Warning: silly question
When I am sailing along and somebody else is coming towards me, do I go left of
them or right of them ?
Depends if you are upwind/downwind of them....
U know starboard or port. Same rules apply as boating.
Driving on the left comes from back in the days when soldiers carried swords. Since most people are right handed you would wear your sword on the left, thus you would pass potential enemies on your left so they are away from your sword.
Or something...
Elizabeth: I've briefly googled the topic. Many sites have wording that is beyond me at the
moment. I was wondering is there is web page that fogs down the sailing conventions
for numptys like me ? (and with lots of diagrams !! :) :) :)
Mark: The scenerio I am thinking bout is me kaning along (normally uncontrollably)
up wind. A kiter is coming towards me (down wind) really quickly. What I have been
doing is seeing what the other guy does. If he turns, I turn the other way. if he/she
doesn't and they get too close, I depower and drop my sail (and then fall off :). I was
wondering what is the correct thing to do in this situation ?
Note: Also, many sites say "giveway" without explaining give way. Give way to me is
depowering and coming to rest. This seems slightly impractical for kite and windsurfers :)
Thanks for tips :)
Ja
I'm not surprised your problem is with kiters.
If you are both heading straight at each other on a reach you pass to starboard (ie keep right).
If you are heading opposite directions but both heading up/downwind, port tack gives way to starboard tack.
If you are both on the same tack, the one to windward has right of way (ie downwind guy keeps clear)
I would have thought "give way" is simple: whoever has to give way will change their course to avoid collision.... whoever has right of way keeps their course!!!!
Mostly "giving way" is going downwind, because the person coming towards you is trying to go upwind. but this isn't always the case,
With a kite coming towards you, if you go upwind of him, it's safer for you, (lines are downwind) and he doesn't have to raise his kite over your rig.
Giving way certainly doesn't mean slowing down, it means not getting in the way of the other person, just stopping in front of them, can be as big an inconvenience.
If you can work out what they are trying to do, (going upwind, downwind, etc) then go the opposite direction.
If you're truly out of control most of the time, can you find a clearer patch of water to practice in, until you are in control.
Thanks guys. That web site is easy to read.
I have to disagree with mark on one point.
When sailing free on the same tack the windward vessel should remain clear of the downwind vessel.
A few other points that might help
- a vessel running free should give way to the vessel close reaching.
- a vessel overtaking another on the same tack should keep clear of the one they are overtaking.
and of course at all times avoid a collision - general boating rule that pretty much supercedes all others
Throw in the speed guys and the right of way for the guy going fastest makes it and even more interesting discussion.[}:)]
We've got an overlapping speed and alpha course, that can get interesting!
Amongst our selves, the alpha guy will abort his run if there's a somebody else flying down wind on a possible collision course.
Nothing to do with "right of way", same as waves here, it's do as you would be done by.
Man o man, we have this thread every other week, it seems. The rules are clear and the same for all countries. I've raced both southern hemisphere and in the US, and the pre-racing instructions and rules were the same. When racing, they're the same for pretty much all classes of boats.
When not racing, it's the same, just google it. Also includes rules for motor boats, locks and all.
One last note: rules are something to apply to avoid accidents, and may be used in a court of law in case of liability following a collision. A fellow sailboater-lawyer was telling me you cannot be sued for not following the rules if there is no collision. Even in the US.
Yes Pierre but in many places it would result in tyres let down or threats with a mast extension
