SEHMYC - South Eastern Hills Model Yacht Club - Paris Creek SA 

Following are extracts from the Racing Rules of Sailing. You can see the whole document at

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http://www.sailing.org/documents/racingrules/index.php

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Go down to the block labelled 

The ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing 2013-2016 - Effective 1 January 2013

and then click on the link labelled

The Racing Rules of Sailing 2013-2016

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The relevant rules are on pages 1 to 22. These pages are followed by quite a number that relate more to administration until you get to Annex E on Page 90 which has rules that are specific to Radio Sailing.

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Regarding who has right of way in a Leeward/Windward situation.

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Boats are either Clear Astern, Clear Ahead or Overlapped. There is no rule mentioning overtkaing boats.

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Pretty straight forward.

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Notice that the term 'overtaking boat' is not used. If there is an overlap the windward boat MUST keep clear.

If there is no overlap, the boat 'clear astern' is not allowed to run into the rear of the boat 'clear ahead'.

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Once an over lap has been established, the leeward boat can push the windward boat up provided that she is sailing her proper course.

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The proper course is the fastest course for a boat to get to her next destination. It does not mean that the leeward boat can force the windward boat way off course.

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A lot of the confusion regarding rules arises from people not keeping current with the RRS. RRS get  upgraded/clarified every four years and the new set is due out this year. One example of this occured when I heard a sailor (not SEHMYC) claim that he was on a starboard tack, from a port tack, because his bow had passed across the wind. Check through the RRS and find out the correct definition. 

I found a pretty good site for basic rules explanations. It explains what is happening, and why. It also throws in some good hints for various situations.

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Room at the Mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrGlDxQaCWQ

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Port and Starboard at thw Windward Mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK7gEwcARFQ

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Port and Starboard General Rule

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84c1TTiFxE0

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Tacking on the Port layline near the mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwzZ4XerpH8

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Starting on Port Tack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSD1PicwezI

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Turning a Jibe Mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvTQwwmyE-g

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Jibe mark in a crowd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KHCM9BWZyw

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Tacking in the Zone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAPHGISjUbQ

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Port Starboard at the leeward mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a27mJ7sJW7g

This last one is a bit different in that they were real boats and not radio controlled. In real boats the overlap zone is only one boatlength.

I have put the RRS in the on the 'Documents' section of the 'MORE' page.

A problem has been reported with downloading the Club Rules. It is probably because I put it in as a Word 2010 file and earlier versions of Word could not read it.

I have now put the Rules in as Word 2003 and PDF files as well as the Word 2010. Please try again and let me know if there are any problems.

Just as an aside, if you have Word 2003.........HANG ON TO IT!!!!!    Word 2010 is a dog to use after 2003. I have gone to the length of searching out a new copy of 2003 to install on my machines as it is so much easier to use.

No doubt someone out there will tell me that 2010 is much more powerful then 2003 but I have found in the past that "more powerful" is IT speak for "user aggressive".