PART 2: WHEN BOATS MEET— ROOM TO PASS & TACK AT AN OBSTRUCTION 241
she is, then you are not allowed to hail for roomto tack (rule 20.1). In this case you are going to have to gybe or bear away and tack around to try it again. If W cannot fetch it herself, then you can hail W for “room to tack” under rule 20.1. However, let’s say you think you could tack and duck W; i.e., you could tack
without making her change course to avoid you. If you choose to call for room to tack, and W responds by saying “You tack,” and you don’t require her to change course to avoid you, then you have not broken rule 20.1. But if W does need to change course to avoid you, you have broken rule 20.1. Finally, it is important for W or B to remember that even if they are “fetching
the mark” and would be required to change course to avoid L or A if they hailed, if L or A hails for roomto tack, W or B must respond to the hail by tacking or hailing “You tack” (rule 20.2(b)), and then they can protest L or A for breaking rule 20.1 if they have to change course as a result.
