This was written after playing chicken with other kiters and poleys over the Christmas break, and as a reply to all the threads about rules on the water/leaners/Euros/whinging and how even the experienced screw up.
When you're on the water a STARBOARD tack - ie with the wind coming over the right shoulder - has right of way. It's a basic rule of the sea.
Those on port tacks - heading out to sea in a SW'ly at Dutch, heading 'in' to The Pond, heading towards Ardross at Melville, heading to Penguin at Shaolwater - should drop their kites or bear downwind a bit, if a poley, if faced with those coming at 'em on a opposite tack.
My dinghy instructor said the rule comes from the Vikings when their longships had steering oars on the right side of their sterns. This made them less manoeuvrable compared to a ship on an opposite tack coming towards them.
The steering oar of the port tack ship would have been on its leeward side and 'digging' deeper into the water, allowing the ship to bear away from the wind/oncoming vessel faster.
"Port" comes from the ships tying up with the steering oar-less side facing the wharf to protect the primitive rudder.
Or is this just a yarn spun to keep novice sailiors quiet?
Now could someone please explain how that affects the arcane rules waxheads apply when you take the kite in the surf?
Sailing rules still apply ie upwind sailor on the wave has right of way, first sailor/surfer on the wave has right of way. Look at windsurf wave sailing same thing.
You usually sail outside catch a swell and ride it in until the wave breaks. It's your wave first and most likely you are furthest upwind as well. If a surfer paddles into a wave it is usually given to him/her as kitesurfing or windsurfing in waves can get way more waves. Number one sailing rule is avoid a collision at all times.
Real response on a Texas drivers liecence test:
Q. Who has right of way at an unsign posted 4 way intersection.
Learner drivers answer: the pickup truck with the gun rack.
Realism at it's best.
Only in Texas.
We just did this alverstone:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/General-Discussion/Chat/Basic-give-way-rules/
had the same problem on the lake up north over chrissy.
i just resorted to this.
(dont worry, no poledancers where harmed in this photo)
so what if safety bay isnt the only place to kite? ^^ btw poley is on port tack. evil poley.
Mate as a racing sailor I can tell you the rules are better applied to sailing yachts, windsurfers and even kite boarders racing upwind and downwind around a track.
Sure in theory Port and Starboard still apply to recreational kiters, but in practice most kiters are beam reaching back and forth and if your slightly more downwind of a kiter heading towards you you maintain your line and drop the kite a little, and if you are upwind raise your kite a little. When in doubt just adjust your line and make it clear what your intentions are. Thats it. Easy.
Trying to place rules over recreational kites will be largely ignored and dangerous for anyone around someone trying to assert their 'right' to starboard right of way.
I think maybe this thread needs clarification for noobs (?)
Do what you do at the pond. If it is all kiters out, do what you do. Who cares.
However, if there are others out at a 'mixed' spot, yachties and windsurfers will assume that kiters know about starboard having ROW, and that the kiters will comply.
A noob reading this would think the rules don't apply to them. No, they may not apply at the pond as it is different, but pretty much everywhere else they do.
And waxhead rules about "first on wave owns it" still apply no matter if you can do 50m runs thru the break
the pond should be no different, one set of rules/guidelines, starboard has right of way then everybody should know what the other is doing, its not that hard
I liken the 'Pond' to an events location like a race track or sportsground. Experienced Kiters are performing freestyle tricks and the layout, wind direction and topography determine the rotation and jumping area. International yachting rules just don't apply. Freestyle best describes a kiter engaging in rapid changes of direction, height and position that can not be anticipated by another watercraft. Pond rotation rules ensure the safety of those in the jump and tricks area, forget the sailing rules, no traffic lights at Wanneroo Raceway.
Based on Ray Finkle rules...if the ball isn't held laces out you will miss wide right every time.
If you run into someone blame Dan Marino.
Like the shoulder rule rather than starboard, port stuff. So in WA on south wester heading out to sea (left should forward) you give way to dudes coming into shore getting ready to line up for a wave. Makes sense..farq the pond by the way, you guys can have it.
Posted 03/01/2012, 3:09 pm
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Ahua
Sailing rules still apply ie upwind sailor on the wave has right of way, first sailor/surfer on the wave has right of way. Look at windsurf wave sailing same thing.
You usually sail outside catch a swell and ride it in until the wave breaks. It's your wave first and most likely you are furthest upwind as well. If a surfer paddles into a wave it is usually given to him/her as kitesurfing or windsurfing in waves can get way more waves. Number one sailing rule is avoid a collision at all times.
Sailing rules say when on the same tack, windward boat must keep clear. Should read your blue book again.
i should have asked where the relevance is.
check your calender, its 2012.
