• A port-tack boat is reaching by to leeward of a starboard-tack boat before the start. The starboard-tack boat does not change her course, but just as the boats are passing her boom suddenly flies out and hits the port- tacker’s shroud. Clearly there is no way for port to keep clear at that moment. If it is determined that S’s skipper let the boom out intentionally to hit the boat on port, I would penalize S under rule 2. If it is determined that S was simply sailing her boat, perhaps responding to a gust of wind, etc., I would penalize P for not keeping clear.
• Two boats come off the starting line side by side in very light air. Suddenly, the leeward boat rocks hard to windward, the tip of her mast hitting the tip of the windward boat’s mast. The leeward boat does not change course. Again, if it is determined that the action was done solely to try to touch the windward boat, I would penalize the leeward boat under rule 2. I would apply the same reasoning to a leeward boat whose crew goes out on the trapeze in light air or otherwise reaches out and touches the windward boat for the sole purpose of “fouling the other boat out.” (See Case 73.)
• A boat is on a heavy-air overnight race. Each time the boat tacks, the crew down-below move the sails back and forth to the windward side to increase the boat’s stability. Not only would I penalize this boat for breaking rule 51 (Movable Ballast), I would penalize her under rule 2 as well.
