Page 14 - Case Book 2017 - 2020 April 18

CASE 105 CASE 13
When two boats are running on opposite tacks, the Before her starting signal, a leeward boat does not
starboard-tack boat may change course provided she break a rule by sailing a course higher than the
gives the port-tack boat room to keep clear. windward boat’s course.

CASE123 CASE 14
When it would be clear to a competent, but not expert, When, owing to a difference of opinion about a leeward
sailor at the helm of a starboard-tack boat that there is boat’s proper course, two boats on the same tack
substantial risk of contact with a port-tack boat, the converge, the windward boat must keep clear. Two
starboard-tack boat breaks rule 14 if contact occurs boats on the same leg sailing near one another may
and there was still time for her to change course have different proper courses.
sufficiently to avoid the contact.
CASE 24
RYA 1967/5 When a boat becomes overlapped to leeward from clear
A keep-clear boat may not invoke rule 16.1 against the astern, the other boat must act promptly to keep clear.
right-of-way boat when she has been given room to When she cannot do so in a seamanlike way, she has not
keep clear. Rule 16.2 does not apply before the starting been given room as required by rule 15.
signal, nor when a port-tack boat is keeping clear by
sailing to pass ahead of, or, when reaching, to CASE 25
When an inside overlapped windward boat that is
windward of a starboard-tack boat.
A hail of ‘Hold your course!’ places no obligation on entitled to mark-room takes more space than she is
entitled to, she must keep clear of the outside leeward
the hailed boat. boat, and the outside boat may luff provided that she
gives the inside boat room to keep clear.
RYA 1981/3
When at a windward mark a boat that was clear ahead CASE 41
on the same tack at zone entry tacks to pass it, her A discussion of how rule 19.2(b) and the definitions
entitlement to mark-room ends. Rule 10 applies, as if Obstruction and Clear Astern and Clear Ahead;
the mark were not there. Overlap apply when two overlapped boats on the same
tack overtake and pass to leeward of a boat ahead on
RYA 1986/1 the same tack. There is no obligation to hail for room at
When a port-tack boat is required to keep clear of a
starboard-tack boat, she must act clearly and early an obstruction, but it is prudent to do so.
enough to ensure that other boat is in no doubt that the CASE 46
port-tack boat will fulfil her obligation. A leeward boat is entitled to luff to her proper course,
even when she has established a leeward overlap from
RYA 1988/7
When a keep-clear boat indicates that she will take clear astern and within two of her hull lengths of the
windward boat.
avoiding action, a right-of-way boat is entitled to delay
taking action to avoid contact. CASE 51
A protest committee must exonerate boats when, as a
RYA 1991/1
A right-of-way boat may change course in such a way result of another boat’s breach of a rule, they are all
compelled to break a rule.
that a keep-clear boat is newly obliged to take action
to keep clear, until a further alteration of course CASE 53
would deprive the keep-clear boat of room to do so. A boat clear ahead need not take any action to keep
clear before being overlapped to leeward from clear
RYA 1991/4 astern.
A right-of-way boat may hold her course and presume
that a keep-clear boat will give way until it is evident CASE 70
that she is not keeping clear. An inside overlapped windward boat that is entitled to
mark-room from the outside boat must keep clear of the
Rule 11, On the Same Tack, Overlapped outside boat and, if she is sailing outside of the mark-
room to which she is entitled, she is not exonerated if
CASE 7 she fails to keep clear.
When, after having been clear astern, a boat becomes
overlapped to leeward within two of her hull lengths of CASE 73
the other boat, the windward boat must keep clear, but When, by deliberate action, L’s crew reaches out and
the leeward boat must initially give the windward boat touches W, which action could have no other intention
room to keep clear and must not sail above her proper than to cause W to break rule 11, then L breaks rule 2.
course. The proper course of the windward boat is not CASE 74
relevant. There is no rule that dictates how the helmsman or crew
CASE 12 of a leeward boat must sit. Contact with a windward
In determining the right of an inside boat to mark-room boat does not break rule 2 unless the helmsman’s or
under rule 18.2(b), it is irrelevant that boats are on crew’s position is deliberately misused.
widely differing courses, provided that an overlap exists RYA 1962/8
when the first of them reaches the zone.

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