Each week this season, we will offer a “quiz” question regarding the Racing Rules of Sailing.  Read the scenario below, formulate your answer, then move your mouse over the box to reveal the correct answer.

Need further explanation?
something we can discuss on the porch on Sunday.

This Week’s Question

Boats S (on starboard tack) and P (on port tack), both close-hauled, are converging on a beat. P will safely cross S. However, when they are less than two lengths apart, the wind veers (shifts to the right) ten degrees. S luffs (changes her course) in response to the wind shift such that P is unable to keep clear. There is minor contact with no damage or injury, and both boats protest. You are on the protest committee; which boat should be penalized? (From Perry, Quiz 6)

Answer

Boat S is penalized under rule 16.1, Changing Course. Rule 16.1 states, “When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear.” S changes course when so close to P that P is unable to keep clear and there is contact. Therefore, S failed to give P room to keep clear, thereby breaking rule 16.1. The fact that S’s change of course is in response to a windshift is not relevant to the application of rule 16.1. P breaks rule 10, On Opposite Tacks, but is exonerated (not penalized) under rule 21, Exoneration, or rule 64.1(a), Decisions: Penalties and Exoneration, because she is compelled to break rule 10 by S’s breach of rule 16.1. S also breaks rule 14, Avoiding Contact; but as the right-of-way boat, she is exonerated (not penalized) for breaking rule 14 as the contact does not cause damage or injury (see rule 14(6)). P does not break rule 14, because S changes course so close to P that it is not possible for P to avoid the contact

This quiz was borrowed from the Inland Lake Yachting Association‘s #FairSailing initiative
Learn more at sailzing.com

Excerpted from Dave Perry’s100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes, available from US Sailing. For a comprehensive explanation of the rules, read Dave Perry’s Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing through 2024, which is also available from US Sailing.

Each week this season, we will offer a “quiz” question regarding the Racing Rules of Sailing.  Read the scenario below, formulate your answer, then move your mouse over the box to reveal the correct answer.

Need further explanation?
something we can discuss on the porch on Sunday.

This Week’s Question

The race committee displays flag U as the preparatory signal. At the start, several boats are OCS (on the course side of the starting line) including Boat X. The race committee signals a general recall and restarts the race. Boat X starts cleanly and wins the race, but on shore her score is posted as DSQ. She requests redress. You are on the protest committee; should X be scored DSQ? (From Perry, Quiz 51)

Answer

The race committee acts improperly when it scores Boat X DSQ. Rule 30.3, U Flag Rule, states that a boat shall not be disqualified under this rule if the race is restarted (see also rule 36, Races Restarted or Resailed). Therefore, Boat X is entitled to redress, under rule 62.1(a), Redress; and it would be reasonable to reinstate her in her finishing position in the race and move the other boats down accordingly (see rule 64.2, Decisions on Redress). Furthermore, the protest committee can call a hearing, under rule 60.3(b), Right to Protest; Right to Request Redress or Rule 69 Action, to consider redress for any other boats that were improperly scored DSQ by the race committee.

This quiz was borrowed from the Inland Lake Yachting Association‘s #FairSailing initiative
Learn more at sailzing.com

Excerpted from Dave Perry’s100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes, available from US Sailing. For a comprehensive explanation of the rules, read Dave Perry’s Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing through 2024, which is also available from US Sailing.

Each week this season, we will offer a “quiz” question regarding the Racing Rules of Sailing.  Read the scenario below, formulate your answer, then move your mouse over the box to reveal the correct answer.

Need further explanation?
something we can discuss on the porch on Sunday.

This Week’s Question

Boats S and P are sailing directly downwind toward a leeward mark. They had been overlapped for several lengths with S inside and slightly ahead. As S entered the zone, she luffed (headed up). As her bow became abreast of the mark, she bore away to gybe, and there was contact, but no damage or injury. Both boats protest. You are on the protest committee; which boat should be penalized? (From World Sailing Casebook, Case 75)

Answer

P is penalized. S did nothing for which she can be penalized. At position 1, S reached the zone and P was required by rule 18.2(b) to give S mark-room thereafter. In addition, until S gybed P was required by rule 10 to keep clear of S. As S luffed, she was required by rule 16.1 to give P room to keep clear, and until she gybed S was also required by rule 18.4 to sail no farther from the mark than needed to sail her proper course. The mark-room that P was required to give S was the space S needed in the existing conditions to sail promptly to the mark in a seamanlike way. That space was a direct corridor from S1 to a position close to and alongside the mark on the required side. P gave S that room. However, because S had right of way she was not required to remain within that corridor; she was permitted to sail any course provided that she complied with rules 16.1 and 18.4. S luffed gradually through approximately 45 degrees while sailing about three lengths forward, and P made no effort to keep clear. Shortly before position 3, S needed to act to avoid P. At that moment P broke rule 10. When S luffed after position 2, if P had acted promptly there was space for her to have maneuvered in a seamanlike way to keep clear of S. Therefore, S did not break rule 16.1. When S gybed just after position 3, she had not sailed farther from the mark than needed to sail her proper course. Indeed, in the absence of P (the boat ‘referred to’ in the definition Proper Course), S’s proper course might well have been to sail even farther from the mark and higher than she did, so as to make a smoother, faster rounding and to avoid interference with her wind by being backwinded or blanketed by other boats ahead. Therefore, S did not break rule 18.4. Concerning rule 14, both boats broke the rule because there was contact and it was reasonable possible for each of them to avoid it. P is therefore disqualified under rule 14 as well as rule 10. However, S is exonerated because she was the right-of-way boat when the contact occurred and there was no damage or injury (see rule 14(b)). (From World Sailing Casebook, Case 75)

This quiz was borrowed from the Inland Lake Yachting Association‘s #FairSailing initiative
Learn more at sailzing.com

Excerpted from Dave Perry’s100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes, available from US Sailing. For a comprehensive explanation of the rules, read Dave Perry’s Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing through 2024, which is also available from US Sailing.

Each week this season, we will offer a “quiz” question regarding the Racing Rules of Sailing.  Read the scenario below, formulate your answer, then move your mouse over the box to reveal the correct answer.

Need further explanation?
something we can discuss on the porch on Sunday.

This Week’s Question

At an upwind finish, two close-hauled boats on opposite tacks (S and P) are converging at the left end mark of the finishing line. When about a length and a half from the mark, P completes a tack to leeward of S without fouling her. However, in order to pass the mark on the correct side, P luffs up to almost head to wind, thereby causing S to sail above close-hauled to avoid her. S protests P. You are on the protest committee; which boat should be penalized? (From Perry, Quiz 37)

Answer

Boat P is penalized for breaking rule 18.3, Tacking the Zone. As P and S are approaching the finishing mark on opposite tacks, rule 18, Mark Room, does not apply because the boats are on opposite tacks on a beat to windward. But once P tacks, the boats are no longer on opposite tacks and rule 18 begins to apply (see rule 18.1, When Rule 18 applies). When P and S are approaching a port-hand windward mark on the opposite tack and P then passes head to wind within the zone at the mark and is fetching the mark, rule 18.3 requires P to not cause S to sail above close-hauled to avoid contact. P causes S to sail above close-hauled to avoid contact; therefore, she breaks rule 18.3

This quiz was borrowed from the Inland Lake Yachting Association‘s #FairSailing initiative
Learn more at sailzing.com

Excerpted from Dave Perry’s100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes, available from US Sailing. For a comprehensive explanation of the rules, read Dave Perry’s Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing through 2024, which is also available from US Sailing.