Originally Posted by Mike Fahle
Eric, I'll bet another term you hear all the time is "overtaking" boat. While I know what the racers are saying I always try to get them to use the terms in the rule book that apply, like "clear ahead" and "clear astern" or "overlapped". Using terms to describe situations that are not used in the RRS almost certainly makes it more difficult for sailors to use and understand the rules. Some racers think that an "overtaking boat" has no rights even after establishing an overlap. As others have pointed out here already, using such terms is a loud and clear signal to judges that they are probably going to have to give this racer a needed rules education the hard way.


I wholeheartedly agree with most of this. But, when faced with this in a protest room (as a judge), my thoughts are always focused on establishing the facts. The conclusion (and any lessons) come later in the process.

More than a few times, we've ruled in favor of a party who uses the wrong verbiage, and sometimes the wrong rules reference. We usually make it a point (especially with kids) to let them know how we reached our conclusion, and why the rules and/or terms they used were not correct.

Mike