These rules apply to boats sailing in or near the racing area that intent to race, are racing. However, these boats are subject to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea or government right-of-way rules when the sailing instructions so state or whenever they meet other vessels. A boat not racing shall not be penalized for breaking an experimental right-of-way rule, except rule 4.
1 SAFETY
1.1 Helping Those in Danger
A boat or competitor shall give all possible help to any person or vessel in danger.
1.2 Life-saving Equipment and Personal
Buoyancy
A boat shall carry adequate life-saving equipment for all persons on board, including one item ready for immediate use, unless her class rules make some other provision. Each competitor is individually responsible for wearing personal buoyancy adequate for the conditions.
A boat and her owner shall compete in compliance with recognized principles of sportsmanship and fair play. A boat may be penalized under this rule only if it is clearly established that these principles have been violated.
By participating in a race conducted under these racing rules, each competitor and boat owner agrees
(a) to be governed by the rules;
(b) to accept the penalties imposed and other action taken under the rules, subject to the appeal and review procedures provided in them, as the final determination of any matter arising under the rules; and
(c) with respect to such determination, not to resort to any court or other tribunal not provided by the rules.
A boat is solely responsible for deciding whether or not to start or to continue racing.
A competitor shall neither take a substance nor use a method banned by Appendix L. An alleged breach of this rule shall not be grounds for a protest, and rule 63.1 does not apply.
The rules of Part 2 apply between boats that are sailing in or near the racing area and intend to race, are racing, or have been racing. However, a boat not racing shall not be penalized for breaking one of these rules, except rule 22.1. The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea or government right-of-way rules apply between a boat sailing under these rules and a vessel that is not, and they replace these rules if the sailing instructions so state.
Section A – Right of Way
A boat has right of way when another boat is required to keep clear of her. However, some rules in Section B and C and D limit the actions of a right-of-way boat.
10 ON
OPPOSITE TACKS
When
boats are on opposite tacks, a port-tack boat
shall keep clear of a starboard-tack boat.
11 ON THE
SAME TACK, OVERLAPPED
When
boats are on the same tack and overlapped, a windward boat
shall keep clear of a leeward boat.
12 ON THE
SAME TACK, NOT OVERLAPPED
When
boats are on the same tack and not overlapped, a boat clear astern shall keep clear of a boat clear
ahead.
13 WHILE
TACKING
After
a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10,11,
and 12 do not apply. If two boats are
subject to this rule at the same time, the one of the other’s port side shall keep
clear.
Section B – General Limitations
14 AVOIDING
CONTACT
A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room
(a) need
not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping
clear or giving room, and
(b) shall not be penalized under this rule unless there is
contact that causes damage.
When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat’s actions.
16.1 When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear.
16.2 In
addition, when after the starting signal boats are about to cross or are
crossing each other on opposite tacks,
and the port-tack boat is keeping clear of the starboard-tack boat, the starboard-tack boat shall not change
course if as a result the port-tack boat
would immediately need to change course to continue keeping clear.
17.1 If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of her hull lengths to leeward of a boat on the same tack, she shall not sail above her proper course while they remain overlapped within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat. This rule does not apply if the overlap begins while the windward boat is required by rule 13 to keep clear.
17.2 Except on a beat to windward, while a boat is less than two of her hull lengths from a leeward boat or a boat clear astern steering a course to leeward of her, she shall not sail below her proper course unless she gybes.
To the extent that a Section C rule conflicts with a rule in Section A or B, the Section C rule takes precedence.
18 ROUNDING
AND PASSING MARKS AND OBSTRUCTIONS
In rule 18, room is room for an inside boat to round or pass between an outside boat and a mark or obstruction, including room to tack or gybe when either is a normal part of the manoeuvre.
18.1 When
this Rule Applies
Rule 18 applies when boats are about to round or pass a mark they are required to leave on the same side, or an obstruction on the same side, until they have passed it. However, it does not apply
(a) at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water or at its anchor line
from the time the boats are approaching them to start until they have passed them, or
(b) between boats on opposite tacks, either on a beat to windward or when the proper
course for one of them or both of them to round
or pass the mark or obstruction to tack.
