ISAF Q&A 2012-004

ISAF Racing Rules Question and Answer Service; J 025 Q&A 2012-004
Published: 23 June 2012

Situation

Two boats, L and W, are overlapped and W is keeping clear. L changes course and W responds promptly. In trying to continue to keep clear, W collides with another boat, vessel or object. There is no contact between L and W. L takes a two-turns penalty and continues to race. W protests.
The protest committee found that L did not give W room to keep clear and that it was not reasonably possible for W to avoid the collision. In addition, the committee found that rule 2 was not broken.

Question

If the collision had caused serious damage to W or to the other boat, the vessel, or the object, or if a person on one of them was injured, would rule 44.1(b) apply to L?

Answer

Yes. If it was L's breach of rule 16 when she changed course without giving W room to keep clear that, although indirectly, caused serious damage, rule 44.1(b) applies to L and her penalty is to retire.

Typically this situation happens at the start at the committee vessel. On boat leaves enough room for  windward boat to keep clear below the starting vessel but then - once the bow of the windward boat has passed the stern of the committee boat - starts luffing. The windward boat has no escape!
She can either hit the committee boat or the leeward boat.

 Purple leaves a gab for Red, but luffs at the last moment leaving no room for Red to keep clear

Purple points at the stern of the RC-Vessel - now it's Red's choice to go into a situation where there is no room

If you want to prevent a boat to windward to get in this position, you must point your boat to the stern of the committee boat preventing the 'opening' ever to be there. Otherwise you must give the windward boat an escape route....


J.