Forum: Rule 18 and Room at the Mark
Rule 18 at a Downwind Finish
Matt Bounds
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
- National Judge
- National Race Officer
0
Green (G) and Yellow (Y) are spinnaker catamarans sailing downwind towards the finish line on starboard tack. They both will need to gybe to finish.
(Position 1) - Green is clear ahead until Yellow establishes an overlap to leeward before either of them reaches the zone (Position 2). Yellow is sailing her proper course as required by RRS 17
At position 3, Y enters the zone directly upwind of the finishing mark (in this case, the signal boat).
Conditions are 12 kts, small chop. Both boat's speed is approximately 15 kts; about 1 boat length every 0.75 seconds.
Questions:
1) Which boat is the inside boat for the purposes of RRS 18.2(b)?
2) If G is owed mark-room by Y, then must Y gybe immediately?
3) If Y does gybe immediately (Position 4), G subsequently gybes, the overlap is broken and because G has overshot the layline, heads up to round the finish mark and there is contact, does she break RRS 12 or does Y break RRS 18.2(c)(1)?
Finally, does RRS 18.4 apply at a downwind finish which is functionally identical to a gate?
(Position 1) - Green is clear ahead until Yellow establishes an overlap to leeward before either of them reaches the zone (Position 2). Yellow is sailing her proper course as required by RRS 17
At position 3, Y enters the zone directly upwind of the finishing mark (in this case, the signal boat).
Conditions are 12 kts, small chop. Both boat's speed is approximately 15 kts; about 1 boat length every 0.75 seconds.
Questions:
1) Which boat is the inside boat for the purposes of RRS 18.2(b)?
2) If G is owed mark-room by Y, then must Y gybe immediately?
3) If Y does gybe immediately (Position 4), G subsequently gybes, the overlap is broken and because G has overshot the layline, heads up to round the finish mark and there is contact, does she break RRS 12 or does Y break RRS 18.2(c)(1)?
Finally, does RRS 18.4 apply at a downwind finish which is functionally identical to a gate?
Comments
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Better?
2) Yes, as Green's proper course is to sail close to the mark (vessel RC) - see the definition 'mark-room'.
3) If there is contact Y does break RRS 18.2(c). G shall be exonerated for breaking R12 by R21(a).
4) R18.4 refers to a boat which is "inside overlapped right-of-way boat". In the pic there is no such boat.
PS. Danielle Lawson are right - the zone in the pic is not coorrect.
The blue shaded area in this diagram represents the zone around the RC boat.
When is Yellow obligated to gybe? At the zone? A gybe is not instantaneous and the turning radius is large.
18.2(f) and 19.2(b) cover situations where the outside boat is not required to give the room if she cannot.
Neither covers this scenario.
2. Your question about Rule 12 suggests that Green collided with Yellow from clear astern.
That means that both were sailing approximately the same track to round the mark.
18 requires Yellow to give Green room to approach the mark, and apparently does so - just not at the speed Green preferred.
Green violates 12. Yellow complies with 18.
2, Yellow must undertake all and any seamanlike actions to give Green mark room and if that is gybing immediately then that is what she has to do.
3 Even if the overlap is broken G is still entitled mark room see 18.2(c)(1). If there is contact from clear astern G breaks rule 12 but exonerated under 21(a) because she is taking mark room to which she is entitled. Under (a) of definition of Mark Room she is entitled to room to sail close to the mark and under the definition of room that is the space a boat needs in the existing conditions. Y is denying that space to G and is therefore breaking 18.2(b)
4 Rule 18.4 could apply at a finish mark if the conditions of that rule were met. In this case no boat is inside, overlapped and right of way at the same time so the rule does not apply.
We do not have that information.
The second drawing shows Green having a clear shot at clearing the mark and Yellow.
If Green contacted Yellow from astern, she cannot have transitioned from mark room to leeward boat luffing rights.
if yellow gybes, and green gybes, then green will be behind yellow, not below, or to leeward, and would follow yellow to the finish line. Green would therefore get bouy room and could gybe back onto starboard to cross the finish line.
This forum is so good !!
Room privilege includes the requirement to "maneuver... in a seamanlike way."
Plowing into the stern of the boat ahead is not seamanlike.
It has been a long time since I sailed catamarans, but I do not see any reason Y and G won't be sailing the same speed after they jibe (e.g., in Position 4.)
Keep in mind that rule 18 only begins to apply when one of the boats is in the zone. It looks like the first boat to reach the zone is Y, and she complies with her obligation to give G room to sail her Proper Course (under 18.2(c)(2) by immediately beginning her jibe.
In position 4, Y can give G mark room by staying clear ahead until G finishes the race.
No penalty.
Rule 18 applies instantly that one of the boats is in the zone.
Anticipating your obligations that will apply upon entering the zone, starts earlier than that.
If the facts found were that Yellow did not provide Green with mark room, then an argument in defense by Yellow that Y gybed immediately upon reaching the zone will not succeed.