PART 2 , S E C T ION B : WHEN BOAT S ME E T — G ENE RAL L IMI TAT IONS 131
of way must give the other boat space and time for response, and thus a fair opportunity to manoeuvre to keep clear.” (See also Case 53.) Note that a right-of-way boat does not have to anticipate that she will lose
her right of way. Case 53 is clear on this point: “Allowing adequate time for response, when rights and obligations change between two boats, is implied in rule 15 by its requirement to allow the newly obligated boat ‘room to keep clear’.” Therefore, in the example above, the leeward boat need not anticipate her requirement to keep clear as a port-tack boat before the windward boat gybes to starboard. However, the use of the word “initially” clearly states that the protection of
“roomto keep clear” is not continuing. In the old video game Deluxe Asteroids, a tiny rocket ship tries to blast apart large rocks that will blow up the ship if they hit her. When there are just too many rocks about to hit, the player can press a button, putting a protective force shield around the ship. At first, the rocks bounce off the shield, but after a few seconds the shield begins to fade and disappear. The room to respond to a newly acquired obligation to keep clear is a tempo - rary “shield” for the new keep-clear boat. It is very strong initially, but fades
