Bottom Mark Biffo

[DrWatson 375]

So, although I don't do a lot of racing, I did get involved in an interesting mark "rounding" scenario on Saturday.

 

Allow me to consult the oracle, if I may.

 

Situation, light and shifty. The bottom mark, as it was, was well over run by a number of boats, (possibly due to no one really being sure of the course, organisers included) but nonetheless a little competitiveness comes out in all of us even if the prizes are awrded randomly to the boat with the smallest kids at the helm. The situation below unfolded: 

 

 

Dark blue boat, light blue boat, and dirty boat, were approaching the mark. Pink boat had run deep by about 300 m and was taking back up to the mark... remember this is the bottom mark. the wind was a little all over the place. 

 

As boat get to the mark they basically park up due to the poor tacking abilities of crew and lug rigs (yes, lug rigs). The progression from the above situation, as it played out in reality (to the best of my memory) is pictured below.

 

 

Dirty boat just creeps through the eye of the wind and slowly, so --- freaking --- slowly, makes good her escape, light blue boat basically ends up in irons, and dark blue boat, having entered the zone after dirty and light blue, looks to dip under the chaos. However, Pink boat calls stb...

 

Who can guess the outcome, and who can say who should have given way to whom..?

[Black Panther 1,584]

Break out a beer?

[DrWatson 375]

So the proper course for blue boat is to tack, but is it? Given it's a down wind mark, the blue boat's proper course needn't involve a tack (normally - ignoring the crazy wind shifts), one can come in on port and leave on port. Both  dark blue and pink boats can sail a proper course without tacking.

 

In which case 18.1b would not apply and 18.2b is valid 

 

18.2

b. If boats are overlapped when the first of them reaches the zone, the outside boat at that moment shall thereafter give the inside boat mark-room. If a boat is clear ahead when she reaches the zone, the boat clear astern at that moment shall thereafter give her mark-room.

 

This rule then expects that the two boats will be approaching in the same general direction ("the boat clear astern), and that the skipper of one will not have sailed 10 minutes in the wrong direction... 

 

SO at what point is a boat outside the zone clear astern and at which point is she no longer clear astern?

[DrWatson 375]

Break out a beer?

oh, there was plenty of beer, and wine...  and all shouting was conducted in best French....

[Island Time 1,235]

Not sure I agree MB, but it's been a long time since I did any of this in anger, and the rules have changed quite a bit.

 

My Take is that the dark blue boat entered the zone clear ahead (ref position 2) , so pink has to give her room. As per 18.2.

Seems quite clear as I read the rule.

IIRC you cannot charge into the zone, faster than a boat already there, and expect to have room given...

Happy to be corrected if I'm out of date - which is likely!

[Island Time 1,235]

I agree that it is the BETTER course for Blue to tack, but it is arguable that he does not have to tack to have a PROPER  course. Already has been stated that it is shifty. It is possible neither boat must tack. What then for 18.1b..not valid - 18.2b would apply as per DrW.

 

However, in this situation if I was Pink, I'd be ready to avoid a collision!!

[ballystick 72]

I think mark room applies as they are all rounding the mark.

[erice 732]

i know next to nothing

 

but expecting 1 of the most basic rules - starboard

 

to trump a specialized  - mark rounding 

 

doesn't seem right....

[DrWatson 375]

At the end, my take was that mark room applies, moreover, unless pink entered the zone clear ahead, as the "inside boat" blue would still be allowed mark room. 

 

Blue boat would look to dip light blue and dirty boat if necessary, and then harden up.

 

However pink boat had a different opinion, and in fact came sliding in yelling "Tribord!" Much fending and "oo la la, pardon" ensued. Pushed her way through between blue and light blue and left them in irons.

 

Luckily the boats are only 200-400kg, so it was not that dangerous and in general a good mood.

 

But crikey, never be sure that the other boats are sailing by the same rules. 

[erice 732]

if you only know 1 rule

 

you try to use it for every situation

[DrWatson 375]

Yes, it's prudent to default to prevention of collision rules. 

 

One might reasonably expect to be sailing under racing rules, during a race, but it was not entirely evident, upon reflection, if anyone was sailing to any set of rules at all in this entire regatta

[Battleship 100]

We had a similar situation a couple of weeks ago. Lots of tide dragging boats past the mark and very little wind.

I find instead of pushing through on a marginal call it is usually easier just to dip and carry on.

Often the boats that miss time the mark roundings are getting a bit hot under the collar and will argue the point rather than give room so there is no gain anyway.

[Freedom GBE 27]

Avoid collision. There are no winners in these pile up lotteries and its best to pull out.

[Black Panther 1,584]

From a racing point of view, at a bottom mark light wind pile up, my preference was always: come in fast, go outside everyone , get out fast. As only one or two boats are going to win the dogfight, you are guaranteed a top three position heading into the beat.

[John B 106]

sea lawyers stole our sport from us.

[Black Panther 1,584]

Or just go cruising

[AJ Oliver 154]

Not a rules authority, but the way it works now is that both blue and light blue must act to attempt to avoid a collision, even if they have rights. 

If they do not, they get tossed too. 

[dkd 3]

but a well read and well understood rule book is your best friend .... is all part of the game now.