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So, back to the first post. His tiller extension hit another boat. What is the actual rule here? Does the length of the tiller extension come into play? Can I keep my tiller always fully extended and claim room?

can't "parts of the boat in its normal position" mean extended? what about boats that have retractable spin poles (tris for example) can't you leave the spin pole extended all the way on a windward course and have it count as overlap at a mark? similar meaning, so I think you can leave your tiller extended... now having it extendedand swinging it around to HIT another boat might be bad <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
but then if you hit the other boat you get penalized for not avoiding a collision, right?
those rules quizes screw with my brain.

Would a tri sail with its bow sprit extended going to weather? I think that wont hold any room or spot in a hearing. Now the whole tiller thing, if the conditions require you to trap out, which will require you to have your tiller extended then that is normal position. If the conditions are flat, and you are not trapped out, you have no need to have your tiller extended and you are fully responsible for what your tiller hits.

In most retractable sprit boat classes, there is a class rule that the sprit must be retracted within so far of leaving a downwind mark and can only come out so far within an upwind mark. Most also deal with the overlap issues.

I apologise for digging this thread up out of the back pages of the forum, but reading the above statement made me want to comment :
While I appreciate that you don`t want to be the most unpopular guy in the pub after racing, and while protesting a top-runner in the fleet while you are mid-fleet or back of fleet seems inappropriate, please bear in mind that YOU are responsible for the attitude of the rule-breakers in the fleet, who are usually also the top of the fleet sailors, quite often (not always). By hailing your intent to protest and then not carrying it out you are allowing them to call your bluff - next time they will roll over you, break a rule and just carry on sailing. And they will do it to others UNTIL they are DSQ`ed from a race or two.
I recall two separate incidents : Hobie African Champs in which the World Champ started on Port and forced over 30 competitors to crash-tack to avoid hitting him, he did no penalty after the chaos he created, and was first to the weather mark. In my opinion, he should have done 30x 360 turns or been DSQ`ed, but of course no-one protested.
In another incident I was in a line of starboard boats all on lay-line for the weather mark, a port boat came zig-zagging through forcing the boat below me to bear away violently to avoid hitting him, and he then had to bear away to avoid hitting me. Of course in the bear-away he powered up and banged my port rudder, luckily with only minor damage. To his complete amazement I protested him, he did no penalty so I carried out the protest and he was DSQed.
He approached me afterwards, shocked that I had protested, since we were not even sailing the same class of boat, so my protest was not to gain a position in the fleet or anything.
My response was that you can`t go bashing your way around the fleet and do no penalty, even if it is part of "the H---- way of life".
I think that there exists this culture that folks will only protest if they have something to gain, which is wrong. If someone infringes a rule and comes last in the race, he should still face a protest hearing so that he can learn from his mistakes, or he may never know he is making them. My friend above sincerely didn`t know or refused to believe that other boats on the course not in his class also had right of way.
So if you break a rule and I`m near, please do a turn, it will avoid the waste of valuable drinking time after the race.

You're right, Steve, on many levels.

Well said. The preamble to the rules states "Competitors in the sport of sailing are governed by a body of rules that they are expected to follow and enforce". I think many people miss those last two words.

I've heard lots of complaints about sailors not following the rules - from sailors unwilling to enforce them. It should be quite simple: if you foul someone, take a penalty. If someone fouls you, protest.

There seems to be great reluctance to protest, and I suspect it's partly because people view it as an accusation of cheating. Nobody wants to ruin their friendships that way. Also, most people don't want a reputation as a "sea-lawyer". And, the on-shore protest procedure is a PITA.

Now, much of the time, it makes sense to let an infraction slide, but not if you're going to complain about it later.

And yes, the rules apply between all boats on the course, regardless of what fleet they're in. I assert my right-of-way when I have it, and I give way when I don't. It doesn't matter if the other boat is a H-16, F-18, N-20, Tornado, Playstation, or even an Optimist.

Regards,
Eric