Right of Way...

[browner]

This pertains to boats racing an opposite tacks while approaching a downwind mark or finish. Why is it that two boats, one running on Starboard and the other on Port does the Starboard boat continue hailing and thinking that they can not allow you to round or finish? This is fleet racing with boat room rights and everything. Everyone stop doing this...you can not sail someone past the mark in a fleet racing situation when they have reached that 2 boat length zone. I will note that in this instance the Port boat has entered the 2 boat length zone first.

[paulk]

Haven''t done it recently, (I try to stay clear ahead of everybody I can) but believe the situation depends on who''s inside, not necessarily who''s ahead. If the two boats are overlapped, and P is inside, then S needs to give him room, as you claim, per rule C 18.2 (a), regardless of whether P is ahead of S or not. If S is on the inside (even if P enters the 2 B-L circle first), S may be able to take P past a mark to be left to port, because P has to keep clear of S, besides giving room. This this would be a pretty foolish maneuver. S would have to go past the mark as well, to make it happen, and P could put on the brakes, head up to round the mark and -surprise- become the inside boat. IMHO that a Protest Committee would enjoy hashing this out the next time it happens to you, and it would be a very educational session for the entire fleet. Some of the regattas we hold at our club have Protest Committee hearings open to racers, crew and other interested sailors as silent observers. After deciding a protest, the PC reviews the facts of the protest to the audience, explains how they came to their decision, and answers questions. All the racers -even those in different divisions - end up knowing the rules better and it helps everyone have more fun on the water.