1)
at a windward mark boat 'a' (me) is ahead to windward at the two boatlength
circle. Boat 'b' is overlapped inside. Boat 'a' however is close-hauled
making the mark and boat 'b' (inside but a bit behind) has to pinch above
close-hauled to make it around the mark. Does boat 'a' have to give boat
'b' "room" even if it means going above close hauled to do
so? I thought I had to give them room otherwise they would hit the
mark. one of my crew thinks they cannot take us above close-hauled.
You are absolutely right: Boat B is entitled to room and boat A
must give that room, even if that means having to go above close-hauled.
The Rules basically state that B is entitled to room but the Rules say
nothing about how that room is given, i.e. A has to give room any way she
can.
2) at
a reach mark boat 'a' (me) approaches on starboard in a dying
breeze and gybes for the mark around 2 - 3 boat lengths away. By the time
she is about 1 boat length or less from it (moving very slowly in the dying
breeze) other boats now come in on starboard tack with good pressure in
fresh breeze and claiming "room" and overlap (from miles away).
Should they get it?
The Overlap definition states: Clear Astern
and Clear Ahead; Overlap One boat is clear astern of another when
her hull and equipment in normal position are behind a line abeam from the
aftermost point of the other boat's hull and equipment in normal position.
The other boat is clear ahead. They overlap when neither is clear
astern or when a boat between them overlaps both. These terms do
not apply to boats on opposite tacks unless rule 18 applies.
You'll notice that there is no distance limitation on this.
Strategically, what this means is that you want to make every effort to be
in the Two-Length Circle before bearing away and giving everyone and his
brother an overlap, especially if you will be very slow after the gybe
(very light winds, going up-current).
On the
second issue, I gave them room although I wasn't sure they were
entitled because they had been so far away when I gybed.
Smart move. Better to err on the side of being more sportsmanlike
than the minimum when you're not sure.
Afterwards
in the bar, someone explained that in that situation the overlap is sighted
from their transom to ours and even though the boats are physically a long
way apart and on different tacks that that is how the overlap gets
judged. It must be difficult to prove either way in the protest
room. Any thoughts?
Actually, the overlap is sighted from the boat further ahead,
i.e. at right angles to your transom in this case. When you make a right
angle gybe near the mark, pretty well everyone on the previous leg now has
an overlap on you, which usually doesn't matter since very few can get
there in time to claim room. But this shows you why it can be crucial not
to begin your turn until you have reached the sanctuary of the Two-Length
Zone, when it is too late for anyone to claim room from establishing an
overlap at that point.
Thanks
in advance for any help you can give.
Hey, these things are really fun. Glad to be able to help. Keeps
my Rules knowledge reasonably sharp. BTW, where do you sail? I sail out of
Oakville, just west of Toronto, and we're just off to sail our annual
Around Toronto Island Race out of TS&CC. May be our last one since a
bridge across the Western Gap to the Island Airport has been approved by
the money-hungry!