So the following picture was taken at a race I was in last night. All boats on <font color=“red”>edit</font id=“red”>starboard, heading to the mark for a tight rounding.
The White Boat and Blue Boat are overlapped.
The Blue Boat and the Red Boat are overlapped.
The White Boat and the Red Boat are NOT overlapped.
How do we all think the right of ways SHOULD play out here? Is Red in control of the entire rounding?
First question is when were the overlaps established? If this situation was identical at the circle four boatlenghts from the mark, then, yes, red must be given room by both other boats to round the mark. If on the other hand red didn’t establish its overlap in a timely fashion, then red has no rights over the other two boats.
See Windpower. Answer will probably be determined after a bit of discussion. Rules Discussion area - similar strange title to thread: something like “windward rounding - boats that appear to be on stbd tack are on port tack”.
Ill elaborate, Just to figure out the answer I want and need.
when the white boat entered the 4 boat length circle, red and blue WERE overlapped, but white and blue were NOT overlapped. By the time the mark is reached, they were all overlapped. What SHOULD happen? White wants to tack, but blue is now overlapped and on starboard.
Outcome, white, not wanting to cause the pile up is pushed wayyyyyyyyyy wide by red and blue, and goes from 1st, to 3rd, unable to regain the lead on the down wind.
-Todd
PS: incase any of these sailors are actually reading this thread, the overlaps were established at 4 boat lengths, white went from first to last, all was clean and kosher, Red had rights.
[:-alien] This scenario illustrates the challanges of setting a fleet racing course with starboard roundings. It is frankly, most unwise, to do so and should be avoided, if at all possible.[8]
<font color=“red”>edited for poor spaelding</font id=“red”>