YACHTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 164, 13 July 1929, Page 18

YACHTING.

RACING RULES AGAIN.

RISK OF COLLISION".

OVERTAKING AND OVERLAPPING

MEANING OF AN OVERLAP,

(By SPEEDWELL.)

So much interest lias been taken in the diagram and the explanations of the rules of yacht racing, which appeared in this column last Saturday, that some of the other rules which apply when racing are now dealt with. Those rules, which are in force prior to the starting signals and between guns, - were described in the first article. This week the overtaking and the overlapping rules are explained and illustrated. The Overlapping Rule. The overlapping and overtaking rules usually come into play soon after the start when, for instance, a number of boats are approaching a mark for the purpose of rounding it, or when an obstruction in the course is met, such as a shoal, rock, wharf, or another boat racing, which may have the right of way. All these are counted as "obstructions to sea room." In such cases a boat on the inside, i.e., nearest to the obstruction, can call for room if she i:-: getting hemmed-in by a boat or boats sailing the same course, but, and this is the point, the boats must be sailing in the same direction. Overlapping Boats Must be on Same Course. No question of overlapping can arise or exist unless the yachts are sailing the same course and a new set of conditions arise if either yacht changes her tack, or they are sailing different courses. If you are hailed for room or water, always give it at once. If you think that you have been unfairly hailed, give room, but report the matter to the sailing committee. No Interference Allowed. It is the principle of racing that after the start you must sail your course to the next mark. If you are the leeward yacht of two boats sailing along almost level and neither overtaking, you must not luff the weather boat if she is so far up with you that you would strike her aft of her main rigging or "shrouds" as the rule puts it. If a boat elects to overtake you to leeward, usually the better way, you must not interfere with her getting through your lee by bearing away and so "blanketting" her. Nor must you tack when there is no room to tack and so involve risk of collision with another boat which has the right of way or cannot get out of your way. You can tack on a boat's weather or under her lee but not right ahead of her. This would be an interference and the rules are quite explicit against this and many other cases where an interference is possible. In fact the Y.R.A. rules provide ample protection against interference and penalties for their infringement under almost every possible position .in which competing boats can get into. So much so that "Speedwell" has always held the opinion, shared by many others who really know the practical side of yacht racing, that the now famous Rule 3, embodied in the rules of the Sanders and Cornwell Cup conditions is quite unnecessary unless it is held to refer only to interference by outside craft or circumstances not usually within' the control of the sailing committee. Overlapping and Clear.' The meaning of an overlap should be understood by all skippers, ;! and the accompanying diagram will serve to make it quite clear.

In 'diagrams 1 and 2 the yachts are overlapping. They are sailing the same course, and are inside the zone of danger or "risk of collision." A good skipper will always act with caution when in this position. These conditions remain until one or other of the boats draws clear ahead, and then the zone of safety must be wide and absolute before the overtaking boat can alter her course. Risk of collision is deemed to exist until the two boats can be sailed without any regard to the proximity of the others.

In diagram 3 the, yachts are not overlapping, according to the rules, because they are not sailing the same course. The lower one is close-hauled on starboard, and would have the right of way over the other, which is the weather boat and is not close-hauled.

In diagram 4, although the boats are beam to beam and on the same course, they are not overlapping, because they are outside the danger zone. If they should converge on a mark, then we have 'an overlap. Overlaps at Marks. When two or more boats come to a mark in the course, to be rounded on a stated side, and are close enough to be overlapping, the rules are quite clear. They must give the boat nearest to the mark the right of rounding without interference. It is only right that if the outside boats are overlapping when another has reached the mark, and is actually rounding it, that she be given ample room to keep the proper side of the mark, rock or other obstruction. An overlap must be established before a mark is reached, and then another boat is not allowed to' force her way between the first boat and the mark. She would be the overtaking boat, and as such she must keep clear. Summarised, the racing rules boil down to these three cardinal ones: — Overtaking boat keeps clear. Port tack boat keeps clear. Weather boat keeps clear. Stick to these rules and strictly observe them, and you cannot go wrong. You can expect others to do the same. Do not bluff or be bluffed by anybody. Do not cause risk of collision, and if you are unfortunate enough to infringe a rule, as Avalon did in the last Sanders Cup contest at Akaroa, when she tacked too close to Eileen, allowing Eileen to touch her, retire from the race at once, as Avalon did.