18.2 Giving
Room; Keeping Clear
(a) OVERLAPPED-BASIC RULE
When
boats are overlapped the outside boat
shall give the inside boat room to round or pass the mark or obstruction,
and if the inside boat has right of way the outside boat shall also keep
clear.
Other parts of rule 18 contain exceptions to this rule.
(b) OVERLAPPED AT THE ZONE
If
boats were overlapped before either of
them reached the two-length zone and the
overlap is broken after one of them has
reached it, the boat that was on the outside shall continue to give the other
boat room. If the outside boat becomes clear
astern or overlapped inside the other boat, she is not entitled to room
and shall keep clear.
(c) NOT OVERLAPPED AT THE ZONE
If
a boat is clear ahead at the time she
reaches the two-length zone, the boat clear
astern shall thereafter keep clear. If the boat clear
astern becomes overlapped outside the other boat she shall also give the inside
boat room. If the boat clear astern becomes overlapped inside the other boat she is not entitled to room. If the boat
that was clear ahead passes head to
wind, rule 18.2(c) no longer applies.
(d) CHANGING COURSE TO ROUND OR PASS
When
rule 18 applies between two boats and the right-of-way boat is changing course
to round or pass a mark, rule 16 does
not apply between her and the other boat.
(e) OVERLAP RIGHTS
If
there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, it shall be presumed that she did not. If the outside boat is unable to give room
when an overlap begins, rules 18.2(a) and 18.2(b) do not apply
.
18.3 Tacking
If
two boats were approaching a mark on
opposite tacks and one of them completes
a tack in the two-length zone when the
other is fetching the mark, rule 18.2
does not apply. The boat that tacked
(a) shall not cause the other boat to sail above close-hauled to
avoid her or prevent the other boat from passing the mark and
(b) shall keep clear if the other boat becomes overlapped
inside her, in which case rule 15 does not
apply.
18.4 Gybing
When
an inside overlapped right-of-way boat
must gybe at a mark or obstruction to sail her proper
course, until she gybes
she shall sail no farther from the mark or
obstruction than needed to sail that
course.
18.5 Passing
a Continuing Obstruction
While
boats are passing a continuing obstruction,
rules 18.2(b) and 18.2(c) do not apply.
A boat clear astern that obtains
an inside overlap is entitled to room
to pass between the other boat and the obstruction
only if at the moment the overlap begins there is room to do so. If there is not, she
is not entitled to room and shall keep
clear.
19 ROOM
TO TACK AT AN OBSTRUCTION
19.1 When safety
requires a close-hauled boat to make a substantial course change to avoid an obstruction and she intends to tack, but cannot tack and avoid
another boat on the same tack, she shall
hail for room to do so. Before tacking she shall give the hailed boat
time to respond. The hailed boat shall
either
(a) tack
as soon as possible, in which case the hailing boat shall also tack as soon as
possible, or
(b) immediately reply ‘You tack’, in which case the hailing boat
shall tack as soon as possible and the hailed boat shall give room, and rules 10 and 13 do not apply.
19.2 Rule 19.1
does not apply at a starting mark
surrounded by navigable water or at its anchor line from the time boats are
approaching them to start until they
have passed them or at a mark that the
hailed boat can fetch. When rule 19.1
applies, rule 18 does not.
Section D – Other Rules
When rule 20 or 21 applies between two boats, Section A rules do not.
20 STARTING
ERRORS; PENALTY TURNS; MOVING ASTERN
A boat sailing toward the pre-start side of the starting line or in
extensions after her starting signal to comply with rule 29.1. or rule 30.1 shall keep clear of a boat not doing so until she is completely on the pre-start
side. A boat making a penalty turn shall
keep clear of the one that is not. A boat moving astern by backing a sail shall keep
clear of one that is not.
21 CAPSIZED,
ANCHORED OR AGROUND; RESCUING
If
possible, a boat shall avoid a boat that is capsized or has not regained
control after capsizing, is anchored or aground, or is trying to help a person
or vessel in danger. A boat is capsized when
her masthead is in the water.
22 INTERFERING
WITH ANOTHER BOAT
22.1 If
reasonably possible, a boat not racing
shall not interfere with a boat that is racing.
22.2 A boat
shall not deliberately interfere with a boat making penalty turns to delay her.