J/80 Fleet 1 - Sailing in the Zone, Part Three

Sailing in the Zone, Part Three

At the Leeward Mark on the Same Tack and Overlapped

by Edward Baker

Introduction

Part one and two of this series applied the Racing Rules of Sailing to two boats approaching the leeward mark on the same tack and with an overlap such that the outside boat had the right-of-way but had to yield mark-room to the inside boat. I would now like to switch tacks so that the inside boat initially has the right-of-way. The race course is a windward-leeward set up and marks are being left to port.

Situation

Two J/80s are approaching the leeward mark. Both boats are on a starboard tack and an overlap was established and maintained long before the first boat reached the zone. As the boats transit the zone IL, the inside and leeward boat, wants to carry out a tactical rounding and hails OW, the outside and windward boat, for mark-room and started to luff OW. OW responded by stating that IL had plenty of room and did not alter course to accommodate IL's luff. Not wanting to have contact between boats IL aborted it's luff and proceeded to sail directly to the mark. IL and OW requested a review and interpretation of the mark rounding. Figure #1 is a depiction of the mark rounding.

Discussion

As can be seen from IL's track marks in figure #1 IL had to perform a very tight turn around the mark resulting in a significant lose of boat speed. The tight turn also complicates the simultaneous gybe and douse of the gennaker. OW's turn around the mark on the other hand was wider and gentler. This wider and gentler turn preserves boat speed and facilitates the gybe/douse evolution. The result of the rounding is very visible in figure #1, IL started the windward leg parked on OW's windward quarter engulfed in turbulent air from OW. IL will not be able to overtake OW and will be forced to tack away. Could have IL performed a tactical rounding (i.e. wider, gentler, faster)? Should have OW prevented IL from performing a tactical rounding?

To answer the questions we need to ascertain which rules apply and when. Always start by applying one of the basic four right-of-way rules. By removing the mark and the zone as shown in figure #2 we see that IL and OW are on the same tack and the dotted line in the figure clearly shows an overlap. OW is to windward of IL and by rule 11 On the Same Tack, Overlapped it must keep clear of IL, the leeward boat. OW's responsibility to keep clear will never be modified by another rule and remains in effect as long as OW is the windward boat and an overlap exist. This is important so let me restate it: OW must keep clear of IL as long as it is to windward and overlapped to IL and no other rule will modify this responsibility.

IL as the right-of-way boat needs to act responsibly as well and the rules place some limitations on how it may proceed. First of all rule 14 Avoiding Contact requires all boats to avoid physical contact. For a right-of-way boat, action to avoid contact must be taken when the corrections by the keep clear boat alone are not sufficient to avoid contact from occurring. If IL changes course then rule 16 Changing Course applies and IL must give room and opportunity to OW to keep clear. Finally, under rule 18 Mark-Room IL's gybe to round the mark must be timed to stay within the definition of a proper course. Please note how the rules under Section B - General Limitations and under Section C - At Marks and Obstructions place limitations on the right-of-way boat and not on the keep clear boat.

Okay, enough with the sea lawyer talk. Here is the scoop: when rule 18 applies the basic right-of-way rules in Section A and the limitation rules of Section B apply as well.

Putting it all together, IL was the inside overlapped right-of-way boat and therefore entitled to sail it's proper course until the gybe when it was then be entitled to mark-room. So the answer to the questions asked earlier are: IL was entitled to sail a tactical rounding and OW should have let IL do so.

Let's use figure #3 and walk through the applications of the different rules as IL and OW round the mark.

Position one: OW enters the zone, rule 11 requires OW to keep clear of IL, rule 18.2 states that OW, as the outside boat, must yield mark-room to IL.

Position two: IL starts it's tactical rounding by luffing, rule 16.1 requires IL to give OW room and opportunity to keep clear, OW is still obligated by rule 11 to keep clear.

Position three: both IL and OW have gybed to a port tack, rule 11 now gives OW the right-of-way and IL must keep clear, as OW acquires the right-of-way it must abide by rule 15 Acquiring Right of Way and initially give room to IL to keep clear, rule 18.2(b) limits OW right-of-way by requiring it to yield mark-room to IL.

