When a boat enters the zone overlapped to leeward and inside another, rule 18.2(a)(1) applies and requires the outside boat to thereafter give the inside boat mark-room, which is room to sail her proper course to round or pass the mark. If the inside boat luffs while in the zone, she is not sailing within the mark-room to which she is entitled, so she must give the outside boat room to keep clear under rule 16 and will not be exonerated if she breaks rule 16.1.
Question
Yellow and Blue are approaching the windward mark overlapped on port tack. When Yellow enters the zone, she luffs and Blue keeps clear. Yellow then bears away to sail towards the mark and there is contact between the hulls. Before position 4, Yellow luffs again and Blue keeps clear. Yellow then bears away to sail towards the mark and there is another contact between the hulls. At no time does Yellow leave the zone. There are Y-flags at positions 3 and 5.
What should the calls be?
Answer
Penalize Blue after position 3 and again after position 5.
When Yellow enters the zone overlapped inside Blue, rule 18.2(a)(1) applies and requires Blue to thereafter give Yellow mark-room, which is room for Yellow to sail her proper course to round or pass the mark. When Yellow luffs between position 1 and 2, she is not sailing within the mark-room to which she is entitled, so she must give Blue room to keep clear under rule 16 and will not be exonerated if she breaks rule 16.1.
When Yellow then bears away, she is again sailing her proper course towards the mark. Because Yellow is sailing her proper course, she is exonerated from her breach of rule 16.1 under rule 21(a), and Blue has failed to give her mark-room and breaks rule 18.2(a)(1).
If Yellow turns more sharply than needed to sail her proper course (over-rotates), she is not sailing within the mark-room to which she is entitled, and she is not exonerated under rule 21(a). And if Yellow had room to sail her proper course without making contact with Blue, Blue has given her mark-room as required.
The same application of the rules applies for the second incident between positions 4 and 5.
This call is valid until: 2018-01-01