Can someone explain, briefly when a boat clear ahead may tack, and what constitutes a completed tack.

The tack starts as the boat reaches head to wind, and is completed when it reaches its new heading.

Used to have to be underway, full and by and all that stuff. Now it is instantaneous. New rules also take the onus off the tacking boat. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Rick

Ok! If two boats are on port, they both tack to starboard, and one boat hits the other from behing, who is at fault?

If they've completed their tacks (which seems to be the case in your scenario):

Rule 12: Boats on the same tack and not overlapped, the boat clear astern shall keep clear of the boat clear ahead.

The overtaking boat complains I slowed down.

Tough! - you're entitled to. He has to keep clear. (assuming - if you slowed deliberately - that he has been given time and opportunity)

If you haven't slowed deliberately, then he just has to cope - it's part of racing.

Thanks Rick and John. I new that! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Really.

So if instantaneous on new heading, could the new heading be whenever I snap my battens over?

Pete,

I hope he took his turns - or you protested?

Under the 'old' (pre-2005) rules that would have been the case - you had to have the sail over on the new side and drawing.

Under the 2005-2008 rules all you have to do is get the boat through head-to-wind and on to the new intended heading.

OMG! Pete, you are kidding right. LMAO

This thread comes from a little run in in tacticat.

I was on SB, he was on PORT, tacked in front of me. Stopped the tack when he was heading onto his course. Obviously he stopped his tack mid way, slowed down. In the game its not the right way to tack, but its doable.

I would have had to alter course in order NOT to hit him. Isnt that a big no no??? If it were real life I would have seriously protested him because of that.

You're making it a run-in, I'm trying to get the rules straight.

If he gets past head to wind and onto the starboard tack, you now have to avoid him...technically. However, the game will usually penalize the port tacker in that case (just like in real life, you roll the dice by getting into a situation that will involve penalties and/or judges). In a nutshell - the longterm starboard tacker must avoid the guy that just tacked in front of him that is now on starboard - even if it means slowing down (no rule gives right of way to a boat that would hit another boat from astern). This is a dirty translation...but if the longterm starboard tacker can't possibly avoid the port tacker (whether or not the port tacker made it to starboard before hand), the port tacker "tacked too close" and is at fault. If the long-term-starboard tacker could have avoided them by either slowing down or steering up past close-hauled but still hit them, the starboard tacker is at fault (on two rules).

Things get a little tricker within the two boat length circle...If you are in the two length boat circle of the mark, the port tacker can come in and tack in front of a starboard tacker - but MUST be on starboard tack before the other boat has to avoid and MUST not make the starboard tacker go past close hauled to avoid.

I think my confusion lies in the way "tacticat" defines completion of the tack, not the way the rule applies on the water.

"Tacticat" has become very aggressive in the last week or so. It now is somewhat less cordial and requires far more precision than just one week ago! I'm amazed! The "heat" has definitely been turned up a notch! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Pete,
I programmed the rules engine. There are many many holes, but, I'm pretty proud of how rights are calculated when one of the boats is tacking. It's literally 'from the book':
- When the boat starts the tack ALL rights are preserved while in the initial tack.
- When the boat reaches the wind direction it loses all rights.
- When the boats reaches the new closehauled angle it gets again the privileges of the new tack. A problem there... the normal tack includes falling off a bit to get speed and go smoothly again to the closehauled angle, from the rules perspective the boat has all rights associated to the tack since it passed first time the closehauled angle.
- If the user decides to stop the normal tack procedure, (rudders centered before he reached the closehauled angle, tacticat ENTER key) he recovers the rights immediatly. I aggree this is not normal, but, what if i decide to finish tack and start in the new angle on a course that is very slow ?(and i know this is understatement). How can you protest?

aestela.

I'm not protesting. You've done an excellent job, imo. Congratulations.

Aestela,

The current Sailing Rules apply the sailing tack (starboard / port) to the boat that is tacking as soon as it passes head to wind. This seems to be a little different than the Tacticat Rules. HOWEVER, I think it makes better sense to have them the way you have designed them for Tacticat - sailors just need to understand how it's applied and all is well (it took me a couple of times).

I've seen ONLY one situation (yesterday) where a penalty was clearly applied incorrectly. Two of us were approaching the gate sailing downwind, I was on port and there was a starboard tacker. I wanted the left mark and gybed about 6 boat lengths away for it and clear of a starboard boat. The starboard boat decided he wanted the right end of the gate and gybed. We collided while we were both under "computer control" nearing the end of our gybes. We had both clearly passed dead down wind and I was on starboard and the other boat now on port - but I was shown in black and penalized because we were both still in a gybing manuever...That's not a big deal but if you see an easy workaround....

I think you have done a stellar job with the programming and modification of the rules and program for the simulator. I agree that the programmed rules are not quite perfect, however, neither is applying the rules in real life...you "roll the dice" when you enter a protest room anyway so, as in real life, I find it simpler to just try and avoid any conflict in the simulator or on the race course. I like to beat 'em with my brain, not my bow.

It's often very very difficult to breach that layline procession of starboard tackers from the port tack. Yesterday I tacked in front of a stbd tacker, was well passed the new heading but still below it recovering from the 'fall off' when I was hit from behind and stopped. The trailing boat simply sailed straight through me, out the other end and continued on???

I happened to be in front of a very good sailor from up north at the time, and I thought I had him but unfortunately, (for me) the fat lady had yet to become vocal and another good result went south. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

If you have stopped your tack midway, like Tikipete did, the other boat would have fouled. Its not the right way of doing it, but using the tacticat rules system you will gain a spot. I usually do this to bots and not to real people.

That's a value judgement, I do not share it.