Summer Race #4

Wednesday 8/11/2010 ESE breeze from 4-10 knots. Current ebbing hard, at times over 1.5 knots. Both fleets sailed from H to G and back to H. Going out to the course tonight, we first stopped by buoy 26 to get an idea of how strong the current was. We trotted along side it at 1.7 knots and were stationary over the ground. We knew the current would be strong in the middle of the river. We made our way down to the start area. The RC was on station and prepared to deal with the shifty NE breeze. They setup for a course to D. As forecasted, the breeze began to work its way to the right. By 18:10, the breeze was due East. We do not have an upwind course for easterly breezes. D would have been a close reach on starboard and G was a one-tack beat on port. The RC decided to send us to G instead and reset the line. People seemed to disagree with the call, but I think it was the right choice. First, with the current ebbing hard, it would have created a lift on starboard tack and would have allowed the boats to easily make D on a close reach. At least the course to G was a one tack beat. Second, the courses that use D would have sent the boats around 24 and this would have put boats into the full current and could have prevented boats from finishing the race. By going to G, we stayed out of the max current. At 18:25 we rolled in the sequence. Since the wind was inconsistent and the current was pushing boats toward the line, we stayed far away from the line. So did most of the fleet. The pin end was very favored, but I did not want to get tangled up with the A boats that were setting up by the pin. Jazz is a tub compared to most of our competitors and it does not serve us well to mix it up in close quarters. So we stayed back from the line until 40 seconds and then tacked to port and found clear breeze right below Comet. The beat was a nice setup for Jazz. Since we could almost make the mark, we pressed on the jib and sailed fast. We held our own on the leg and had only a short 1-2 minute starboard tack at the end of the leg to make G. Coming into the mark on starboard, we were hailed by a boat on port for room. We did not give them room and I will explain the rules in that situation at the end in Example #1. We rounded the mark and were right above Elixir and just behind Kohlinar. The course again helped us, as it was a tight reach back to H. Without a spinnaker, we were able to not lose too much ground due to the angle being pretty tight. In a broad reach, we would have fared much worse. Chi and the A boats had run away from us and we were happy to come in second tonight. Seemed like it was the best possible course for the conditions. The Race Committee was flawless. They did the right things delaying and resetting the start. It was more work than normal, but in the end it paid off. After the finish, we sailed by the race committee to thank them and continued up the course to watch the action in C2. It was compelling. There is a nice tight group of 26-28 foot boats that seem to be having fun each week. We saw one C2 boat roll another on the leg. We saw another boat take the high road on the leg and it did not seem to pay off, but I do now know where they were at the mark. The last boat finished around 20:00. Seemed like a great race for all the fleets. Xanadu had a nice race in C2, as they were clear of the other small C2 boats. I believe Xanadu was sailing solo. After the race, we continued to cruise around in the easterly breeze. Then around 20:15, a fresh southerly filled in. The breeze picked up to 12-14 knots with occasional whitecaps. We sailed on until about 21:00 enjoying this new breeze. It was nights like this that gave me the idea for the Full Moon races. Unfortunately, I know no way of predicting when we will get this late evening breeze. I do know that it does not seem to work the same on full moon nights. I would say we get a new breeze 3 or 4 times a year after 20:00 hours. Rule Example #1 Two boats converging at the windward mark on opposite tacks. It is a port rounding, so the port tack boat is inside of the starboard boat. Rules: 18 MARK-ROOM 18.1 When Rule 18 Applies Rule 18 applies between boats when they are required to leave a mark on the same side and at least one of them is in the zone. However, it does not apply (a) between boats on opposite tacks on a beat to windward, (b) between boats on opposite tacks when the proper course at the mark for one but not both of them is to tack,… 18.3 Tacking When Approaching a Mark If two boats were approaching a mark on opposite tacks and one of them changes tack, and as a result is subject to rule 13 in the zone when the other is fetching the mark, rule 18.2 does not thereafter apply. The boat that changed tack (a) shall not cause the other boat to sail above close-hauled to avoid her or prevent the other boat from passing the mark on the required side, and (b) shall give mark-room if the other boat becomes overlapped inside her. 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 on the other’s port side or the one astern shall keep clear. In our situation, the port tack boat called for room. We were both fetching the mark and the port tack boat was within the three boat-length circle. When we look at rule 18.1(a) and (b) we see that the port tack boat does not get “room” at the mark. Rule 18 is turned off in this situation. In our situation, the port tack boat was on a collision course with us so we can end the discussion here as far as the real life example. If we want to take it a step further, we can assume the port tack boat would cross ahead. During the tack, they would have to keep clear under rule 13. Remember, rule 18 is turned off, so they are not entitled to “room to tack”. Once they complete the tack, rule 18.3 comes to play. If they are still clear ahead when they complete the tack, rules 18.1(a) and (b) would no longer apply because both boats are now on the same tack. So 18.3 comes in to say that the boat that tacked is not entitled to room under 18.2. It goes on to say that the boat that tacked cannot take the other boat above close hauled. This would prevent the tacking boat from shooting the mark. It also goes on to say that is the boat that was fetching all along gets an inside overlap, then the boat that tacked has to give them room. In essence these rules combine to make the port tack boat the keep clear boat. The only situation where the port tack boat is entitled to room is when they can tack ahead of the starboard boat and the starboard boat is over stood enough that they do not have to go above close-hauled to give the other boat room. In this case it is not really room, it is a windward leeward situation. You can see a good write up of this rule and some of the next example by clicking the link below. Please note that one of the captions incorrectly refers to rule 10.3. They should have written rule 18.3. http://www.sailingworld.com/experts/luffing-late-overlaps-tacking-and-jibing-at-marks Rule Example #2 Two boats finishing. The leeward boat protests. This is all I heard on the radio about a protest. 18.2 Giving Mark-Room (a) When boats are overlapped the outside boat shall give the inside boat mark-room, unless rule 18.2(b) applies. (b) If boats are overlapped when the first of them reaches the zone, the outside boat at that moment shall thereafter give the inside boat mark-room. If a boat is clear ahead when she reaches the zone, the boat clear astern at that moment shall thereafter give her mark-room. (c) When a boat is required to give mark-room by rule 18.2(b), she shall continue to do so even if later an overlap is broken or a new overlap begins. However, if either boat passes head to wind or if the boat entitled to mark-room leaves the zone, rule 18.2(b) ceases to apply. (d) If there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke I do not know what happened to the two boats involved. I will only speak to the rules. First, a finish consists of two marks. These are to be treated like every other mark of the course except the starting marks. So rule 18 can apply. In the race, the finish was a broad reach, so 18.2 would apply once ONE of the boats enters the three boat-length circle. So you cannot barge at a finish, you are entitled to room at the finish. The only way the leeward boat can block out the windward boat would be if the leeward boat entered the zone clear ahead of the windward boat. If the windward boat then established an overlap, they would not be entitled to room since the overlap would need to exist before they enter the zone. I do not know the actual situation; I only used it as a reason to quote more rules. I like to spit out rules and invite anyone reading this to comment if I am incorrect or unclear. This blog is not enough on its own. It is the feedback that will make it better for the readers and foster a greater understanding of racing and the rules.