Luffing after the "lee Bow" move

[Jon Luscomb]

In the EC-12 Universal Championships....

A crossing situation between to boats sailing to weather toward the windward mark: Chuck a Port tack boat and Jon a starboard tack boat. Chuck will not be able to cross Jon without contact. Chuck decides to "lee Bow" Jon rather than to duck and continue on port tack. Chuck lays one on Jon, a beauty! Now Jon is windward of Chuck and overlapped. Chuck is to leeward and has become the right of way boat unfortunately for Jon.

Chuck decides to luff Jon and force him to tack away. Jon maintains is course and stays clear to the point of luffing. Chuck steers above close hauled. Jon tells Chuck to cut it out! Chuck chuckles and does not cut it out and contacts Jon. Jon Protests Chuck under rule 14 avoiding contact, and rule 17.1 proper course. Chuck protests Jon under rule rule 14 and rule 16.

Chuck and Jon have not spoken since the incident and need TAG to settle the matter.

Jon

[tag1945]

Jon

The sentence "Chuck lays one on Jon, a beauty!" is not a sailing term I am familiar with. I suspect that if some guy named Chuck "laid one on me", I would ask my parents if Chuck was adopted.

Having said that, here is my opinion:

The situation you have described is a common one.



Rules that apply:
At position 1, Jon is the Yellow starboard tack ROW boat. Chuck is the Blue port tack Keep Clear boat.
Rule 10: Chuck must Keep Clear of Jon.

At Position 2: Chuck tacks onto starboard to leeward of Jon
Rule 13: Chuck must keep clear of Jon while tacking.

At Position 3: Chuck has completed his tack onto starboard
Rule 11: After Chuck tacks onto Starboard, leeward of John, Chuck is now the ROW boat and Jon must immediately start to Keep Clear of Chuck.
Rule 15: Requires Chuck to provide room and opportunity for Jon to initially keep clear.

At position 4: Chuck is now luffing Jon but does not luff above "Head to Wind"
Rule 16: As Chuck changes his compass course to windward, he must continue to provide room and opportunity for Jon to Keep Clear. Once he passes Head to Wind, he is tacking (Rule 13) and would be required to keep clear of Jon.

You mention that Rule 17.1 requires Chuck to not sail above his proper course.
Rule 17 use to have 2 parts but now has only has 1 part. Rule 17 only applies when the overlap began from clear astern within 2 boat lengths. Since Chuck did not obtain the overlap from clear astern, but as a result of tacking (Lee Bowed), Rule 17 does not apply to Chuck and he has full luffing rights and can luff up to head to wind. If you are forced to tack to keep clear of Chuck, that is what you must do.

17 ON THE SAME TACK; PROPER COURSE
If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of her hull lengths to leeward of a boat on the same tack, she shall not sail above her proper course while they remain on the same tack and overlapped within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat. This rule does not apply if the overlap begins while the windward boat is required by rule 13 to keep clear.

As always, Rule 14 applies to both boats.

[Jon Luscomb]

SOOOOOOOO Chuck can luff Jon to just shy of head to wind, right? Once at center line , assuming the both end up head to wind, when is chuck tacking and Jon is not?

I also forgot to mention that both Jon and Chuck sail black boats.

[Rick West]

Hehe, this is standard practiced by the practiced, Jon. If Chuck plans his timing correctly and makes a seaman like turn with proper trim in the tack, he will loose very little speed (and he knows this stuff and does it). You are then in deep dodo, especially at the coming mark.

Defense: Be sure you have the layline nailed and there is no room for a lee bow boat to fetch the mark at speed to your lee. Chuck would then have to luff you. Keep your speed up as he is in you draft. Be smooth and anticipate. Move up carefully as he forces you - the instant he forces. This way it is very possible you can move ahead as he slows in the fluffing. Under no circumstances attack or try to intimidate him. You will draw a foul with no chance to race him again after the mark. There would be no chance to win the position back and likely lose a couple more to those close behind.

Valor: Stay on his butt and force his every move at and after the mark. You are looking for an opportunity. If it does not come, you have lost one point and probably saved losing 2 or 3 more.

[tag1945]

SOOOOOOOO Chuck can luff Jon to just shy of head to wind, right? Once at center line , assuming the both end up head to wind, when is chuck tacking and Jon is not?

I also forgot to mention that both Jon and Chuck sail black boats.

Jon

Chuck can luff up to head to wind. Head to wind is a compass course, not the position of the sails. Chuck is tacking as soon as he passes head to wind. Jon's only job is to Keep Clear of Chuck until he has passed head to wind. Chuck would hope to have you pass head to wind before him.....

I use to sail black boats also. I found them to be on the slow side.

[Jon Luscomb]

Rick:

Love the HE HE!

I will press a tad when I suspect someone as deviant as Chuck is coming at me on port and a lee bow is a possibility. Two things happen....you get to him faster and force him to make the move early below the lay line. Once he begins the move shoot to break your jib and glide up a rung and two then return to course and round while Chuck is pinching to make the mark. Brotherhood is a serous busimess...


Thanks Tom, as usual, for your excellent answer. My Black Boat is differnt from your Black Boat.

I will think of another Jon and Chuck thing, but I will be sure that Chuck loses the next one . Best to you both!

Jon

[tag1945]

Jon

I see that you and Rick have mentioned the actual weather mark. The situation you presented is outside the 4 boat zone of the weather mark. If this happened inside the 4 boat zone of the weather mark, then Rule 18.3 would prevent Chuck from luffing Jon above close hauled.