Comments on: Upwind Mark Rounding Rules Quiz Answer

By: Kristen Berry

Kristen Berry — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:55:01 +0000

Bob – Thanks for your comment. The racing rules define many of the words that they use. In fact when you are reading the rules if a word is italicized that means that it is defined in the definitions section of the rules. In the case of “close hauled” it is used throughout the rules, but not defined. Therefore we should go with the common understanding or dictionary definition of how the word is used. In this case, I would say that sailing “close hauled” is sailing as close to the direction the wind without luffing the sails. So, in the case of Green Boat, if she only had to luff up a few degrees, and her jib didn’t luff – then she wasn’t close hauled at the time.

This happens often. Boats coming into the windward mark from the starboard tack layline (especially if they called the layline from a long way out or got more right shift) will often be slightly overstood, and that makes them ripe for the picking for port tack boats coming into the top mark. I hope this helps.

By: Bob Brunius

Bob Brunius — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:45:32 +0000

What constitutes Above Close Hauled? If Green Boat is sailing to the mark on a close hauled heading and only had to luff a few degrees above their ideal close hauled course to avoid Red Boat but the jib doesn’t break, does does Red still break rule 18.3? How is “Above Close Hauled” determined?

By: g

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:58:06 +0000

i’ve haven’t raced for a few years, and i know the rules often change ever 3-4, but this article was good to let me know that this fundamental windward mark principle is still intact.

good show!

By: Kristen Berry

Kristen Berry — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:31:14 +0000

WOW! Well I am happy that you found the Gale Force Sailing Blog. As you will see later today (when I post the next one) I do some rules discussions for a few clubs. If you or your club has a rules scenario that you’d like to see diagrammed and discussed. Please send it along. You can email the description of the incident and then I’ll respond with a drawing and discussion. I hope this can help you and your club in the future!

The RS400 is a cool boat by the way. I wish we had more active classes like that one here in the states. Thanks again, and please let me know what I can do to help in the future

By: Phillip Hubbard

Phillip Hubbard — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:05:58 +0000

Hi Kristen-thanks for your comment. I sail my RS400 at Royal Windermere Yacht Club on Lake Windermere in the Lake District, England- http://www.royal-windermere.co.uk

By: Kristen Berry

Kristen Berry — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:50:34 +0000

Phillip – Thanks for your great comment! You got it right, and that sort of thing happens all the time when a right shift comes into the course and the starboard parade has overstood the mark.

Interestingly, since you were compelled to hit the mark, you would not have been required to do your one-turn penalty either – but you would have had to protest the offending boat in order to be exonerated. Good luck and good racing!

ps – Where do you sail your RS4000?

By: Phillip Hubbard

Phillip Hubbard — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:26:50 +0000

A similar incident happened to me last night racing my RS400. The green boat was bearing down to the mark, fetching, not close-hauled, and we were on port tack, slightly ahead on the water but would not cross clear in front. We tacked, as the red boat in the example above, but the green boat continued on their fetching course and hit us, mid-way down the boat. They shouted a lot about not tacking there and made no attempt to avoid a collision, which occurred, and we were forced onto the mark. Both boats rounded the mark. Had we sailed unimpeded for the mark we would have rounded with no problem.
As I was uncertain about the new rules I did a 720 and finished down the pan- next time I will not and will accept the green boat’s offer of a protest! Thanks for this good example clearly laid out. The green boat, in my incident, should therefore have luffed up from a fetch to close-hauled, as Rule 18.3, and avoided a collision, as Rule 14.

By: Kristen Berry

Kristen Berry — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:21:04 +0000

I understand being unclear about the rules. Hopefully you kept clear (your obligation) and I also hope you remember the incident. Make sure you get even.

By: Kristen Berry

Kristen Berry — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:20:08 +0000

I would say definitely. First of all protests are part of the game, similar to calling traveling or a foul in basketball. Few players take a well intentioned foul personally on the basketball court. Should be the same on the water.

By: Bo

Bo — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:44:12 +0000

We had that EXACT/EXACT scenario happen to us while sailing in a frostbite series about three weeks ago. We were unclear about what the rules specifically said, so we did not protest. Next time we’ll know. Thanks!