Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing

234 UNDE R S TANDING THE RAC ING RUL E S OF SAI L ING THROUGH 2 0 2 4 Here is how rule 20 works:

1) For a hail to be a legal hail under rule 20.1, the two boats must be on the same tack and approaching an obstruction, the leeward boat (L) or the boat clear ahead (A) must be sailing close-hauled or above, and L or A must soon need to make a substantial course change to avoid the obstruc- tion safely (rules 20.1(a) and 20.1(b)).

2) Rule 20.1 is intended for the use of L or A when she is about to hit, or be hit by, an obstruction, e.g., a sandbar, a dock, a fishing boat, or a star- board-tack boat that is racing. When there is any doubt as to whether L or A actually is in imminent danger of colliding with an obstruction, I would always expect the protest committee to give L or A the benefit of the doubt, and I would encourage sailors on the water to do the same.

3) Rule 20.1 only provides a boat enough room to tack without fouling a nearby boat. Let’s say the boats are on starboard tack. L or A hails for roomto tack and the windward boat (W) or boat clear astern (B) responds, “You tack.” If the course of L or A is sufficiently to leeward of W’s or B’s course such that after tacking onto port tack she has roomto immediately bear away and pass astern of W or B, she is required to do so, since she has the room she needs to tack and avoid the other boat. (See Case 35.)

4) Rule 20.1(a) prohibits L or A from hailing the other boat for roomto tack unless safety requires L or A to make a “substantial change of course” to avoid the obstruction. Here, the course change is simply that needed not to hit the obstruction. In this case, as my general guideline, a course change of less than 10 degrees is not very “substantial.” That’s only 3 feet, 6 inches, in a 20-foot boat. Therefore, in a 20-foot boat, if L or A can bear away and miss an obstruction that she would otherwise hit only 3 feet from its downwind edge, it is questionable whether she is entitled to hail under rule 20.1. But if she needs to tack to avoid the last 3 feet of its up- wind edge, then that’s more “substantial.” (See Appeal 15 and Case 11.)

“What happens if a boat hails for room to tack, and the boat being hailed doesn’t think the hailing boat is approaching an obstruction or needs to make a substantial course change to avoid the obstruction?”

First of all, the boat that was hailed must respond to the hail by tacking or replying “You tack” (see the following discussion on rule 20.2(b)), even if the

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