Going upwind on starboard. Port boat comes in and tacks in front onto starboard. Does not get up to speed before I have to avoid them. Foul? I think so, but some people think that once the sail is over they have completed their tack so it is my responsibility to keep clear technically being the overtaking boat.
Part 2: different class of boat with different scoring. do you protest?

No foul.

Agree with ding.... no foul

You had time to alter course and avoid starboard and clear ahead... (go find the rule book about your... "the sail is over.. they have completed their tack" reasoning.

HAD he fouled you... YES you should protest... Everybody has to play the same game on the course.... The fact that you protested and take him to the room if he doesn't acknowledge with circles will be heard and understood by other class sailors. ... Next cross... he will add the proper safety factor into his decision making.... for ALL of the cats on the course.

(I still hear about the xyz#$%$^ Lightning (in their district championship) fouling a top of the fleet A class sailor (in their high point regatta) from two years ago. Why a downwind crossing should be remembered after two years.... Is the reason you should protest... get the issue resolved publicly and completely.

so, since I can't find my rule book.... when is a tack completed?

So... in the rules :
13 WHILE TACKING
After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats
until she is on a close-hauled course.

The boat that tacked in front of me can get to a close hauled course (and not be moving at all?) and then I would still have to avoid them?

I bring this up to discuss it and learn from it and because I value some people's opinions. I do read the rules.

I left the part out about how we were about to round A mark: so I guess this would apply:

18.3 Tacking When Approaching a Mark
If two boats were approaching a mark on opposite tacks and one of
them changes tack, and as a result is subject to rule 13 in the zone
when the other is fetching the mark, rule 18.2 does not thereafter
apply. The boat that changed tack
(a) shall not cause the other boat to sail above close-hauled to
avoid her or prevent the other boat from passing the mark on
the required side, and
(b) shall give mark-room if the other boat becomes overlapped
inside her.

since the boat that tacked in front of me caused me to sail above a close hauled course, they fouled me.

13 WHILE TACKI
G
After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11 and 12 do not apply. If two boats are subject to this rule at the same time, the one on the other’s port side or the one astern shall keep clear.

15 ACQUIRI
G RIGHT OF WAY
When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat’s actions

Google is your friend.... "ISAF rules"

You said... the boat was moving slowly.... well beyond ... on close hauled course... AND you had opportunity to stay clear...

As you describe it, probably not. Vary the facts a little, however, and things change. Let's break up the incident by time:

1. Two boats are sailing a beat to windward, away from any marks or obstructions. Boat S is on starboard tack, and boat P is on port tack.
2. P turns up head-to-wind.
3. P passes head-to-wind.
4. P reaches a close-hauled course, clear ahead of S.

At time 1, Rule 10 (On Opposite Tacks) applies. P must keep clear of S.

At time 2, Rule 10 still applies.

At time 3, P is now on starboard tack (technically), but Rule 13 (While Tacking) now takes effect. P must still keep clear of S.

At time 4, Rule 13 ceases to apply and Rules 12 (On the Same Tack, Not Overlapped) and 15 (Acquiring Right of Way) kick in. S must keep clear of P, but P must give S room to do so. Note that the transition occurs when P reaches a close-hauled course. That is determined by the direction P is pointing, regardless of the position of her sails.

Now, if S has to take avoiding action at time 1 or 2, P breaks Rule 10. If S has to take avoiding action between time 3 and 4, P breaks Rule 13. If S has to take action immediately after time 4, or has to act in an unseamanlike way to avoid P, then P breaks rule 15. If S can avoid P by manoeuvring promptly in a seamanlike way, then P does not break any rule.

Here is a video of one boat tacking too close to another. It isn't catamarans (sorry), and the incident is a little different, but the rule applications are similar.



I hope that helps,
Eric

Yes. The boat that tacked does not have to be moving, nor do her sails have to be set. Once she is pointing in the direction of a close-hauled course, her tack is complete.


If the port boat tacks in the zone, then Rule 18.3 places an addtional requirement on her. Not only does she need to give the starboard-tack boat that is fetching the mark room to keep clear, she must also give that boat mark-room (if starboard passes inside) and not cause that boat to sail a course above close-hauled (if starboard sails above her). If the starboard boat has to sail above close-hauled, or is prevented from passing the mark properly, then the tacking boat breaks Rule 18.3.

I hope that helps,
Eric

Picking up where Eric left off...

port had completed her tack.. was on starboard and was moving. You had room and opportunity to keep clear..

I assume you were faster then the dinghy and so in overtaking the right of way boat... you had a choice to go above or below and you chose to go above...

You need to say more information... Were you on the layline... or where you above the layine and footing down to the mark assuming no boat traffic? (Dinghy will say that all you did was come up to close hauled and overtake him to weather... he was keeping clear.

Were there other cats behind you... ie below even or above your line to the mark.

When you called protest... where were the two boats and how far from the mark.

I had an MC scow tack inside the zone a little overstood and ahead of me on my A-cat once, I held my course for the mark, got inside of him and he turned down and hit me. I hailed protest. He hailed back "I protest your speed ... if you weren't so f*&$#*^g fast, this wouldn't have happened". I was pissed at the time but find it funny now. And, btw, he's an a-cat sailor now.

Another way of looking at it, if the other boat tacks in front of you into a right of way position, you do not need to begin to alter your course until she is established on her new close hauled course (i.e., completed the tack). If you have to avoid her before she has completed her tack, then she has fouled you. If she has completed her tack and given you enough room to keep clear, then she has not fouled you (even though her sails may not be trimmed and she may not be up to speed).

sm