World Sailing has issued a Q and A concerning the new obligatory hail for room to tack: in radio sailing ‘[my sail number] Room to Tack’

When the hail does not conform to the required wording there were two options:

 the hail was considered  to break RRS 20.1 and the hailed boat was required to respond by tacking or hailing ‘You Tack’. The hailed boat could protest the hailing boat for the incorrect hail; or

the incorrect hail was considered not to be a request for room to tack. The hailed boat is not required to respond. Rule 20.2 does not apply and the rules of Section A and B do.

The Q and A panel has chosen the second option. A hail for room to tack that does not include ‘[my sail number] Room to Tack’ is not a correct hail therefore RRS 20.2 does not apply.

This may lead to situations in which a hailing boat believes that they are entitled to room to tack, and the hailed boat believes that they do not have to respond.

It also means that different rules will apply depending on whether the boats are initially on port or on starboard.

Our experience at the M/10R Worlds were that some sailors learnt to use the obligatory hail quite easily. Others did not.

The umpires explained several times the reasoning behind the hail of ‘my sail number. This serves to identify the boat that requires room to tack. There may be several boats that need to respond, and it is unlikely that the hailing boat can identify them all.

The umpires reminded sailors who made an incorrect hail that they should make the correct hail.

We shall see how this works out. I look forward to your reactions (please try and remain with the limits of forum decorum!)

2025 7 room to tack.pdf

I agree with the panels decision. 
 

At a recent event i was RO at, despite covering this in my briefing on 2 consecutive mornings, the majority of calls were incorrect… 

Thanks to Gordon for bringing this to our attention.

This is an important interpretation from World Sailing on how to hail for room to tack at an obstruction - and what happens if the hail does not comply with the wording in R 20.

I have added an article to my web site  https://sites.google.com/site/johnsrcsailingrulesandtactics/

See the Chapter 4 Bonus item - R20 and hailing for room to tack - an update.

The bottom line is that if you do not say EXACTLY [my sail number] Room to tack ( example  zero seven Room to tack) then your hail is not valid under R 20 and is treated as if it did not exist - so there are important implications on which rules apply.

John

Edited May 12, 2025May 12 by John Ball
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