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I'd like to present 3 similar scenario in which the definition of Mark-Room and Proper Course interact. I believe Mark-Room is a dynamic situation and not a corridor of entitlement.
Scenario 1. KC with MR, deviates from her PC on approach to Mark whilst being the inside boat.
I believe, that in Scenario 1, the KC boat, with MR is no longer entitled to Room from P3 since she is no longer sailing to the Mark ("Room to sail to the Mark when her Proper Course is to sail close to it") . Disqualify Yellow (R10). No exoneration (R43) since she was outside her entitlement to Room.
I believe, that in Scenario 2, the boat with MR (Yellow) at P6, is sailing her Proper Course to the Mark and is entitled to Room. Disqualify Blue (R18). Exonerate (R43) Yellow, even if broken R10 since she was sailing within the Room to which she was entitled.
I believe, that in Scenario 3, the boat with MR (Yellow) had been given Room ("Room to round or pass the Mark on the required side") But had lost entitlement to Room when she deviated from her PC (at P7, P8) so was no longer entitled to Room to sail to the Mark because it was no longer her Proper Course to sail close to it. Disqualify Yellow (R10). No exoneration since she was not sailing within her entitlement to Room.
Stewart .. Scenario #1 in US130 addresses your Scenario #3. Since the mark is directly DW, Yellows MR does not include room to gybe.
"In Diagram 1, Boat A is entitled to mark-room. But because A does not need to gybe and sail on port tack to begin sailing the next leg on her optimum angle to the wind, mark-room does not include room to gybe and sail on port tack during her rounding maneuver. If A gybes and sails on port tack and breaks rule 10, she is not exonerated by rule 43.1(b) for her breach. "
Hi Michael. By "corridor" I am refering to an interpretation by some that there is a defined at-the-zone corridor along which a boat may sail which does not change as the boat moves from the Zone edge towards the Mark. I think I have shown a dynamic situation where the "Room" required changes as the position of the boat changes. In my Scenario 1, some would say that from P1, Yellow can sail wherever she likes within a corridor of, perhaps, 1.5 boat lengths width. I would say that she must continue to sail her Proper Course towards the Mark to retain her Room entitlement. In Scenario 2, the KC boat with Mark-Room can sail wherever she likes - but - if she wants to benefit exoneration for an infringement, she must be sailing her Proper Course from whatever is her current position towards the Mark. In Senario 3, the boat with Mark-Room (Yellow) is well outside her original "corridor" but is now sailing directly to the Mark - therefore the course "close to it" is indeed her Proper Course.
In scenario 1, yellow enters zone overlapped inside and is entitled to room to sail to the mark, pass it on the correct side and leave it astern. The application of proper course is a bit odd here. I know it is in the definition of mark room. However, yellow is not the ROW boat. She actually is not entitled to sail the course she would sail if blue were not there. She is required to sail to the mark. In this scenario, yellow took more room that she was entitled to take. She broke rule 10 and 18. If there is damage or injury, I might also DSQ Blue if we determined that it was possible for her to avoid the contact as soon as she realized that yellow was not going to avoid the collision. But if no damage or injury occurred, exonerate Blue for breaking rule 14.
In scenario 2, yellow enters clear ahead. She is entitled to room to round as she normally would (her proper course), which would include a "wide and tight rounding." She never left the zone so rule 18 is still in effect. Blue had no right to go in there and is disqualified. Rule 18 puts a limitation of the starboard boat. She must give yellow room to round and she did not. DSQ Blue for breaking rule 18 and 14. This collision looks like it could cause damage. Yellow also broke rule 14 since it certainly appears that she had a way to avoid the collision. She is exonerated if there is no damage or injury, but not if there is.
For the last scenario, rule 18 turns off once room has been given. At position 5, yellow has left the mark clear astern. She is not entitled to room to gybe when rounding the windward mark. (This scenario is addressed in case US 130, as Angelo pointed out). Yellow breaks rule 10. Same issues around rule 14 could apply. The one caveat here is that we may find that once it was obvious that yellow was not going to keep clear, blue may not have been able to keep clear by anything but a crash gybe--not a seamanlike maneuver. If we found that to be the case, then blue didn't break rule 14 and needs no exoneration (see case 87 )
Anthony. Comments appreciated. I have wondered about "At position 5, Yellow has left the Mark clear astern". In the past I've looked into this and in a Case (can't immediately find it) there was an apparent dispensation for a boat to temprarily and briefly leave the Mark astern as in this senario and hold on to Mark-Room. But I would welcome opinion whether such a temporary "left astern" ends Mark-Room entirely. I am switching off Room (even if Mark-Room still applies) because Yellow's PC is to sail to the next Mark, not the one shown here. So part a) in the definition is not fulfilled. Agreed?
