By Dave Cobbett
We’ve had 2 similar protests in the last week, both Rule 18 situations (mark-room). In both cases, each skipper was well aware of the requirement to allow a boat, with an inside overlap at the 3-length zone, room to round the mark.
The problem may be partly a visual one – ascertaining at what point one’s boat actually reaches the 3-length zone. It’s worth pointing out that the zone in question is 3 lengths of the
boat nearest the mark.. But this is tough to judge, since if you’re the helmsman of a J-29 calling for overlap on a J-24 at the moment when the J-24’s bow reaches the Zone, you’re 29 feet behind the J-24’s transom, and an additional 72 feet from the mark – a total distance, including the J-24, of 125 feet from the mark !
A couple of points to emphasize:
- the Zone is 3 hull lengths – not including equipment – of the nearest boat to the mark.
- you enter the Zone only when your hull reaches the 3-length circle.
- You achieve an overlap when hull or equipment in normal position (e.g. a spinnaker) is ahead of a line abeam from the aftermost point of the other boat’s hull and equipment in normal position. Otherwise put, a line drawn perpendicular to the fore and aft axis of the other boat, and projected out indefinitely.
So how to (a) determine if you’ll have an overlap at the 3-length circle, and (b) get the agreement of a windward boat or boats that you have an overlap ? Rule 18(2) (d) states that where there’s doubt as to whether a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, it shall be assumed that she did not ! In other words, you have to be pretty darn sure that a sizeable overlap exists, not just at the 3-length zone, but for some time before. You should be advising the leeward skipper 2-5 lengths before the zone that you expect to have an overlap, and indeed already may have one. And, in the case of a leeward mark, it would be prudent to make sure that your bow overlaps the outside boat, not just your spinnaker. (Conversely, if you’re the outside boat, you’d better make darn sure there is no overlap before trying to jam your bow between the inside boat and the mark - ed).
If you’re approaching the leeward mark, with nearby boats converging at different angles, you must do the exercise of looking along the line perpendicular to your transom. You may be surprised to find that Boat B, rapidly approaching from left field, has an inside overlap, and may well carry that into the 3-length zone. (ISAF – Case 12).
It also gets tricky where several boats are stacked up at the mark, and the outermost boat is unaware that the inner boat has an overlap over all the outside boats in the stack. If you’re the inner boat, and you’re being squeezed out, your options are limited. You can (1) hit the mark, do a 360, and protest (2) go the wrong side of the mark, re-round, and protest, or (3) collide with the boat immediately to windward and hope that you can prove to the Protest Committee that you had an overlap, and that you were not required to anticipate that the outside boat would break a rule.
Note also Rule 18(2)(e) – if a boat obtained an inside overlap from clear astern and from the time the overlap is established the outside boat is unable to give mark-room, she is not required to give it.
There are certain circumstances in which a boat in the act of rounding a mark may commit a foul but be exonerated. Rules 64.1(c), 18.5 and 20.2 relieve a boat of the obligation to take a penalty, such as a 720 turn or a Scoring Penalty, and would not be disqualified by a protest committee for the rules breech.
Rule 64.1© says that if a boat in the process of breaking a rule compels another boat to break a rule, that boat shall be exonerated.
Rule 18.5 says that if a boat in the process of taking mark-room to which she is entitled breaks a rule of Section A or Rules 15 or 16, she shall be exonerated.
Rule 20.2 says, when approaching an obstruction, if a boat taking room to which she is entitled (room to tack to avoid another boat or an obstruction), she’ll be exonerated if she breaks a rule under Section A, or Rules 15 or 16.
Cheers
Dave Cobbett
