Ellen MacArthur wrote:
"Jeff" wrote
| Its the same question as before - does the port and starboard side
| change if you're going backwards?


No. Port and starboard is fixed. It's part of the boat. That's why there's a green light on the starboard side
and a red light on the port side. You have a right hand and you have a left hand. If you walk backwards your right
hand is still your right hand and your left hand is still your left hand.

If the boat sides are fixed, then it means that two boats going side
by side on broad reaches, but one going backwards, are on different
tacks. In a race, that could be a huge tactical advantage. I doubt
its allowed, but its been so long that I've studied the racing rules
that I don't know under which rule it would fall.

As I said, for ships, the sides in effect get reversed, and there have
been rulings on the topic.

Rule 34 says in the first sentence says "a power driven vessel underway." The second paragraph says
"the whistle signals prescribed in paragraph (a). It means prescribed for power driven vessels because that's
all they talk about in the first paragraph. Nowhere does it say a sailboat has to do whistle signals. It's only
talking about power boats.

Nope. Rule 34(a) clearly specifies power boat for its situation, but
that is missing from 34(c) in the International rules. There is no
reason to presume that the restriction mentioned in (a) applies to
(c). Also, if you look to Intl 9(e)(i) there is nothing that
restricts the rule to powerboats. Clearly, the writers of the Inland
rules did not think this was appropriate for sailboats, so they
scattered "powerboat" through the text.