Position four: both IL and OW have rounded the mark so rule 18 no longer applies. As long as IL and OW remain on the same tack and overlapped rule 11 requires IL to keep clear of OW.

Most experts and racing veterans encourage the exchange of hails between boats. Besides alerting the helmsman of the other boat that something is happening it might also communicate one's intention. If you do hail it is best to phrase the hail correctly. IL's hail for mark-room while luffing OW away from the mark may have been misunderstood. Upon hearing the hail for mark-room OW's mind set might have gone straight to rule 18, bypassing rule 11. Had IL hailed "I'm leeward boat, you need to keep clear" OW might have understood IL's intention and have been on the look out for the luff.

Approaching the leeward mark as the inside starboard tack boat is a very strong position to be in tactically but it also requires a high degree of skill from the boat's crew due to the simultaneous gybe and gennaker douse. When it is done well the boat gains on the race course and the crew can beam with pride. When it goes astray...well let's just say that one can add to their salty, but not printable, vocabulary. A J/80 travelling at five knots will transit the zone in about nine to ten seconds. Clearly the time to be reviewing the tactical picture and rules for rounding the mark is not while transiting the zone but well before.

Rules

The following rules are from the The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2009-2012 and have been cited in this article:

11 ON THE SAME TACK, OVERLAPPED: When boats are on the same tack and overlapped, a windward boat shall keep clear of a leeward boat.

14 AVOIDING CONTACT

A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possilbe. However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room or mark-room

need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room, and
shall not be penalized under this rule unless there is contact that causes damage or injury.

15 ACQUIRING RIGHT OF WAY: When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat's actions.

16 CHANGING COURSE
16.1 When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear.
16.2 In addtition, when after the starting signal a port-tack boat is keeping clear by sailing to pass astern of a starboard-tack boat, the starboard-tack boat shall not change course if as a result the port-tack boat would immediately need to change course to continue keeping clear.

18 MARK-ROOM

18.1 When Rule 18 Applies

Rule 18 applies between boats when they are required to leave a mark on the same side and at least one of them is in the zone. However, it does not apply

between boats on opposite tacks on a beat to windward,
between boats on opposite tacks when the proper course at the mark for one but not both of them is to tack,
between a boat approaching a mark and one leaving it, or
if the mark is a continuing obstruction, in which case rule 19 applies.

18.2 Giving Mark-Room

When boats are overlapped the outside boat shall give the inside boat mark-room, unless rule 18.2(b) applies.
If boats are overlapped when the first of them reaches the zone, the outside boat at that moment shall thereafter give the inside boat mark-room. If a boat is clear ahead when she reaches the zone, the boat clear astern at that moment shall thereafter give her mark-room.
When a boat is required to give mark-room by rule 18.2(b), she shall contiue to do so even if later an overlap is broken or a new overlap begins. However, if either boat passes head to wind or if the boat entitled to mark-room leaves the zone, rule 18.2(b) ceases to apply.
If there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, it shall be presumed that she did not.
If a boat obtained an inside overlap from clear astern and, from the time the overlap began, the outside boat has been unable to give mark-room, she is not required to give it.

18.3 Tacking When Approaching a Mark

If two boats were approaching a mark on opposite tacks and one of them changes tack, and as a result is subject to rule 13 in the zone when the other is fetching the mark, rule 18.2 does not thereafter apply. The boat that changed tack

shall not cause the other boat to sail above close-hauled to avoid her or prevent the other boat from passing the mark on the required side, and
shall give mark-room if the other boat becomes overlapped inside her.

18.4 Gybing

When an inside overlapped right-of-way boat must gybe at a mark to sail her proper course, until she gybes she shall sail no farther from the mark than needed to sail that course. Rule 18.4 does not apply at a gate mark.

18.5 Exoneration

When a boat is taking mark-room to which she is entitled, she shall be exonerated

if, as a result of the other boat failing to five her mark-room, she breaks a rule of Section A, or
if, by rounding the mark on her proper course, she breaks a rule of Section A or rule 15 or 16.

Definitions

Abandon

A race that a race committee or protest committee abandons is void but may be resailed.

