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Posted

The scenario of interest is shown below:

Tacking.thumb.jpg.1ab667f1ee4a5bc5fb00dc096589b6d5.jpg

 

Both boats on port approaching a port hand windward mark, but still outside the zone.  Blue is ahead and to leeward.  Blue reaches a point where they think they can just about lay the mark and tacks onto starboard into the path of yellow.  Yellow could avoid a collision if she 'crash tacked' onto starboard but would much rather go astern of blue (as she probably won't lay the mark and will end up in coffin corner if she tacks inside blue).  Now lets include the case where it's a windy day, yellow is well heeled over and so is going to need more room to bear away then she would to tack.  If she tries it and there is a collision, who is at fault?

Obviously this is a bit of a judgement call but this is what I think.

Clearly blue breaks rule 13 if she hadn't completed her tack before contact occurred but she is also keep clear boat until she has completed her tack and therefore I would say that if yellow has to start avoiding action before blue has completed her tack then blue has broken rule 13 even if she has completed her tack before the collision would have occurred.  We also need to consider rule 15 which places even more onus on blue.  Blue has clearly acquired right of way by her own actions and therefore must give yellow room to keep clear (and there must be room to keep clear after the tack has been completed, yellow should not need to alter course as soon as blue starts to tack).  The question I don't known the answer to is this:  Does yellow have to keep clear in the most expeditious manner (i.e. tack when she doesn't want to) or must blue leave enough room for her to pass astern if she wishes?

I've seen some nasty crashes and boat damage caused by this situation.  If yellow attempts to pass astern she will accelerate quickly and increase her weather helm making it harder to bear away in time.  It may be just my experience but don't think radio sailors give enough heed to rules 13 & 15.  I would suggest that, as a rough rule thumb, if you COMPLETE your tack less than two boat lengths clear of a boat which now has to give way to you, then you have tacked too close.  

Posted

Yellow does not have to anticipate any action of blue, but when blue has gained ROW yellow must respond in a timely manner and if this means only tacking is timely then that’s what has to happen. If yellow is concerned about blue tacking then it should be sitting on blues hip to prevent them tacking until yellow is ready.

next time this happens and you wish to go behind then release your sails, the boat will slow and you can duck the blue boat. 

Posted

A good number of boats in this situation will tack onto starboard (even if you are almost alongside them) as they think that this gives them "carte-blanche" to do so and make the port tack boat avoid them.  Often shouting "Tacking" or "Tacking onto Starboard" to emphasise the point that they have given time for the port boat to respond by doing so.  Making such a call does not however, in my opinion, change the obligations of the boat tacking onto starboard to allow the port boat to take avoiding action, but I guess it makes them feel better. 

I'm sure that if they were in a wooden dinghy contemplating such a manoeuvre, they might think twice about whether the port tack boat was likely to avoid them (and thus end up with a hole in their side from the bow of the port boat)!

Posted

What does this look like in action and real life? Try this video from Monday.

Start at 3.40, and see two port boats, the bouy in background is the spreader, not windward mark, sorry for the jumpy camera work, the floating jetty moves up and down a lot.

 

Posted

The rules that apply are simple – but as always. applying them requires judgement.


This situation has three components


 -first is when leeward begins to alter course by luffing up to head to wind – she still has ROW under R 11 or R 12, but while altering course, R 16.1 applies and windward has to be given room to stay clear.


-second is when leeward passes head to wind and is now on stbd, but is tacking and has to stay clear under R 13. If Port thinks there is a risk of contact, and starts to alter course before the tacking boat reaches her close hauled course, then tacking boat breaks R 13.


-third is when tacking boat reaches her stbd close hauled course  - only now does Port become the keep clear boat, and has to start to keep clear.  As ROW changed, R 15 applies. If Port is unable to stay clear, then the tacking boat failed to provide sufficient room and breaks R 15.


There is a very good section in the World Sailing Call Book for Radio Sailing, titled General Principles.

Here is the section.

1 Limitation on Interpretations
In radio sailing the boat and the competitor controlling her are usually separated by
some, possibly significant, distance. The competitor may not be well placed to view
any incident and to rapidly analyse the relative speed, angle and distance between the
boats. Therefore, interpretations of the rules should be appropriate to the conditions
and should take account of these limitations.
2 Definition: Keeping Clear
A boat is keeping clear if a right-of-way boat can sail her course with no need to take
avoiding action. In accordance with WS Case 50, a right-of-way boat needs to take
avoiding action when she has a genuine and reasonable apprehension of a collision.
If, in such circumstances, she does not take avoiding action and there is contact, the
right-of-way boat will break rule 14.
3 Definition: Room, meaning of 'manoeuvring promptly'
When the term room, as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing, is used, manoeuvring
promptly includes the time needed by the competitor controlling the boat to analyse
the situation and react accordingly. In radio sailing, this time may be longer than the
time needed to carry out the manoeuvre itself.
4 Definition: Room, meaning of 'in a seamanlike way'
WS Case 21 states that 'extraordinary' and 'abnormal' manoeuvres are unseamanlike.
Some actions that are abnormal in larger boats may be considered normal, and
therefore seamanlike, in radio sailing. However, any manoeuvre that puts a boat at
risk of damage is unseamanlike. It is also unseamanlike to hit a mark, a pontoon, a
bank or a patrol boat

 

John

 

 

John Ball

IOM CAN 307 (V8)

In my private capacity

Posted

John B,

Your reply seems to align with what I originally thought about the rules but doesn't answer my fundamental question.  Imagine that yellow is bearing down on blue at some speed and well heeled over and would strike blue just astern of midships if she held her course.  For aerodynamic and hydrodynamic reasons (I'll spare you the explanation) yellow could probably avoid a collision if she tacked but not if she tried to duck.  Could yellow tack and then protest blue under rule 15?

Posted
6 hours ago, John949 said:

  Could yellow tack and then protest blue under rule 15?

Once Blue reached her close hauled course, and if Yellow was then able to avoid Blue, then she was given sufficient room.

John

John Ball

IOM CAN 307 (V8)

In my private capacity

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