Youth Development Squad

Racing Rules of Sailing

PART 2

WHEN BOATS MEET

SECTION A

RIGHT OF WAY

A boat has right of way when another boat is required to keep clear of her.

However, some rules in Sections B, C and D limit the actions of a right-ofway

boat.

10 ON OPPOSITE TACKS

When boats are on opposite tacks, a port-tack boat shall keep clear of a

starboard-tack boat.

11 ON THE SAME TACK, OVERLAPPED

When boats are on the same tack and overlapped, a windward boat shall

keep clear of a leeward boat.

12 ON THE SAME TACK, NOT OVERLAPPED

When boats are on the same tack and not overlapped, a boat clear astern

shall keep clear of a boat clear ahead.

13 WHILE TACKING

After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats

until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11

and 12 do not apply. If two boats are subject to this rule at the same

time, the one on the other’s port side or the one astern shall keep clear.

SECTION B

GENERAL LIMITATIONS

14 AVOIDING CONTACT

A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible.

However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room

(a) need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat

is not keeping clear or giving room, and

(b) shall not be penalized under this rule unless there is contact that

causes damage or injury.

15 ACQUIRING RIGHT OF WAY

When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other

boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the

other boat’s actions.

16 CHANGING COURSE

16.1 When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other

boat room to keep clear.

16.2 In addition, when after the starting signal a port-tack boat is keeping

clear by sailing to pass astern of a starboard-tack boat, the starboardtack

boat shall not change course if as a result the port-tack boat would

immediately need to change course to continue keeping clear.

17 ON THE SAME TACK; PROPER COURSE

17.1 If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of her hull lengths

to leeward of a boat on the same tack, she shall not sail above her proper

course while they remain overlapped within that distance, unless in

doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat. This rule does not

apply if the overlap begins while the windward boat is required by rule

13 to keep clear.

17.2 Except on a beat to windward, while a boat is less than two of her hull

lengths from a leeward boat or a boat clear astern steering a course to

leeward of her, she shall not sail below her proper course unless she

gybes.

SECTION C

AT MARKS AND OBSTRUCTIONS

To the extent that a Section C rule conflicts with a rule in Section A or B, the

Section C rule takes precedence.

18 ROUNDING AND PASSING MARKS AND OBSTRUCTIONS

In rule 18, room is room for an inside boat to round or pass between an

outside boat and a mark or obstruction, including room to tack or gybe

when either is a normal part of the manoeuvre.

18.1 When This Rule Applies

Rule 18 applies when boats are about to round or pass a mark they are

required to leave on the same side, or an obstruction on the same side,

until they have passed it. However, it does not apply

(a) at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water or at its anchor

line from the time the boats are approaching them to start until

they have passed them, or

(b) while the boats are on opposite tacks, either on a beat to windward

or when the proper course for one of them, but not both, to

round or pass the mark or obstruction is to tack.

Part 2 WHEN BOATS MEET 18.1

18.2 Giving Room; Keeping Clear

(a) OVERLAPPED - BASIC RULE

When boats are overlapped the outside boat shall give the inside

boat room to round or pass the mark or obstruction, and if the

inside boat has right of way the outside boat shall also keep clear.

Other parts of rule 18 contain exceptions to this rule.

(b) OVERLAPPED AT THE ZONE

If boats were overlapped before either of them reached the twolength

zone and the overlap is broken after one of them has reached

it, the boat that was on the outside shall continue to give the other

boat room. If the outside boat becomes clear astern or overlapped

inside the other boat, she is not entitled to room and shall keep clear.

(c) NOT OVERLAPPED AT THE ZONE

If a boat was clear ahead at the time she reached the two-length

zone, the boat clear astern shall thereafter keep clear. If the boat

clear astern becomes overlapped outside the other boat, she shall

also give the inside boat room. If the boat clear astern becomes

overlapped inside the other boat, she is not entitled to room. If the

boat that was clear ahead passes head to wind, rule 18.2(c) no

longer applies and remains inapplicable.

(d) CHANGING COURSE TO ROUND OR PASS

When after the starting signal rule 18 applies between two boats

and the right-of-way boat is changing course to round or pass a

mark, rule 16 does not apply between her and the other boat.

(e) OVERLAP RIGHTS

If there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an

overlap in time, it shall be presumed that she did not. If the outside

boat is unable to give room when an overlap begins, rules

18.2(a) and 18.2(b) do not apply.

18.3 Tacking at a Mark

If two boats were approaching a mark on opposite tacks and one of

them completes a tack in the two-length zone when the other is fetching

the mark, rule 18.2 does not apply. The boat that tacked

(a) shall not cause the other boat to sail above close-hauled to avoid

her or prevent the other boat from passing the mark, and

(b) shall give room if the other boat becomes overlapped inside her, in

which case rule 15 does not apply.

18.4 Gybing

When an inside overlapped right-of-way boat must gybe at a mark or

obstruction to sail her proper course, until she gybes she shall sail no

farther from the mark or obstruction than needed to sail that course.

18.5 Passing a Continuing Obstruction

While boats are passing a continuing obstruction, rules 18.2(b) and

18.2(c) do not apply. A boat clear astern that obtains an inside overlap

is entitled to room to pass between the other boat and the obstruction

only if at the moment the overlap begins there is room to do so. If there

is not, she is not entitled to room and shall keep clear.

19 ROOM TO TACK AT AN OBSTRUCTION

19.1 When approaching an obstruction, a boat sailing close-hauled or

above may hail for room to tack and avoid another boat on the same

tack. However, she shall not hail unless safety requires her to make

a substantial course change to avoid the obstruction. Before tacking

she shall give the hailed boat time to respond. The hailed boat shall

respond by either

(a) tacking as soon as possible, in which case the hailing boat shall

also tack as soon as possible, or

(b) immediately replying ‘You tack’, in which case the hailing boat

shall tack as soon as possible and the hailed boat shall give room,

and rules 10 and 13 do not apply.

19.2 Rule 19.1 does not apply at a starting mark surrounded by navigable

water or at its anchor line from the time boats are approaching them

to start until they have passed them or at a mark that the hailed boat

can fetch. When rule 19.1 applies, rule 18 does not.