Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing

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

exonerated by rule 43.1(a), and W or B should be penalized for breaking rule 20.2(c). If, however, L or A did have enough time and space to keep clear of S after getting no response from W or B but failed to make an effort to use it, she should also be penalized under rule 10 (On Opposite Tacks). This situation commonly occurs at the windward mark. Note that when

PW and PL are in the zone, PW is entitled to mark-room from PL under rule 18.2 (Giving Mark-Room). But from the moment a boat hails for room to tack until she has tacked and avoided the hailed boat, rule 18.2 does not apply between them (see rule 20.2(e)). So if PL wants to tack to avoid a converging S, she can hail PW for “room to tack,” and as long as it is possible for PW to respond, PW must do so, even if it means sailing to the wrong side of the mark (see Appeal 2).

“What about when the obstruction is also a mark; can I still call for room to tack?”

Good question. The answer is in the preamble to Section C and in rule 20.1. Notice that the preamble to Section C says that none of the rules in Section C (which includes rule 20) apply at a “starting” mark surrounded by navigable water or at its anchor line once a boat is approaching them to start until the boats have passed them. When rule 20 does not apply, none of the hails in rule 20 have any meaning under the rules. Therefore a call for “roomto tack” at a “starting” mark when you are about to start or have just started places no obligation on other boats. This situation usually develops when there is a race committee boat anchored as the port or “leeward” end of the starting line. A leeward boat is truly in “coffin corner” if she sails into a position where she can’t clear the race committee boat or its anchor line without tacking, and she can neither tack without fouling the windward boat nor bear away and pass astern of the race committee boat. But if any other mark is a boat or other object large enough to qualify as

an obstruction, then rule 20 applies. However, rule 20.1 says that a boat shall not hail if “the obstruction is a mark and a boat that is fetching it would be required to respond and change course as a result of the hail.” Let’s say you are approaching a mark/obstruction and cannot pass it on its required side without tacking, and that you want to tack but can’t without colliding with the boat just to windward of you (W). First you must check to see if W is fetch - ing the mark/obstruction (able to pass it without passing head to wind). If

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