Marine Ice Makers Analysts Help You to Master the Sailing Rule Book

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Your Marine Ice Makers Experts Get Rid of All the Confusion

Raritan Engineering Company your marine ice makers specialists would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to master the sailing rule book.

Your marine ice makers professionals know that our rulebook contains only six pages of rules that apply when two or more boats meet on the course. Those are the rules in Part 2, “When Boats Meet.” It's obvious we need basic right-of-way rules (Rules 10, 11 and 12) and some limitations on the actions of right-of-way boats (Rules 14, 15 and 16.1), but those rules occupy only one of the six pages. 

Rule 24.1 is simple: If you're not racing, don't interfere with boats that are - it's basic courtesy. A reader once asked me, however, why the phrase “if reasonably possible” is in the rule. Those words are there to handle fairly the situation shown in the first diagram. Able, Baker and Charlie, sailing closehauled on starboard tack, are nearing the finish line. 

Another rule that seems mysterious to readers is Rule 18.1(b). This rule is far more complicated than Rule 18.1(a), but many readers, after they spend time dissecting these two rules, cannot see what purpose Rule 18.1(b) serves. 

Rule 18.1(a) states simply that if two boats are on opposite tacks beating to windward, Rule 18 doesn't apply between them. That's a well-understood rule that rarely causes problems. 

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To understand why Rule 18.1(b) is needed, we need a bit of background. Rule 18 is intended to apply to boats on opposite tacks only when the boats are sailing on a downwind leg at more than 90 degrees to the true wind. Under the definition Overlap, boats on opposite tacks can't even be overlapped unless both are sailing more than 90 degrees off the wind.

In order to achieve Rule 18's intent in this and similar scenarios, Rule 18.1(b) is a necessary part of Rule 18.1. It switches off Rule 18 between Bart and Rick because they are on opposite tacks when the proper course for Bart, but not for Rick, is to tack to round the mark.

Another puzzling rule for many readers is Rule 18.4. It applies only “when an inside overlapped right-of-way boat must jibe at a mark to sail her proper course.” It's purely a safety rule. It's easy to understand how it works by considering the scenario shown in the third diagram. Two boats flying traditional symmetric spinnakers are approaching a jibe mark to be left to port. 

Olga has sailed high so she can jibe while running directly downwind. At Position 2, her foredeck crew is on the foredeck and has detached the spinnaker pole from the mast in preparation for jibing. Olga is anticipating that Izzie will comply with Rule 18.4 by bearing off on her proper course and jibing. 

Especially in strong winds, this could create a dangerous situation for Olga's crew, which would be forced to abort its jibe and turn up onto a broad reach on starboard tack.

Rule 18.4 does not apply at a gate mark because it's not always clear which gate mark a boat is planning to round. Rule 24.2 states, “Except when sailing her proper course, a boat shall not interfere with a boat … sailing on another leg.” I've been asked why that part of Rule 24.2 is needed.

Suppose that the series scores for Al and Bill are such that, unless Bill places first or second in the last race, Al will win the series no matter where he finishes. The course for the last race is windward/leeward, twice around.

Bill has broken away from the fleet and is leading as he starts up the second windward leg. Al is still on the first leeward leg, buried back in 15th place. If Rule 24.2 were not in the rulebook, Al could simply stop sailing toward the leeward mark and position his boat to slow Bill by closely covering him as he sails upwind.

So don't forget these helpful pointers in mastering the sailing rule book. 1) If you're not racing, don't interfere with boats that are - it's basic courtesy;  2) Rule 18 is intended to apply to boats on opposite tacks only when the boats are sailing on a downwind leg at more than 90 degrees to the true wind;  and 3) safety is always the best choice.

Learn more at Raritan Engineering and see how they always have more information on marine ice makers and how to master the sailing rule book. 

via The Reasons Behind the Rules