Learing experience - which way to turn

[Mark48]

Well, I will probably get a few "you idiot" for this but I am trying to use this as a learning experience. Backgroun - I am not a racer, but for the last few years I have entered in a local regatta that is a fund raiser for a children's hospital (good cause) about 100 boats. Well, during the regatta this past weekend my boat was involved in a relatively minor collision with another boat. Here is the scenario - approaching the finish line about 200 yards off we came about to from port to starboard to make the finish line wind about 5 kts and our speed about 2.5 mph. About 150 yards out I hear another boat off to my starboard, less than 90 degrees off my bow yelling starbard tack, I look down from monitoring my sails and see we are on a collision course with little time to react (maybe 60 feet). My helmsman cut hard to starbard and we caught them in the rear quarter putting a hole in fiberglass aft of the winches about 2 feet off the stearn. No injuries and minor damage to my bow with a hard scraping the fiberglass. Now, we were the leward (downwind boat), the other boat took no evasive action. I know my fault was not being more alert off to the sides for approaching boats. My question is given we were on the same tack and even though I was the stand-on boat, given no action by the other boat to deviate should I have turned to port as opposed to starboard. It is likely we would have bumped either way. Thoughts and recommendations, other than I should have been more aware of other boats and taken action earlier. Is it better to turn into the wind with a chance you miss or with the wind and likely hit?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

There is only one answer here (other than the obvious) and that is - regardless of your position relative to the other boat, RULE 1. do whatever you need to do to avoid a collision.
The other Rules are of much lesser import.

 

[FourPoints]

even though I was the stand-on boat

He clearly didn't think so, otherwise he wouldn't have been yelling starboard at you... did he have overlap when you tacked, thus putting yourself into the collision course dead ahead of his existing course?

 

[stickboy]

To be perfectly clear, you were both on Starboard, he was to windward. Correct? You just keep sailing your course, let him yell himself hoarse.

 

[Mark48]

He was windward, no overlap, but the primary rule is take action to avoid collision. My question remains is it better to turn starboard or port. I was point about as high as I could go. So would a port turn have been faster than starboard?

 

[Stu Jackson]

HSo would a port turn have been faster than starboard?

That answer to that single ? is a Yes. But help me out here: If you were both on starboard and you were pointing higher, it means you were closehauled. Right? If he was to windward, but also behind you on a close reach, not close hauled, does this mean he was way above the layline for the end of the "line" and was trying to avoid overstanding that lay line? I just want to get more facts.

Sure, Rule 1 applies, but the real question seems to be: "Who is the stand on vessel when both on starboard tack, one to leeward close hauled and one non-overlapped and behind to windward on a close reach?"

Am I understanding the situation correctly?

 

[stickboy]

He was windward, no overlap, but the primary rule is take action to avoid collision. My question remains is it better to turn starboard or port. I was point about as high as I could go. So would a port turn have been faster than starboard?

Well, without being too harsh, I'd say you really need to read the rules.

As I see your situation, you had the right of way a couple of times over. You were clear ahead so he has to avoid hitting you, not the other way around. You were both on Starboard and you were leeward boat, again he has to stay clear of you. It's actually somewhat important that you stand your ground for the rules to work. If you had the option to tack over onto Port in front of him (you said you were close hauled and considered turning to Starboard or Port) then you really weren't so close to a collision that you had to take evasive action. As you get more experience racing you'll probably come to realize that racers have much smaller personal space; they are more comfortable in close proximity.

Lastly, if your competition is experienced and knows the rules above and was yelling because he thought he could intimidate you, HE was actually breaking a rule by doing so.

The final question to clarify though - are you sure you were on Starboard? You say that the other boat was less than 90 degrees off your bow and your helmsman turned and made contact in the quarter with them? Why not just just adjust slightly to port and sail the same course they were on? If you were actually on Port the whole situation makes more sense and the answer to your question would be tack over to Starboard and sail on the same course as the other boat. If you had more space you can duck behind them but if it's that close you really need to tack. NOW!

 

[PaulK]

The description given is not really clear about what happened. This is why protest committees ask parties to provide drawings showing the relative positions of the boats, the wind direction and any other relevant details. The originating post says Mark48 tacked ("came about") from port to starboard in order to head to the finish line about 200 yards away. At 2.5 knots, the other boat's hailing "Starboard" when they were about 150 yards out would have come about a half minute after Mark48's tack. If both boats were actually on Starboard tack, the leeward boat (Mark48, by his description) would have had right of way, but there would have been no cause for the other boat to hail "Starboard". Also, if Mark48 was to leeward with no overlap, how was he able to hit the other boat? Which quarter of the other boat was hit - Starboard or Port? If a collision results in damage, the offending boat should withdraw.

We need better information in order to provide better advice. Determining whether it would be better to turn one way or the other depends on a lot of variables. Perhaps the boat would have turned to starboard faster if the mainsheet had been pulled in tighter. Perhaps a turn to port would have been faster if the sheet had been eased. Did the other boat try to keep clear and change the equation and distances in doing so? Without a good picture of what went on, we're all shooting in the dark here.

 

[michellepinto]

Well, like said you just do what you have to, to AVOID THE COLLISION. Everything else is just secondary.

 

[finding41]

I can make an evasive 90 degree turn withing a few meters. (Maybe a boat length.) Then turn back to just about the course I was on. Just over a bit.
IE: Hard to Port or Starboard and back again.
So I zig and then zag.
It slows you down a bit but keeps the paint on the hull.