224 UNDE R S TANDING THE RAC ING RUL E S OF SAI L ING THROUGH 2 0 2 4


she pleases, subject to rules 16 (Changing Course) and 17 (On the Same Tack; Proper Course). Rule 19.2(a) reminds of this by saying “A right-of-way boat may choose to pass an obstruction on either side.” So, approaching an ob- struction, the right-of-way boat (leeward boat or starboard-tack boat) gets to choose on which side she wants to pass the obstruction, and the other boat(s) must keep clear.


“OK, so when does the outside boat have to begin giving room to the inside boat?”


R U L E 1 9 . 2 ( b ) — G I V I N G R O OM AT A N O B S T R U C T I O N


When boats are overlapped, the outside boat shall give the inside boat room between her and the obstruction, unless she has been unable to do so from the time the overlap began.


The outside boat, whether the right-of-way boat or not, must give the inside boat room to pass between her and the obstruction when she needs it, which will be when she needs to commit to sailing on one side or the other of the obstruction and needs room to do so. A common example is two overlapped boats sailing upwind on port-tack


(PL and PW) approaching a starboard-tack boat (S). As the boats near each other, PL bears away to pass astern of S. When PW gets to the point where she must commit to either bearing away also or tacking, rule 19.2(b) requires PL to give PW room to pass astern of S if PW chooses to do so (Case 11). Another common example is on the starting line. Two overlapped starboard-


tack boats (SL and SW) are reaching down the line and approaching another starboard-tack boat clear ahead (A). If SL wants to pass or stop on the wind- ward side of A, she may do so by luffing, subject to rule 16.1 (Changing Course), and SW must keep clear. If SL chooses to pass astern of A, then she must give SW roomto do so if SW chooses to pass astern as well. This is true even if SW’s bow is ahead of SL’s such that she will reach A before SL. (See Case 117 and Appeal 36.)


“What happens if it is not clear on which side the right of way boat will pass the obstruction?”


Good question! Rule 19.2(b) is premised on there being an “inside” and an “out - side” boat. If neither boat is clearly the “outside” boat, then it is not possible


Table of Contents


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