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Definition obstruction, Rule 19; When obstruction ends.
Situation 1: at position 1 red is trying to fore-reach across over green, both 4.2m dinghies. There is a moored vessel lying to wind, approximately 2 to 2.5 boat lengths in length. Green will easily pass the vessel leaving it on the starboard side of green without altering course. Red will clear it to port by an alteration to close-hauled up to one boat length away, given speed and the current. Green is clear ahead of red.
At position 2, red is overlapped to windward and continues to bear down towards the moored vessels. Green does not luff. Position 3, green has to alter course to give room to red as a result.
The moored vessel becomes an obstruction late, by reason of red bearing down from to windward.
Therefore: 1) Do we have a definition of “substantially” for the definition of “obstruction”? I would read “substantial” as being greater than “significant”, but do we have a guideline on it? 2) The vessel becomes an obstruction by reason of red’s course coming down from clear astern on green, forcing a change of course by green. Breach?
It’s close to Case 11 and Case 41, but different in that green was clear ahead. Case 125 suggests green had to give room, but doesn’t cover the reaching down situation. Case 146 doesn’t apply, as no luff by green/L
My instinct is: green must, at position 2.5/3, give room under 19 but red at position 2 has broken 11 and 12, given the definition of keep clear and given that her chosen course in not keeping clear turned the moored vessels the obstruction. Thoughts?
[There’s a second, related, scenario I’ll post later.]
Tim ... I'll take the "easy" part. "Substantially" in def: obstruction pertains to a hypothetical scenario where you place the boat 1 BL from the object and head the boat right for it ... not the actual racing scenario a boat finds themselves in.
Def: obstruction (a) an object that a boat could not pass without changing course substantially, IF she were sailing directly towards it and one of her hull lengths from it;
So, the test of whether or not the moored vessel is an obstruction occurs in an imaginary scenario ... not the actual one on the water and is based on the immutable size of the vessel.
Based on your description, the vessel IS an obstruction ... and doesn't "become an obstruction late, by reason of red bearing down from to windward".
The issue is weather red is entitled to room under 19.2(b). The moored boat is clearly an obstruction as defined. It is an obstruction to red as they must change course to avoid it. 19.2 requires green to give red room if they are able to from the time the overlap occurs. Green gave room so they clearly were able to do so. Red is exonerated for their breach of 11. I don’t see how they broke 12. No rules broken in this scenario.
An obstruction is still an obstruction when its a mile away! The definition is about size, not position.
So isn't it just a simple 19.2b situation? Green was required to give room to Red when the overlap started, provided she was able to do so. She did give the room so no rules were broken.
I agree with Angelo. Black is an obstruction, no matter what angle the boats are approaching it from, or how far away.
This is not a problem, because RRS 19 only applies when boats are at the obstruction (RRS 19.1)
We really need to look no further than Case 11. It is irrelevant whether boats are on the same or different courses, or whether they were clear ahead/clear astern before they became overlapped.
Green has exercised the option given to her by RRS 19.2(a) to pass to leeward of Black.
@2 Red is overlapped inside Green and boats are at the obstruction ( Case 150). Green is readily able to bear away to give Red room to pass between her and the obstruction, and is required to do so (RRS 19.2(b)).
Between @2 and @3, Green bears away to avoid Red. Red, overlapped to windward does not keep clear of Green. Red breaks RRS 11.
At no stage does Red break RRS 12. For a boat to break RRS 12 it is usually necessary for there to be contact between the bow of the astern boat and the transom of the ahead boat, because in a RRS 12 situation it is not usually possible for the right of way boat to take any action to avoid the astern boat.
By bearing away, Green gives Red room as required by RRS 19.2(b).
When she broke RRS 11 Red was sailing within the room to which she was entitled and is exonerated by RRS 43.1(b) (USA Appeal US120)
A protest committee hearing a valid protest by Green should decide that the protest is upheld. Since Red is exonerated by RRS 43.1(c)] for her breach of RRS 11 no penalty is imposed on Red.
So, the test of whether or not the moored vessel is an obstruction occurs in an imaginary scenario ... not the actual one on the water and is based on the immutable size of the vessel.
Based on your description, the vessel IS an obstruction ... and doesn't "become an obstruction late, by reason of red bearing down from to windward".
So isn't it just a simple 19.2b situation? Green was required to give room to Red when the overlap started, provided she was able to do so. She did give the room so no rules were broken.
This is not a problem, because RRS 19 only applies when boats are at the obstruction (RRS 19.1)
We really need to look no further than Case 11. It is irrelevant whether boats are on the same or different courses, or whether they were clear ahead/clear astern before they became overlapped.
Green has exercised the option given to her by RRS 19.2(a) to pass to leeward of Black.
@2 Red is overlapped inside Green and boats are at the obstruction ( Case 150). Green is readily able to bear away to give Red room to pass between her and the obstruction, and is required to do so (RRS 19.2(b)).
Between @2 and @3, Green bears away to avoid Red. Red, overlapped to windward does not keep clear of Green. Red breaks RRS 11.
At no stage does Red break RRS 12. For a boat to break RRS 12 it is usually necessary for there to be contact between the bow of the astern boat and the transom of the ahead boat, because in a RRS 12 situation it is not usually possible for the right of way boat to take any action to avoid the astern boat.
By bearing away, Green gives Red room as required by RRS 19.2(b).
When she broke RRS 11 Red was sailing within the room to which she was entitled and is exonerated by RRS 43.1(b) (USA Appeal US120)
A protest committee hearing a valid protest by Green should decide that the protest is upheld. Since Red is exonerated by RRS 43.1(c)] for her breach of RRS 11 no penalty is imposed on Red.