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Part 2 — When Boats Meet

Section B — General Limitations

15

Acquiring Right of Way

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.

Definitions in Context

Keep Clear

A boat keeps clear of a right-of-way boat

  • (a) if the right-of-way boat can sail her course with no need to take avoiding action and,
  • (b) when the boats are overlapped, if the right-of-way boat can also change course in both directions without immediately making contact.

Related Cases

Case 2

This case covers a situation involving two boats at a downwind mark in which a boat clear astern reaches the zone before a boat clear ahead. In that situation the boat clear ahead is required by rule 18.2(a)(2) to give mark-room to the boat clear astern.

Case 7

When, after having been clear astern, a boat becomes overlapped to leeward within two of her hull lengths of the other boat, the windward boat must keep clear, but the leeward boat must initially give the windward boat room to keep clear and must not sail above her proper course. The proper course of the windward boat is not relevant.

Case 13

Before her starting signal, a leeward boat does not break a rule by sailing a course higher than the windward boat’s course.

Case 24

When a boat becomes overlapped to leeward from clear astern, the other boat must act promptly to keep clear. When she cannot do so in a seamanlike way, she has not been given room as required by rule 15.

Case 27

A boat is not required to anticipate that another boat will break a rule. When a boat acquires right of way as a result of her own actions, the other boat is entitled to room to keep clear.

Case 53

A boat clear ahead need not take any action to keep clear before being overlapped to leeward from clear astern.

Rule 14

If reasonably possible, a boat shall - (a) avoid contact with another boat, - (b) not cause contact between boats, and - (c) not cause contact between a boat an...

Rule 16

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...

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