.
Dinghy A approaches the mark on the starboard layline.
Dinghy B approaches the mark on the port layline.
Dinghy A leaves the mark to port and bears off onto a reaching course.
At the time dinghy A rounds the mark dinghy B is about 6 boat lenghts from the mark and still on the lay line.
Dinghy A realises his mistake, tacks and sails back to the mark.
When dinghy A gets to the mark he gybes round it to unwind and calls starboard on dinghy B who is about 1/2 a boat lenght from the mark.
Dinghy B manages to avoid a collision, but is not sure whether dinghy A had any rights over dinghy B at the time he called starboard, claiming that he gave dinghy B plenty of mark room when he initilly arrived at the mark.
It is unsure whether dinghy A sailed out of the zone after he rounded the mark in the wrong direction.

Replies:

Posted By: sargesail
Date Posted: 15 Apr 12 at 9:55am

A has to tack to round the mark so this is a port and starboard case.

All the usual limitations on altering course would apply - while there is no evidence here it is easy to imagine that A might have been altering course very quickly and therefore B may not have been able to keep clear - but there is no requirement for B to anticipate the gybe and harden up by A.

Posted By: Andymac
Date Posted: 15 Apr 12 at 5:11pm

Ditto Sargesail.

Boat A was never entitled to mark room, but was, then wasn't, then was again ROW boat.

After unwinding back and gybing onto Starboard, it became ROW boat again. Assuming that boat B didn't take avoiding action until boat A had established its right, then the fact that boat B managed to avoid contact (meeting its obligation) suggests that A gave B sufficient time to react to its change of course, so no rule was broken by either boat.

Posted By: gordon
Date Posted: 15 Apr 12 at 9:42pm

When A was on starboard and B on port rule18 does not apply. Rule 10 does apply and port tack boat must keep clear. However, when A gybed she acquires right of way and must give B room to keep clear. If B's manoeuvre to keep clear was necessarily unsamanlike ( a crash tack for instance) A broke rule 15.

Gordon

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Gordon

Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 16 Apr 12 at 8:50am

Originally posted by sargesail

A has to tack to round the mark so this is a port and starboard case.

I don't A did have to tack to round the OP state A bears off on to a reach.

Despite that as A significantly altered course and B could definitely be considered to be keeping clear and only did not keep clear as a result of the RoW boats actions A is at fault.

Gordon has explained it much better though Wink

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Paul
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D-Zero GBR 74