Page 18 - Case Book 2017 - 2020 April 18

Rule 14(a), Avoiding Contact CASE 93
If a boat luffs immediately after she becomes
CASE 87 overlapped to leeward of another boat and there is no
A right-of-way boat need not act to avoid contact until it seamanlike action that would enable the other boat to
is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear. keep clear, the boat that luffed breaks rules 15 and
16.1. The other boat breaks rule 11, but is exonerated.
Rule 14(b), Avoiding Contact
CASE 105
CASE 19 When two boats are running on opposite tacks, the
Interpretation of the term ‘damage’. starboard-tack boat may change course provided she
gives the port-tack boat room to keep clear.
RYA 2001/3
Damage includes something that a prudent owner CASE 117
would repair promptly. Damage includes damage a When three boats are on the same tack and two of them
boat causes to herself. Damage may be serious, even if are overlapped and overtaking the third from clear
both boats are able to continue to race. astern, if the leeward boat astern becomes overlapped
with the boat ahead, the boat ahead is no longer an
RYA 2004/3 obstruction, and rule 19.2(b) does not apply. There are
When a right-of-way boat breaks rule 14 but there is no no situations in which a row of boats sailing close to
damage or injury, she is exonerated under rule 14 and one another is a continuing obstruction.
does not break rule 2.
RYA 1990/1
Rule 15, Acquiring Right of Way When a boat acquires right of way or when a right-of-
way boat alters course, she is required to give room for
CASE 2 the other boat to keep clear. The give-way boat must
If the first of two boats to reach the zone is clear astern promptly manoeuvre in a way which offers a reasonable
when she reaches it and if later the boats are expectation that she will keep clear. If the give-way boat
overlapped when the other boat reaches the zone, rule fails to keep clear she will break the relevant right-of-
18.2(a), and not rule 18.2(b), applies. Rule 18.2(a) way rule unless she was not given room for that
applies only while boats are overlapped and at least manoeuvre.
one of them is in the zone.
RYA 1994/4
CASE 7 A boat that breaks a rule while she is out of control
When, after having been clear astern, a boat becomes cannot be exonerated for that reason alone.
overlapped to leeward within two of her hull lengths of the
other boat, the windward boat must keep clear, but the RYA 2003/7
leeward boat must initially give the windward boat room An inside overlapped boat that obtains right of way
to keep clear and must not sail above her proper course. inside the zone is entitled to sail to windward of the
The proper course of the windward boat is not relevant. room to sail to the mark to which she is entitled, but
CASE 13 only if in the process she complies with rule 18.4, and
Before her starting signal, a leeward boat does not with rules 15 and 16.1 with respect to the outside boat.
break a rule by sailing a course higher than the RYA 2006/4
windward boat’s course. Rule 15 applies only when a boat initially acquires right
CASE 24 of way, and not when the rule under which she
When a boat becomes overlapped to leeward from clear continues to hold right of way changes.
astern, the other boat must act promptly to keep clear. RYA 2008/4
When she cannot do so in a seamanlike way, she has not When there is contact shortly after a boat gains right of
been given room as required by rule 15. way, it is for her to show that she gave the other boat
CASE 27 room to keep clear.
A boat is not required to anticipate that another boat RYA 2008/6
will break a rule. When a boat acquires right of way as When a boat acquires right of way or when a right-of-
a result of her own actions, the other boat is entitled to way boat alters course, she is required to give room for
room to keep clear. the other boat to keep clear. The other boat must
CASE 53 promptly manoeuvre in a way which offers a reasonable
A boat clear ahead need not take any action to keep clear expectation that she will keep clear. If she fails to keep
before being overlapped to leeward from clear astern. clear she will break the relevant right-of-way rule
unless she was not given room for that manoeuvre.
CASE 81
When a boat entitled to mark-room under rule 18.2(b) Rule 16.1, Changing Course
passes head to wind, rule 18.2(b) ceases to apply and
she must comply with the applicable rule of Section A. CASE 6
A starboard-tack boat that tacks after a port-tack boat
has borne away to go astern of her does not necessarily
break a rule.

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