I'm always on a mission. But, I'd never read the intersection analogy. Thanks.

Care to go into the gates? I have gotten lost and just bailed out. It's easy to figure what I want to do, at first, but at a crowded gate things can change quickly.

The same rules apply (P/W, W/L), but now you have the concept of mark room overlaid on top of them.

In talking about this, I always refer to the right / left gate/side as if I was looking upwind. We'll keep it simple with only two boats on opposite tacks travelling at roughly the same speed.

In general:

• If you are on starboard tack, coming in from the RIGHT side and want to round the RIGHT gate (jibing to do so), you have the right of way, period. You are allowed to make a tactical rounding.
• If you are starboard tack, coming in from the RIGHT side and want to round the LEFT gate (without jibing), you have the right of way, but must give mark room to boats on port rounding the mark.
• If you are on port tack, coming in from the LEFT side and want to round the LEFT gate (jibing to do so), you do not have the right of way, however, you may be entitled to mark room. You are NOT allowed to make a tactical rounding if someone on starboard tack is giving you mark room.
• If you are port tack, coming in from the LEFT side and want to round the RIGHT gate (without jibing), you do not have the right of way, and must keep clear of boats on starboard, period.

Coming in on port and going right is the high-risk maneuver. Unfortunately, it's the one way we're "familiar" with, since with marks left to port, that's the way we usually round.

When I've introduced gates to some monohull classes, they will consistently favor the right mark - even if it's not the favored mark - because that's the way they're used to rounding the leeward mark. That is, until someone goes the other way and kicks their butt back to the weather mark. Then you start to see a more even split (which is the goal of the RC).

The intersection thing just came to me as I was writing that up. The trick is to go out and practice or race enough that you can get through this without having to think about it. It's often harder for me to write it down than to do it on the water; which is a good thing, because with the closing speeds we have, you don't often have too much time to think about who has ROW.

Gates? The nice thing about racing the Wave, you go around the weather mark, stay on starboard, and head DEEP, directly at the left gate (looking upwind). The only boats that you need to worry about are the ones coming at you from your port side (either boats coming upwind on starboard, or boats going downwind on starboard, at a higher angle; although the latter normally sail around you as a speedbump). Anyone coming at you from your starboard side is on port...

EDIT 1: You can tell that Matt and I spend a lot of time on RC. The gates are ALWAYS discussed relative to course axis (looking upwind).

EDIT 2: You haven't seen a "crowded" gate until you've sailed a H16 NAs, in 25+ knots of air, with no less than 2-3 boats capsized and floating toward and through the gate (at all times) in a 60+ boat fleet. Good times!!!

Mike

Thanks to all. It's good to start off the new year with a refresher.

Yes, this topic was beaten to death last time at http://www.catsailor.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=208660&page=1. The answer hasn't changed.

A lot of folks still don't like it.

Just out of curiosity, what is the procedure to have a rule changed?

If anyone sees a red N20 coming at them under spin, you better scream really loud. Chances are I don't know you are there. about cut someone in half last year at Tradewinds. scarey stuff

"Chances are I don't know you are there" Is that legal, aren't you supposed to keep watch?

Todd... its about the timing... when you are the ROW boat... We expect you to ACT LIKE the ROW boat... you can't pussy around here... If you do and wiggle the stick to avoid the burdened boat... then the burdened boat has a hell of a time avoiding you.
Of course... When things go sideways... you avoid the collision....

I never doubt that self preservation will click in and you will turn to avoid a collision.

You guys are talking like their has been some fundamental change in the RRS about these basic ROW issues over the last 20 years.. NO...

You just don't hit the guy to prove your point and paint chips are not needed in the PC

It isn't like I'm not looking out, just that the spin does create quite a blind spot

Again, this was discussed previously (at http://www.catsailor.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=208660&page=3 ). I suggest you reread the existing thread.

No thanks. I'd rather reveue the rules in general. This is the beginning of my sailing year and I'm going through the book again. If all this is tedious for you I'm sorry but it helps me understand and keep it fresh.

Further, each year about his time I try to decide if I want to stay on the Blade another year or go to the Wave. I'm half way thinking of chartering a Wave this year.

"I suck at keeping a proper lookout"... is no defense...
you lose and you pay...

*Hey... you could choose to go back to starboard to get through the fleet.
You can choose to slow down and pick your way through the port tack fleet when you are on port and upwind...
Pedal to the Metal is a choice...

All of these rules discussions should have a take home point... that lets the sailors know what Should of or Could have been done in that situation.

What you are doing is trying to understand how to race sailboats by reading the rule book and protests decisions and this is a bad way to move forward.

Well, if you can't bother to read the responses posted the last time you asked the exact same questions, I trust you understand why I won't make the effort to answer them yet again.

Eric

Of course. But there is quiet a lot in that thread that didn't include you and filtering is all but impossible.

Thanks again.

In general, I would say that changing rules should be avoided. I don't think changing the rule would enhance safety, but actually make it worse as the plays people are used to making would be dramatically changed.

Also, if you sail lots of different boats, or types of events, it's nice to have consistency in the rules. Trying to keep track of changing rules would be unnecessarily difficult.

As an umpire, one of the most difficult things, IMHO, is to make the switch from Match Race to Team Race mode (each have modified rules), especially when events are close together.

thnx

This is a diagram that I use with the BIMBOs (mark boat operators) so that we're all on the same page when it comes to talking about the race course on the radio:

If you want to change a rule for an event, RRS 86 explains which rules can be changed and by whom. There are very few rules that can be changed by the Sailing Instructions - and none of the rules in Part 2 (the "right of way rules") can be changed by the sailing instructions.

If you're referring to actually changing a rule in the rule book, the process is long and somewhat arduous. Basically, an MNA (like US Sailing), an International Class Association (like the Laser Class), or an internal committee of the ISAF makes a submission to the ISAF Rules Committee. They will ponder it, perhaps propose some modifications, and then recommend to the ISAF Council whether to accept or reject it. The ISAF Council will vote on it, and if approved, the submission will be incorporated into the official Racing Rules of Sailing.

In this, the 3rd year of the 4 year rules cycle, most proposed changes have progressed to this last step. There were literally hundreds of submissions processed by the Rules Committee during the ISAF Conference last November in Puerto Rico. You can read the minutes here. If you want to get a feel for what's coming up in the next rule book. Copies of the submissions are found here.

Most of the rule changes recommended by the Rule Committee are not "game changers". There's some clarifications, and a re-organization of rules 19 and 20 to have them conform logically with rule 18.

Most places I work, the RC is a bunch of local volunteers. As in, they speak east/west/north/south; which is great, unless you travel around like I do, and can't keep track of what day it is, never mind where north is (even though I'm looking at a compass all day long)...

That, and sometimes, they don't understand "upwind..."

Anyway, I started going through that old thread. After page 2 or 3, it just got monotonous. P/S, W/L gets you through most situations; when in doubt, watch where you're going, who is coming at you, and avoid collisions.

I don't have words for people who can't see past their spinnakers. Yes I do, put it away or go home before you kill someone.

Mike