----- Original Message ----- 
From: bcmurray 
To: uncle-al@home.com 
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 1:33 PM
Subject: starting rules question

Hello there.  My name is Brian Murray (Bad Karma - a Northstar 727), and I was protested at the Cornucopia Regatta at the Dalhousie Yacht Club in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Canada (western end of Lake Ontario) this past weekend by Magic Misty, in the main/jib 2 fleet.  The protest was thrown out on a technicality but that left me with no gain in knowledge of the rules.  Here is what happened: 

I (Bad Karma) was on starboard in an 8-knot breeze with about thirty seconds to go before the starting gun.  The Committee boat was the favored end and I had just enough room to pass her stern as there were two boats to leeward of me: Pennies Five and Magic Misty respectively.  All were within a couple of feet of each other. 

Magic Misty was attempting to luff me and my leeward boat, Pennies Five, who was between us, in the hopes that one or both of us would have to come around and make another approach to the start line.  Magic Misty was screaming for room and to move up (very loudly and with insistence in his voice.)  Anyway, Pennies Five at first spoke to me and said "Keep going, there is plenty of room for your start."  A moment or two later he asked for room because of the insistence of Magic Misty.  I immediately tacked away and then tacked back to the start line, giving room to Pennies Five.  In doing so, I felt I had done exactly what was required of me.  After the race I was informed that I was being protested by Magic Misty for not giving the required room to him.  Pennies Five refused to be a party to the protest either as a protestor or as a witness. 

Now for the question:  Am I required to give room to someone down the line--who, by the way, I cannot see and as such, am not sure who he is talking to-- or only to the boat to my immediate leeward side (in this case Pennies Five)?

Brian

....
Answer
return to Quiz Index