Page 19 - Case Book 2017 - 2020 April 18

CASE 7 CASE 105
When, after having been clear astern, a boat becomes When two boats are running on opposite tacks, the
overlapped to leeward within two of her hull lengths of the starboard-tack boat may change course provided she
other boat, the windward boat must keep clear, but the gives the port-tack boat room to keep clear.
leeward boat must initially give the windward boat room
to keep clear and must not sail above her proper course. CASE 114
The proper course of the windward boat is not relevant. When a boat is entitled to room, the space she is entitled
to includes space for her to comply with her obligations
CASE 13 under the rules of Part 2 and rule 31.
Before her starting signal, a leeward boat does not
break a rule by sailing a course higher than the RYA 1967/5
windward boat’s course. A keep-clear boat may not invoke rule 16.1 against the
right-of-way boat when she has been given room to
CASE 14 keep clear.
When, owing to a difference of opinion about a leeward A hail of ‘Hold your course!’ places no obligation on
boat’s proper course, two boats on the same tack the hailed boat.
converge, the windward boat must keep clear. Two
boats on the same leg sailing near one another may RYA 1975/5
have different proper courses. S’s response to a wind shift must not deprive P of room
to keep clear, or, after the starting signal, oblige P (if
CASE 25 sailing a course to keep clear by passing astern of S) to
When an inside overlapped windward boat that is change course immediately to continue keeping clear.
entitled to mark-room takes more space than she is
entitled to, she must keep clear of the outside leeward RYA 1990/6
Rule 16 applies to a right-of-way boat that alters course
boat, and the outside boat may luff provided that she
gives the inside boat room to keep clear. out of control.
RYA 1991/1
CASE 26
A right-of-way boat need not act to avoid a collision A right-of-way boat may change course in such a way
that a keep-clear boat is newly obliged to take action to
until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear.
However, if the right-of-way boat could then have keep clear, until a further alteration of course would
deprive the keep-clear boat of room to do so.
avoided the collision and the collision resulted in
damage, she must be penalized for breaking rule 14. RYA 1993/5
A give-way boat is not required to anticipate a right-of-
CASE 46
A leeward boat is entitled to luff to her proper course, way boat's alteration of course.
even when she has established a leeward overlap from RYA 2001/5
clear astern and within two of her hull lengths of the When a right-of-way boat changes course and deprives
windward boat. a give-way boat of room to keep clear, she will have
complied with rule 16.1 by making a further change to a
CASE 52 course that will give the other boat room to keep clear.
Rule 16.1 does not restrict the course of a keep-clear
boat. Manoeuvring to drive another boat away from the RYA 2002/2
starting line does not necessarily break this rule. When a right-of-way boat changes course and the give-
way boat is unable to keep clear, despite acting
CASE 75 promptly in a seamanlike way, room has not been given.
When rule 18 applies, the rules of Sections A and B
apply as well. When an inside overlapped right-of-way RYA 2002/5
boat must gybe at a mark, she is entitled to sail her When a boat acquires right of way or when a right-of-
proper course until she gybes. A starboard-tack boat way boat alters course, she is required to give room for
that changes course does not break rule 16.1 if she the other boat to keep clear. The give-way boat must
gives a port-tack boat adequate space to keep clear and promptly manoeuvre in a way which offers a reasonable
the port-tack boat fails to take advantage of it promptly. expectation that she will keep clear. If the give way boat
fails to keep clear she will break the relevant right-of-
CASE 92 way rule unless she was not given room for that
When a right-of-way boat changes course, the keep-
clear boat is required to act only in response to what manoeuvre.
the right-of-way boat is doing at the time, not what the When a right-of-way boat changes her course to comply
right-of-way boat might do subsequently. with rule 14 because the give- way boat is already not
keeping clear. The right-of-way boat will be exonerated
CASE 93 if in the process she breaks rule 16.1
If a boat luffs immediately after she becomes
overlapped to leeward of another boat and there is no RYA 2003/1
seamanlike action that would enable the other boat to When a right-of-way boat at a mark no longer needs
keep clear, the boat that luffed breaks rules 15 and room to leave the mark on the required side, rule 21
16.1. The other boat breaks rule 11, but is exonerated. does not exonerate her if she breaks rule 16.1.

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