Part one.
After a start the fleet is sailing on a Starboard tack as the fleet approaches the shore the boat closest to the obstruction hails for room to tack. the 4 boats to the outside (all overlapped) also hail for room to tack.
These 4 boats tack while clear ahead of the remaining boats in the fleet. The boat that was on the outside is hailed by a boat that was clear astern and to windward prior to the tack off the obstruction to tack (starboard over port). The outside Boat on Port tack cannot tack without all other boats tacking and driving the boat closest to the obstruction to tack onto shore.
The Starboard tack boat fails to avoid the port tack boat and hits the port tack boat 4 inches forward of the backstay, thus there was plenty of room for him to duck behind and showing that the inpacted boat would have ended up bow to bow with him and the remainign fleet if he had attempted to gybe and duck the starboard boat.
Isn't it true that as the Port tack boat could not tack to starboard due to boats avoiding an obstruction and could not duck the starboard tack boat for the basic fact of position and speed, not to mention the remainder of the fleet following the lead starboard boat which all would have hit the inpacted port tack boat. That the Starboard tack boat in question has violated a rule?
Part 2 Similar.
After a start the inside boats are on port tack while the outside boats are on starboard. Three inside boats approach an obstruction and hail for room and tack to starboard to avoid a point of land. Similar situation: Center boat cannot tack back to port without causing the inside boat to run aground. This boat also cannot duck the lead starboard boat as there is only enough room for the boat leward of him to duck and pass before the rest of the oncoming fleet.
who is a fault.
I was un der the impression that you must give room to those that need to avoid an obstruction....as well as those boats that are giving that boat room.