Forum: Rule 18 and Room at the Mark
Does room mark includes room to tack (winward mark to be left on starboard)?
John Cibercitizen
Nationality: Spain
1
On a windward mark to be left on starboard (match race), two boats, Winward and Leeward, are overlapped and on port tack when they enter the zone. Thus Leeward has mark room. But Leeward is under the lay line, so it needs to tack. Has Winward to keep clear of Leeward allowing her to tack, even if this implies that Winward has to tack without her proper course requiring it?
Thanks indeed.
Thanks indeed.
Comments
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For fleet & team racing, no, see the definition of Mark-room as she is inside, overlapped, but not to windward.
When L passes head to wind W is no longer required to keep clear. W is required to give L mark-room.
'Inside' is not defined in the rules, so the word is to be taken in the sense ordinarily understood in nautical or general use (RRS Introduction, Terminology).
Case 12 and US Sailing Appeal 97 are helpful
Case 12
USA Appeal US97
When rule 18 applies, there must be both an “inside” and an “outside” boat in order for rule 18.2 to create rights and obligations. When boats are approaching a mark from different directions, there may be no “inside” or “outside” boat, in which case the rules of Section A and B apply.