Clear Astern and Clear Ahead; Overlap

One boat is clear astern of another when her hull and equipment in normal position are behind a line abeam from the aftermost point of the other boat's hull hull and equipment in normal position. The other boat is clear ahead. They overlap when neither is clear astern. However, they also overlap when a boat between them overlaps both. These terms always apply to boats on the same tack. They do not apply to boats on opposite tacks unless rule 18 applies or both boats are sailing more than ninety degrees from the true wind.

Fetching

A boat is fetching a mark when she is in a position to pass to windward of it and leave it on the required side without changing tack.

Finish

A boat finishes when any part of her hull, or crew or equipment in normal position, crosses the finishing line in the direction of the course from the last mark, either for the first time or after taking a penalty under rule 44.2 or, after correcting an error made at the finishing line, under rule 28.1.

Interested Party

A person who may gain or lose as a result of a protest committee's decision, or who has a close personal interest in the decision.

Keep Clear

One boat keeps clear of another if the other can sail her course with no needs to take avoiding action and, when the boats are overlapped on the same tack, if the leeward can change course in both directions without immediately making contact with the windward boat.

Leeward and Windward

A boat's leeward side is the side that is or, when she head to wind, was away from the wind. However, when sailing by the lee or directly downwind, her leeward side is the side on which her mainsail lies. The other side is her windward side. When two boats on the same tack overlap, the one on the leeward side of the other is the leeward boat. The other is the windward boat.

Mark

An object the sailing instructions require a boat to leave on a specified side, and a race committee boat surrounded by navigable water from which the starting or finishing line extends. An anchor line or an object attached temporarily or accidentally to a mark is not part of it.

Mark-Room

Room for a boat to sail to the mark, and then room to sail her proper course while at the mark. However, mark-roomdoes not include room to tack unless the boat is overlapped to windward and on the inside of the boat required to give mark-room.

Obstruction

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. An object that can be safely passed on only one side and an area so designated by the sailing instructions are also obstructions. However, a boat racing is not an obstruction to other boats unless they are required to keep clear of her, give her room or mark-room or, if rule 22 applies, avoid her. A vessel under way, including a boat racing, is never a continuing obstruction.

Overlap See Clear Astern and Clear Ahead; Overlap.

Party

A party to a hearing: a protestor; a protestee; a boat requesting redress; a boat or a competitior that may be penalized under rule 69.1; a race committee or organizing authority in a hearing under rule 62.1(a).

Postpone

A postponed race is delayed before its scheduled start but may be started or abandoned later.

Proper Course

A course a boat would sail to finish as soon as possible in the absence of the other boats referred to in the rule using the term. A boat has no proper course before her starting signal.

Protest

An allegation made under rule 61.2 by a boat, a race committee or a protest committee that a boat has broken a rule.

Racing

A boat is racing from her preparatory signal until she finishes and clears the finishing line and marks or retires, or until the race committee signals a general recall, postponement or abandonment.

Room

The space a boat needs in the existing conditions while manoeuvring promptly in a seamanlike way.

Rule

The rules in this book, including the Definitions. Race Signals, Introduction, preambles and the rules of relevant appendices, but not titles;
ISAF Regulation 19, Eligibility Code; Regulation 20, Advertising Code; Regulation 21, Anti-Doping Code; and Regulation 22, Sailor Classification Code;
the prescriptions of the national authority, unless they are changed by the sailing instructions in compliance with the national authority's prescription, if any, to rule 88;
the class rules (for a boat racing under a handicap or rating system, the rules of that system are class rules');
the notice of race;
the sailing instructions; and
any other documents that govern the event.

Start

A boat starts when, having been entirely on the pre-start side of the starting line at or after her starting signal, and having complied with rule 30.1 if it applies, any part of her hull, crew or equipment crosses the starting line in the direction of the first mark.

Tack, Starboard or Port

A boat is on the tack, starboard or port, corresponding to her windward side.

Zone

The area around a mark within a distance of three hull lengths of the boat nearer to it. A boat is in the zone when any part of her hull is in the zone.

This is the LWSA pre-2017 ARCHIVE site. For 2017 and later see the current LWSA site.