226 UNDE R S TANDING THE RAC ING RUL E S OF SAI L ING THROUGH 2 0 2 4
later. Boats are expected to know their obligations under the rules, which in- cludes outside boats at obstructions. Case 41 reads, “QUESTION 2: Does BW have to hail for room to pass to leeward of A? If not, would BL risk disqualifi - cation by not giving room? ANSWER 2: BW is not required to hail for room, although that is a prudent thing to do to avoid misunderstandings. Rule 19.2(b) requires BL to give room to BW if they both pass to leeward of the obstruction, whether or not BW hails for room.”
“How does it work when I want to establish an overlap between two boats on the starting line?”
Let’s say you were on starboard tack approaching two other starboard-tack boats (L and W) sitting side-by-side near the starting line. You need to keep clear of L under rule 12 (On the Same Tack, Not Overlapped), and W needs to keep clear of L under rule 11 (On the Same Tack, Overlapped). Because
