Notice: This site is an early preview and may include errors or omissions. Verify against official sources and do not rely on this site alone when making decisions.
Notice: This site is an early preview and may include errors or omissions. Verify against official sources and do not rely on this site alone when making decisions.
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 14 when the incident resulted in injury or serious damage, or rule 23.1.
When a boat sailing under these rules meets a vessel that is not, she shall comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (IRPCAS) or government right-of-way rules. If the notice of race so states, the rules of Part 2 are replaced by the right-of-way rules of the IRPCAS or by government right-of-way rules.
A boat has right of way over another boat when the other boat is required to keep clear of her. However, some rules in Sections B, C and D limit the actions of a right-of-way boat.
When boats are on opposite tacks, a port-tack boat shall keep clear of a starboard-tack boat.
When boats are on the same tack and not overlapped, a boat clear astern shall keep clear of a boat clear ahead.
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.
If reasonably possible, a boat shall
However, a right-of-way boat, or one sailing within the room or mark-room to which she is entitled, need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room.
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.
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 on the same tack and overlapped within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat.
Section C rules do not apply between boats when the mark or obstruction referred to in those rules is a starting mark surrounded by navigable water or its anchor line, from the time the boats are approaching it to start until they have left it astern.
A boat sailing towards the pre-start side of the starting line or one of its extensions after her starting signal to start or to comply with rule 30.1 shall keep clear of a boat not doing so until her hull is completely on the pre-start side.
A boat taking a penalty shall keep clear of one that is not.
A boat moving astern, or sideways to windward, through the water by backing a sail shall keep clear of one that is not.
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.
When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear.
In addition, on a beat to windward when a port-tack boat is keeping clear by sailing to pass to leeward of a starboard-tack boat, the starboard-tack boat shall not bear away if as a result the port-tack boat must change course immediately to continue keeping clear.
(a) 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
(b) Rule 18 no longer applies between boats when mark-room has been given.
(a) When the first of two boats reaches the zone,
When a boat is required to give mark-room by this rule, she shall continue to do so for as long as this rule applies, even if later an overlap is broken or a new overlap begins.
(b) Rule 18.2(a) no longer applies if the boat entitled to mark-room passes head to wind or leaves the zone.
(c) When rule 18.2(a) does not apply and the boats are overlapped, the outside boat shall give the inside boat mark-room.
(d) If a boat obtained an inside overlap from clear astern or by tacking to windward of the other boat and, from the time the overlap began, the outside boat has been unable to give mark-room, rules 18.2(a) and 18.2(c) do not apply between them.
(e) If there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, it shall be presumed that she did not.
If a boat passes head to wind from port to starboard tack in the zone of a mark to be left to port, rule 18.2 does not apply between her and another boat on starboard tack that is fetching the mark. If the other boat has been on starboard tack since entering the zone, the boat that passed head to wind
When an inside overlapped right-of-way boat must gybe at a mark to sail her proper course, until she gybes she shall sail no farther from the mark than needed to sail that course. Rule 18.4 does not apply at a gate mark.
Rule 19 applies between two boats at an obstruction except when rule 18 applies between them and
However, at a continuing obstruction, rule 19 always applies and rule 18 does not.
A boat may hail for room to tack and avoid a boat on the same tack by hailing ‘Room to tack’. However, she shall not hail unless
In addition, she shall not hail if the obstruction is a mark and a boat that is fetching it would be required to change course as a result of the hail.
If reasonably possible, a boat shall not interfere with a boat that is taking a penalty, sailing on another leg or subject to rule 21.1. However, after the starting signal this rule does not apply when the boat is sailing her proper course.
