Do You Give Way for Racers?

[Sandero]

I try to avoid close contacts whenever possible. But if I don't have much room to maneuver and I have right of way I will make it known. Races are not privileged on the water.

Race courses SHOULD be set up out of main channels and common course lines.

It's best to steer clear of crowded areas when the racing skipper is focused on the competition and not some boat just sailing by - YOU.

[DPMatty]

Originally Posted by Dick Pluta

Following is an excerpt from the COLREGS:
..snip..

The vessel with the right of way is OBLIGED to maintain course and speed until it is clear that the burdened vessel is failing to give way. Then the COLREGS (and common sense) require evasive action. There are idiots and poor sportsmen is every field of human endeavour. The best that the rest of us can hope for is that they get theirs and, if we're lucky, that we can have a hand in their comeuppance. Report the sucker and hope he gets disqualified.

Dick Pluta
AEGEA

Colregs do not prevent you from steering clear of the racing fleet before they would apply however. Anyone who observes a race taking place in the distance, and sails into it when they could have avoided it in the first place, and then cites the rules of the road as a reason to continue being an idiot, is an idiot. If you simply cannot move or if the racing fleet couldn't be identified for some reason (stragler), ok. If you could have avoided the problem altogether and didn't either out of laziness or arrogance then I don't have a lot of respect for you either.

[FrankZ]

Racing does not give someone more right to the water than anyone else. There may be times when people just want to sail where the race is happening for whatever reason. That does not make them idiots, it means they have the same rights to the water and, as long as they can follow the rules of the road, should be respected.

[DPMatty]

Originally Posted by FrankZ

Racing does not give someone more right to the water than anyone else. There may be times when people just want to sail where the race is happening for whatever reason. That does not make them idiots, it means they have the same rights to the water and, as long as they can follow the rules of the road, should be respected.

You're sailing along. You're keeping a lookout. You see a racing fleet in the distance, well, racing. You''re telling my someone needs to occupy that exact spot of water? They can't just duck the fleet by a few yards? Or navigate a line through the fleet that they know wont disturb the race?

[FrankZ]

Yes.. it happens.

The local club out of my marina tends to congregate in a place I need to get through to get back home. So yes, I do need to occupy that same spot of water. It can get tight with 30 or so boats milling about waiting for a start.

Again, if it is something that doesn't cause an inconvenience I will avoid them, but I should not have to avoid them because they are racing.

[DPMatty]

Originally Posted by FrankZ

Yes.. it happens.

The local club out of my marina tends to congregate in a place I need to get through to get back home. So yes, I do need to occupy that same spot of water. It can get tight with 30 or so boats milling about waiting for a start.

Again, if it is something that doesn't cause an inconvenience I will avoid them, but I should not have to avoid them because they are racing.

I agree none of us should have to, but I try to show them the respect and consideration I myself would want. I sail primarily on Long Island Sound and, except for the kiddies, the race fleets generally lay out their courses responsibly. Granted, they're right near the channel entrance, but as I said, with a little thought I can either duck the fleet or sail through it without disturbing it and still get to where I have to go.

If they were racing in the channel, as the kiddies sometimes do (or rather race to a channel marker) it might be different but I think I could still do it.

[Sandero]

David... fine when you can, but what about when you don't have sea room... large race fleet scattered over a larger course?

[Charlie]

If there is room why not give way? I used to race alot. I give racers plenty of room. It is just plain courtesy. I won't put myself in a dangerous position to avoid a race but a couple extra tacks and/or gybes is no big deal to me. I like sailing and tacking and gybing is part of sailing.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by DPMatty

You're sailing along. You're keeping a lookout. You see a racing fleet in the distance, well, racing. You''re telling my someone needs to occupy that exact spot of water? They can't just duck the fleet by a few yards? Or navigate a line through the fleet that they know wont disturb the race?

Actually, I happened to sail into Galesville, MD a few weeks back on a Wednesday just as a race was starting. The line was set up so that the first tack was into a very narrow channel. It was utterly ridiculous for an RC to have set up a course that way, but a passing racer (it was exceedingly light air) told me "we do it this way every week."

So, in that case, it was not possible to avoid the racers without risking a grounding, which I did not do.

[shipofools]

Since we are faster than 90%+ of the racers out there it does not really make a difference. :-)

If there is a scenario I will give way as long as it does not endanger the boat/crew/others.

Bigger challenge I face is when our race courses goes thru a fleet of other racers, and they don't realize how fast multihulls can be.

Regards,

[Bash]

Originally Posted by sneuman

It was utterly ridiculous for an RC to have set up a course that way, but a passing racer (it was exceedingly light air) told me "we do it this way every week."

Years ago, I came in through the Golden Gate it 0200h, exhausted, and set the hook over in Belvedere Cove. We were awakened at 1000h by the sound a shotgun going off nearby. I poked my head up the hatch only to discover that I was anchored in the middle of a start line, equidistant from the committee boat and the pin end. There were some 50 boats milling about, and there seemed to be a consensus that since they were racing I should vacate my anchorage.

I took the most appropriate action I could from a cruiser's perspective, and went below to start the coffee.

The race committee came by after starting five different classes, and apologized profusely. They'd assumed I was there for the race and would be pulling anchor when they began the first sequence.

[Dick Pluta]

For Ex-Calif et al,

Well said. The best way to deal with trouble is to not get in it in the first place.

Dick Pluta
AEGEA

[FrankZ]

Originally Posted by Bash

I took the most appropriate action I could from a cruiser's perspective, and went below to start the coffee.

Very well handled. Coffee is the bean of life.

[Dick Pluta]

Originally Posted by DPMatty

Colregs do not prevent you from steering clear of the racing fleet before they would apply however. Anyone who observes a race taking place in the distance, and sails into it when they could have avoided it in the first place, and then cites the rules of the road as a reason to continue being an idiot, is an idiot. If you simply cannot move or if the racing fleet couldn't be identified for some reason (stragler), ok. If you could have avoided the problem altogether and didn't either out of laziness or arrogance then I don't have a lot of respect for you either.

Ouch! Did we get a little close to the bone? I normally don't get annoyed by this kind of response, but the Ten Commandments were not the Ten Suggestions, and neither are the COLREGS. Casual barging through a race is rude and unseamanlikeThe COLREGS assume you are in a position where right of way needs to be a consideration. Obviously, any good seaman avoids a problem before it starts, but IF you are in such a position with a racer the rules apply to him, just as they do to you. The obligation to maintain course and speed exists so that other boaters have a clear understanding of what you are going to do. We're talking about safety here, not bragging rights at the bar. We don't ignore stop signs because we're late for a hot date and we don't ignore the COLREGS because we're racing. If you don't respect seamanship, then maybe you're one of the guys this post is talking about.

Dick Pluta
AEGEA

[Ahnlaashock]

I am new, so my post is more of a question than a statement.
I would assume that this would be like any other situation where common sense is required on both sides.
Two young'uns foot racing down the sidewalk at 6 in the evening when the sidewalks are pretty much empty, I would step out of the way and watch them as they went by, enjoying their race also. The same two young'uns doing the same thing at noon on a crowded sidewalk would get brought up very shortly by the rules, and I would not step out of the way.
As a beginner, I would expect someone with plenty of room to turn away if they don't have a pressing need to continue on at best speed themselves. In crowded waters with specific restricted points that have to be hit, then we have to go back to the rules I think. If everyone follows the rules under those conditions, then I know what they are going to do, and can plan accordingly.




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