Al

Thanks for your prompt response. Happy for you to use this incident as an example. I race as Crew on an X-332 in the Irish Sea (Morecambe Bay and R. Mersey estuary at Liverpool ) .

... Another question your explanation raised for me is when the rules talk about leaving a mark "on the same side" does it refer to boat's side or the mark's side? ( I have always assumed boat's)

On a totally different point - I am finding the wording/punctuation of Rules 18.1 (a) and 19.2 slightly confusing in relation to the period after the Preparatory Signal (when not approaching the line to start):

18.1 ......However, it does not apply
(a) at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water or at its anchor line
from the time the boats are approaching them to start until they have
passed them,

19.2  Rule  19.1  does not apply at a starting mark surrounded by navigable
water  or  at  its  anchor line from the time boats are approaching them to
start  until  they  have  passed them or at a mark that the hailed boat can
fetch. When rule 19.1 applies, rule 18 does not.

Does  the  phrase  "from  the  time the boats are approaching them to start until they have passed them" refer to the mark and the anchor line?

A  Race Committee boat is always (I believe?) both a mark and an obstruction - so can a leeward boat hail for room to tack when not approaching the line to start if there is a risk of colliding with it or its anchor line? I have seen it stated in Bryan Willis' book "The Rules in Practice" that there is no right to room to tack "whether or not the boats are approaching the line to  start".  I am confused because 18 seems to give the right to room at obstructions, including  room to tack or gybe if required, and 19 uses the same wording as 18.  Rule 19.1 would thus seem to me to apply within the preparatory  period. I guess it depends on the punctuation in the sentences and  how you interpret them. Unless the phrase "or at a mark that the hailed boat can fetch"  is the clincher and this overrides the other statements. So,  if  the windward boat can't fetch the RC boat you would have the right to hail for room to tack? (Have I answered my own question here!!)

If  there is an anchor line stretching out in front of the RC vessel due to wind  and/or tide effects, does this mean that it is not "surrounded by navigable water"?

Sorry if this all sounds very confused - I am! ...

Regards

Ken