This is my LAST post and it concerns my statement regarding passing a boat to windward. It also applies to barging boats on starting lines.

If you CHOOSE (and that is a key word) to attempt to pass/overtake a boat to windward (that you are on the same leg with) than you are subject to being luffed. If you capsize in the luffing maneuver, you will have a very hard time proving that the leeward boat luffed you in an unseamanlike manner especially if the helmsman of the leeward boat hails you before the luff begins and turns his boat into you at a fast but steady rate. The onus is on you and usually you will lose in a protest hearing. If you choose to pass to windward, be ready for the consequences.

I have also seen many lame incidents where a barging boat on a start line tries to stop a luff by a leeward boat by claiming that they are being luffed too quickly and in an "unseamanlike" manner. At a multiclass event a couple of years ago, a sailor on a Hobie Tiger was reaching down the line towards me. I was defending the leeward end of the line so I hailed the sailor to take it up and began defending my position. The Hobie Tiger sailor responded that I was causing him to alter course too quickly and it was "unseamanlike". The fact that we had the conversation proved he had plenty of time to respond. I had to turn my bows down to prevent a collision. That same sailor was at the Deep South Regatta a few weeks ago. I had just turned upwind from the leeward mark in one race and had tacked on to starboard. This sailor was coming downwind also on starboard with his chute up on a collision course with me. I hailed him that I was leeward boat and he had to keep clear of me. This sailor again responded that I could not cause him to come up because it was "unseammanlike". I pinched up to slow down to let him cross my bow. In each case, I was not being scored with this sailor, only sharing the course so I did not pursue circles or a protest. But it's this kind of BS with ignorant sailors on the race course that is so frustrating and those sailors can be especially scary when they are flying a chute.

Read, understand, and live by the racing rules.

Bob Hodges