Stray Cats needs to be given an opportunity to keep clear. Wave came in too fast and turned upwind to quickly for Stray Cats to respond "in a seamanlike manner" (I think that the wording).
I think you’re looking for this:
RRS 16.1: When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat
room to
keep clear.
Room: The space a boat needs in the existing conditions while manoeuvring promptly in a seamanlike way.
Keep Clear: One boat
keeps clear of another if the other can sail her course with no need to take avoiding action and, when the boats are
overlapped on the same
tack, if the
leeward boat can change course in both directions without immediately making contact with the
windward boat.
Obviously, since there apparently was no contact, Stray Cats (barely) kept clear of Wave (and vice-versa).
The more times I watch that video, the more things I see. Leading into the incident, Wave was changing course so much, it's hard to make a case that anyone could have predicted her next move...
Going back to the barging question, in the absence of Adrenaline, this would have been a good example of a boat (Stray Cats) legally taking a spot that was open (not barging). Wave was too far from the mark to defend. However, in the actual incident, if Stray Cats had pushed it, she would have barged on Adrenaline (and we all know that Todd was having none of that on Saturday!).
Either way... lucky the start boat wasn't anchored and 30 foot long - in fact methinks they wouldn't have tried it on if that was the case...
I’ve been having that thought for the past few days as well, although you’d be surprised what some people will try…
Mike
