In the last article I discussed the changes to rule 14.  This time I am going to discuss two changes.  Rule 17 On the same tack, proper course and Rule 20 Room to tack at an obstruction.  Rule 17 is the rule to discuss who has the right to luff.  It says that if a leeward boat establishes an overlap from clear astern within two boat lengths of the windward boat, then the leeward boat cannot go above her proper course.  There was an exception to this in the 2021-2024 rules which has disappeared. 



In the first diagram Green and Red are sailing upwind, with Green on starboard tack crossing ahead of Red on port tack.  Green tacks as soon as she has crossed.  This aggressive maneuver is sometimes called a “Slam Dunk”.  It puts Red into Green’s dirty air. At position 3, the boats are not overlapped.  At position 4 they are.   The last sentence of rule 17 in the 2021-2024 rules said that the restriction on luffing “does not apply if the overlap was established while the windward boat is required by rule 13 to keep clear.”    Rule 13 applies from the moment Green passed head to wind (between position 2 and 3) and the moment she gets to a close-hauled course (position 4).  So, this exception applies in this situation.  The overlap was established while rule 13 applied.  In the 2025-2028 rules this exception is gone.  Green is on the same tack and clear ahead at position 3.  Red establishes the overlap from clear astern before position 4 mainly as a result of Green turning.  Red is now restricted by rule 17 and cannot sail above her proper course.  Her luff at position 5 breaks this rule.



In the second diagram we see an illustration of Rule 20.  Yellow and Blue are sailing upwind on a course towards a seawall.  At our club this happens most often sailing out the Eastern Gap.  Yellow wants to tack.  She tries to invoke Rule 20 by hailing “Hey there is a seawall ahead”.   Blue knows that there is a seawall, so she hails back “Thanks.  We know.”  Eventually Yellow tacks and Blue seeing her tacking and tacks to avoid her.  Yellow protests Blue for breaking rule 20, by not tacking earlier in response to her hail.  Blue protests Yellow for tacking and breaking rule 13.   The RRS 2021-2024 said in Rule 20.1  “A boat may hail for room to tack and avoid a boat on the same tack.”   A protest committee would have to decide whether “Hey there is a seawall ahead!” should have been understood as a “hail for room to tack”.  In the RRS 2025-2028 rule 20.1 says “A boat may hail for room to tack and avoid a boat on the same tack by hailing ‘Room to tack’”.  The rule clearly states what should be hailed. In this case I think Yellow would lose the protest. Later in the same rule the phrase ‘You tack’ was already specified.  There are very few specifically defined hails in the Racing Rules of Sailing.  ‘Room to tack’, joins ‘You tack’ and ‘Protest’ in that short list. 
 

RRS 2025-2028   (text underlined is new)

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.

20.1     Hailing

A boat may hail for room to tack and avoid a boat on the same tack by hailing ‘Room to tack’. However, she shall not hail unless

(a)        she is approaching an obstruction and will soon need to make a substantial course change to avoid it safely, and

(b)       she is sailing close‑hauled or above.

In addition, she shall not hail if the obstruction is a mark and a boat that is fetching it would be required to change course as a result of the hail.

 

RRS 2021-2024 (text struckthrough has been deleted)

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.

20        ROOM TO TACK AT AN OBSTRUCTION

20.1     Hailing

A boat may hail for room to tack and avoid a boat on the same tack. However, she shall not hail unless

(a)        she is approaching an obstruction and will soon need to make a substantial course change to avoid it safely, and

(b)       she is sailing close-hauled or above.

In addition, she shall not hail if the obstruction is a mark and a boat that is fetching it would be required to change course as a result of the hail.