Racing Rules Blog

Butch Ulmer's discussion of the new rules changes

ANOTHER RULES BLOG AND ANOTHER GAME CHANGE

Posted by butch

  ANOTHER GOOD RACING RULES BLOG

As the UK-Halsey Racing Rules Blog gains traction, I've learned of and had contact with another blogger that I'd like to recommend to you.

The blog is called "Racing Rules of Sailing…Look to Windward" and it is written by Jos M Spijkerman from the town of Sneek in the Netherlands.  Jos has been blogging for the better part of a year now and "Look to Windward" has lots of information about the rules and many, many good sailing links.

Have a look…the web address is Look to Windward Blog

 Last summer I visited Sneek during Sneekweek. Literally hundreds of boats racing on a beautiful lake! The thing I remember most about my visit was driving under an aquaduct to get into town. It was a crazy feeling to look up from a car and see a forty foot sailboat passing over you.

 

ANOTHER GAME CHANGE

We have had one posting from Rob Overton and hope to have many more. Rob has been helping me update the answers to all the UK-Halsey rules quizzes so that they reflect the upcoming changes ot the rules. While reading through one of his "updates", I came across a game change that really caught me by surprise. 

In the existing rules, Rule 19.2 says that Rule 19.1 ROOM TO TACK AT AN OBSTRUCTION does not apply at an obstruction that is also a mark the hailed boat can fetch. So a leeward boat (see illustration below) in Red's place is not entitled to room to tack as long as the boat to windward (Blue) is fetching (and subsequently fetches) the mark. This has always seemed fair to me… the assumption being that the leeward boat had to see the situation developing and should have acted sooner to extricate himself. 

The new rules (Rule 20.3) say that Red "shall not hail (for room to tack) if the obstruction is a mark that the hailed boat is fetching BUT if she does hail, the windward boat is now obligated under new Rule 20.1 to respond to that hail by either tacking or hailing back "You tack" and then giving room.

 So the game change is that the right of way boat not only has to respond to an improper hail and give up a tactical advantage and to obtain justice after the fact, she may have to protest the leeward boat under Rule 20.3 for making the improper hail. I can just imagine some of the stories the jury will have to listen to when it comes to the improper hail.

Here's another interesting point. The first part of new Rule 20.3 says  "A boat shall not hail unless safety requires her to make a substantial course change to avoid the obstruction". So the leeward of two close hauled port tack boats when confronted with a starboard tack boat cannot hail for room to tack if she can duck by altering her course to leeward by a few degrees.  

Now read Rule 19.2 (a) which says a right-of-way boat may choose to pass an obstruction on either side. If the right-of-way boat (Blue) in the situation above wants to pass the obstruction (the starboard tack boat) on his starboard hand, why can't he hail for room to tack? Does he break Rule 20.3 by hailing?

There will be more written about this!

Posted on: 10/21/2008 at 2:39 AM
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Comments

Steven Levy United States

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 5:58 AM

Steven Levy

In the second situation, I don't see how Blue tacking meets the definition of passing the obstruction if the obstruction is actually a sailing boat as in the illustration. They will now be on parallel courses, and while Blue may eventually overtake Green, Green will no longer be an obstruction at that point but just another boat to windward.

That said, I would think that 19.2 does not give Blue additional rights, since it uses the word 'choose.' A boat can choose to approach the start on a reach, or on port tack; both are quite legal... but do not confer rights over other boats on starboard.

Rick Hatch Canada

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 7:20 AM

Rick Hatch

Regarding Butch's observation about a possible contradiction between new rule 19.2 and new rule 20.3, please review the first sentence of the definition of "obstruction."  Since the blue boat can bear away to pass astern of the green boat without blue having to make a substantial course alteration, green is not an obstruction to blue, even though blue on port tack must keep clear of green on starboard tack.  In other words, even though blue must keep clear of green, per the first sentence of the definition of "obstruction" that alone does not make green an obstruction to blue.  The subjective area involved for judges and competitors will be interpreting the word "substantially", for which we have dictionaries to refer to; this should limit the subjectivity to marginal cases.  That said, in a marginal situation, if I were the red boat to windward of blue (i.e, the give way boat), I sure as heck wouldn't want my defense to depend on a subjective interpretation of the word "substantially" by not tacking if hailed by the blue boat to tack!  Instead, as red I would tack when asked for room and then protest blue for asking, and see if blue flinches on the water.

Rick Hatch
US Sailing Judge

David Australia

Tuesday, November 11, 2025 5:18 PM

David

This situation is one we are headed to the protest room next week on.  

Situation as above before the startline.  We're in the Blue boat, Green calls starboard on Red (we're clear) and Red bears away towards us, we call Red to keep clear but he continues to bear away forcing us to bear away hard to avoid a collision.  This happens twice as other starboard tackers come through.  

He tacks over and starts we're now forced to work our way back to start correctly and lose 10 lengths on Red.

Minor differences in position compared to this diagram; the start line is parallel to and above the Green boat, Red is more advanced than Blue.

We've protested under Rule 9 but we know that Red plans to claim he had a continuing obstruction so we have to give him room.

Comments?

Rod Tharp United States

Sunday, November 23, 2025 4:31 PM

Rod Tharp

Just found this site- I hope it takes off.

Regard protest - I don't have a rule 9 in my book , the starboard boat was an obstruction, not a continuing obstruction.You were overlapped and both passing the starboard boat on the same side. That being said- you were required to give him room to pass which you did- no foul either boat.
Rod T

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