[This followup was posted to rec.boats.racing and a copy was sent to the
cited author.]

In article ,
says...
J Peters wrote:

This came up the other day in a Etchells start.

The line is set square to the wind which is blowing 5-7 knots.

Two boats, A and B are sailing down the line on Stbd.
A and B are overlapped but B's bow is close enough to A's
transom (overlapped by a two or three feet) to limit
A's ability to head up without hitting B.

There are a series of boats, close hauled on stbd, below B
calling for room.

What's B's responsibility in this situation?

Keep clear of leeward boats (RRS 11) and if she changes course give A
room to keep clear (RRS 16.1)

Take a look at Elvstrom Explains pp148 and 149.

Does she have to
slow down or bear off to give A room to head up?

That's two ways of giving A room.

If the boats
coming up from below reach B before she has been able to
untangle herself from A, is B in the wrong?

A classic "who do I hit" situation.


snip Andy's handy citations

Now it's hard for me to pin down the situation exactly from your
description (whether that is my fault or yours I don't know) but it
sounds as if A (to windward) has let themselves get into a really bad
situation. I think if I was B, I'd tap A's transom,

Ahh, the famous "love tap": went out in 1995 I believe.

If you tap A with anything you will probably infringe RRS 14 at least.

If it's your boat you tap A's transom with you will prima facie infringe
RRS 12.

If you "tap" A's quarter, rather than transom, you will probably infringe
RRS 16.1.

shout PROTEST
loudly,

A bit of noisy dialogue with A wouldn't go astray first: up up up, water
for the leeward boats, c'mon get UP, I've got leeward boats coming at us
etc etc.

and hope everyone else had the sense not to get involved!

Why wouldn't the leeward boats get involved: they're the ones seeking
their right of way?

John