Two boats are on a collision course, one on starboard going downwind the other on port going upwind. The starboard boat sees the port hand boat in good time, the port hand boat does not see the starboard boat at all. Does the ROW boat on starboard have to hail to warn the port hand boat to keep clear or, perhaps upon realising that the port hand boat has not seen the ROW boat, just cross making a small glancing contact, quote rule 10 and protest.

Yes, it was me, I was the port hand boat.
Simon IF20 Fluffy UK 164

I don't much about rules, but I think the starboard boat does not have any obligation to hail you. It's your obligation to watch where you are going when you are on port.

I learned that one time when I was racing in a major Sunfish regatta and we were on chartered boats that had no windows in their sails. I was warned by some of the other sailors -- and found it to be true -- that the starboard boats were not going to hail you in a port-starboard confrontation. The onus, I believe, is on the port boat to be aware of starboard boats and to stay clear of them. In the case of the Sunfish, this required a lot of athletic flexibility to be able to keep bending down far enough to see under the windowless sail.

If somebody knows otherwise, please chime in.

P.S. Obviously, the starboard boat also has an obligation to avoid collision -- I was just talking about the obligation to hail.

The new rules puts an emphasis on avoiding contact, hailing is one of the ways to warn other boats before contact is made. So yes, the starboard boat should in my opinion have hailed "starboard" to warn you off.

However, when I read trough the racing rules at http://www.isaf.org I could not find any reference to hailing except at obstructions/marks? Some of the appendices was not available tough (problems with the PDF files on the website)..

the onus is still on the Starboard boat to avoid contact if reasonably possible. If it comes out that the Starboard boat was aware of the Port boat, who was blissfully beating along in blind ignorance, and there was a "glancing contact," I am pretty sure the Starboard protestor would be greatly disappointed in the room (rule 14a and b). Even the slightest scuff in gelcoat is considered "damage," and the Starboard boat would then be penalized as well, assuming the Port boat doesn't do her turns to exonerate herself. Or the Port boat could do her turns and protest the Starbord boat for the contact.

Starboard boat is best off by slightly altering course, hailing the required word "protest" as they pass, and get on with the race. Sometimes hailing for right of way on the approach will yeild undesirable results - Port boat, greatly surprised that you're there, yanks on the tiller for an unexpected course change - remember, if you don't give him time to think about it, you're betting on the skipper's skill and intincts to make a snap decision - and now you may have to take greater evasive action.

If you choose not to hail as you approach and the Port boat really doesn't see you, you're in control - drive your course, and be prepared if he suddenly sees you and starts turning somewhere you don't need him to be!

Life used to be much simpler when the port boat had to give right of way to the starboard boat, PERIOD. Now it's like, well, gee, if the port boat people aren't paying attention, the onus is on the starboard boat to avoid them, and the starboard boat is the one that gets punished? If there is contact, the protest committee has to be psychic and decide who is telling the truth about the situation and who was thinking or not thinking what at the time. It's ridiculous!

Wishy-washy rules are not rules.

Rules need to be pretty black and white, cut and dried, and easily understandable for new sailors (as well as existing sailors), if we want to attract more people to the sport of sailboat racing.

Nobody has any problem learning the rules for driving a car in traffic. Why can't we make it that easy for for people to learn how to drive a sailboat in traffic?

Port boat is upwind giving her rights over any downwind boat.

The port tack boat going upwind only has right of way over a port tack boat comming down wind, (boats on same tack) but still has to give way to a boat on starboard tack boat comming downwind ( boats on opposite tacks)

Boatslut,
I'm sure somebody else more authoritative will answer you about this, but I think you are wrong. Starboard has right of way, regardless of windward-leeward positions. I am told that the applicable rule is: Section A, Rule 10: When on opposite tacks, the port tack boat shall keep clear of a starboard tack boat.

And when boats meet going upwind and downwind, the port/starboard rule still prevails. If the boats are on the SAME tack, the leeward boat has right of way.

Wow, I can't believe I am trying to answer a rules question.

But this just makes me feel even more strongly that we have to make rules simpler to understand. I've been racing for 40 years, and I still don't understand anything beyond the basics of starboard has right of way on opposite tacks and leeward boat has right of way on same tacks. And as far as powerboats, I know that the boat approaching me from the right has right of way.