I see, i believe in the corridor, but it is little wider than the boat, not a boatlength. Interestingly, i am not sure the boat in 3 has left the mark astern. I think 18 still applies, but she is just sailing outside the mark room she is entitled to. I look at the way match racing deals with leaving the mark astern to consider this.
Angelo. I'm not sure if a US interpretation would be generally known in the UK. Still no-one seems to be supporting my take that since she is not sailing to that Mark as her Proper Course, then she is not entitled to Mark Room. I thought that was the more obvious. Yellow is not sailing her Proper Course when she is sailing back to the Mark, since her PC is to sail to the next Mark. Therefore she does not satisfy Mark-Room definition a). Therefore if she breaks another rule, she will not be exonerated under R43. And she breaks R10 on this occasion. Does no-one support that reasoning?
Stewart .. in Scenario #3, I'd be inclined to say that for Yellow all elements of MR are given at or just after #5, as from that position, Yellow can not get closer to the mark without gybing. The other elements of MR are satisfied at 5 as well.
I agree with Stewart in all his conclusions, though, like Michael, I am not entirely clear about the corridor issue. There are no corridors mentioned in rule 18, and in general it's a bad idea to apply principles that are not in the rules. Certainly the test of whether it is the boat's proper course to sail to the mark is made at every instant, not predetermined.
I am a little concerned by one thing Anthony said: "In this scenario, yellow took more room that she was entitled to take. She broke rule 10 and 18." There is no rule prohibiting a boat from taking more room then she is entitled to, and a boat entitled to mark-room cannot break rule 18 (except rule 18.4, which doesn't apply in any of Stewart's scenarios). Anthony is correct in saying that the inside boat breaks rule 10. In general, a boat that takes too much room can only be disqualified if she breaks another rule, commonly a rule of Section A of Part 2 of the RRS, or rule 17.
I am at a loss as to yout corridor commends when you effectifly apply it in your reqsoning.
In this scenario, yellow took more room that she was entitled to take. She broke rule 10 and 18. If there is damage or injury, I might also DSQ Blue if we determined that it was possible for her to avoid the contact as soon as she realized that yellow was not going to avoid the collision. But if no damage or injury occurred, exonerate Blue for breaking rule 14.
In scenario 2, yellow enters clear ahead. She is entitled to room to round as she normally would (her proper course), which would include a "wide and tight rounding." She never left the zone so rule 18 is still in effect. Blue had no right to go in there and is disqualified. Rule 18 puts a limitation of the starboard boat. She must give yellow room to round and she did not. DSQ Blue for breaking rule 18 and 14.
This collision looks like it could cause damage. Yellow also broke rule 14 since it certainly appears that she had a way to avoid the collision. She is exonerated if there is no damage or injury, but not if there is.
For the last scenario, rule 18 turns off once room has been given. At position 5, yellow has left the mark clear astern. She is not entitled to room to gybe when rounding the windward mark. (This scenario is addressed in case US 130, as Angelo pointed out). Yellow breaks rule 10. Same issues around rule 14 could apply. The one caveat here is that we may find that once it was obvious that yellow was not going to keep clear, blue may not have been able to keep clear by anything but a crash gybe--not a seamanlike maneuver. If we found that to be the case, then blue didn't break rule 14 and needs no exoneration (see case 87 )
Interestingly, i am not sure the boat in 3 has left the mark astern.
I think 18 still applies, but she is just sailing outside the mark room she is entitled to.
I look at the way match racing deals with leaving the mark astern to consider this.
Therefore 18.1(b) turns off 18 at that time.
I am a little concerned by one thing Anthony said: "In this scenario, yellow took more room that she was entitled to take. She broke rule 10 and 18." There is no rule prohibiting a boat from taking more room then she is entitled to, and a boat entitled to mark-room cannot break rule 18 (except rule 18.4, which doesn't apply in any of Stewart's scenarios). Anthony is correct in saying that the inside boat breaks rule 10. In general, a boat that takes too much room can only be disqualified if she breaks another rule, commonly a rule of Section A of Part 2 of the RRS, or rule 17.