It's so much easier on land with roads and signs and traffic lights.

Starboard boat always has right away over the port boat. No mention of hailing the other boat in that situation in the rules book. With that said if you are the starboard boat wouldn't you try to hail the port boat so you could continue on your course? Also, isn't it just sportsman like to avoid any collision and stay out of the protest room?

There are lots of things that people could do to be "nice" and "sportsmanlike." But that has nothing to do with the rules. And, in fact, doing things that are not required by the rules, just to be nice, can actually get you in trouble. Like a starboard boat bearing off to go behind a port boat -- just to be "nice" and "sportmanlike." I have lived to tell you that this can cause a life-threatening and boat-destroying collision.

Port boat must yield, no rule requirement for Starboard to hail.

But, as has been stated by others, it's a good idea for Starboard to hail to avoid collision or having to alter course, thus costing them time in the race. Protest is the recourse here, but that doesn't always help if you've lost the race because of the incident.

Think about it...if there was a requirement for Starboard to hail all port boats, that means port boats don't even need to watch where they are going anymore since they'll wait to hear a hail from a starboard tacker when they're approached. There's no guarantee starboard is aware of the port boat, and even if they are aware, there's no guarantee a hail will even be heard.

If you are on port, you must spend the time/effort to be on constant vigil for starboard boats or else risk protest or worse.

Well, shoot...If it was a ROW boat then he is powered by auxilary means and therefore is not a sail boat. He would therefore have no rights over you - silly sock!

(just kidding).

just kissing is dangerous and illegal, i got just kissed recently and the guy almost took my rudder off. back in my sunfish days we used to do it to make a point, multis are so fast closing speeds can be wicked, especiaslly in the situation you describe. the guy going downwind is reaching so hes probably smokin, if it were me i would pick my choice of which would be faster, bearing off or heading up, and just blow on by : )

Yea, I second that. No point in creating damage or potential injury to someone that is obviously either way in front, or way behind you. Bear off if it's gusty, come up if it isn't, and keep on driving. (IMHO)

In response to Mary's implication that learning to drive is easy, I would rebutt with the idea and police are very happy to tell us that very few people really know the "rules of the road". Most have a "common sense" general idea, which is good for most occasions.

For example, picture the mess that usually ends up when a city installs a "roundabout" in a busy intersection.

I agree with Jake, as well, since it is never quite known what the Port tack boat will do when suddenly aware of the STB tack boat is bearing down on it...

If I have rights, I typically whistle at the other boat (while still at a distance) just to get their attention...

Another item is that I try to think about what the port boat will do. For instance, I figure the downwind boat will try to drive deeper, rather than risk a capsize by heading up, and the upwind boat will try to duck me. So even if those maneuvers will place them at further risk of collision, I'll keep it in mind as a backup plan (and yell "protest") so I don't hit them.

So far, I'm 0 for 2 (zero hits, and two "hit by" - one at a start (no damage but a protestable offense), and one in extremely heavy weather in survival mode. Can you really tack while heaving to?)

I don't think I implied that it is easier to learn to drive a car. I just think it is a lot easier for most people to find their way around on land, where you have roads and you have to stay between the lines and you have signs and signals to tell you what to do.

It is intimidating, especially for new sailors, to be turned loose on a big, open body of water with other boats of all different speeds zipping around in every conceivable direction. Heck, I've been sailing all my life, and it is intimidating to me, too.

It is not enough to intellectually know the right-of-way rules and use common sense -- you have to know the rules well enough to try to avoid a potential collision and also to instinctively and instantaneously respond correctly to a potential collision situation when it's right in your face.

A lot of being comfortable with the rules and on the water is having the experience to be able to forsee what's about to happen. Yeah, that sounds a little crazy but think about it! It's hard to tell what's getting ready to happen at the start line and a lot of times by the time you realize you're in trouble, it's too late. The only way to really gain that experience is to jump in there and get it...but with caution.

Well Mary ( no pun).....I must say, Im enjoying your wit and wisdom....keep up your responses......................t

Gosh, Jake, I wasn't even talking about racing (in my prior post) -- I was talking about just being out on the water recreationally, and that is scarier than racing, because at least when you are racing, you know that you are in a sort of enclosed environment where people are looking out for each other and you know that everybody is using the same rules.