Do You Give Way for Racers?

[barnakiel]

Some people here who say racers know nothing of COLREGS are simply misinforming. I have raced before and now I am cruising. Actually, I met plenty of cruisers not knowing how to apply the COLREGS. And racing rules are perfectly in line with COLREGS. No racer will apply the rules when met with a non-racing boat anyway.

Furthermore, saying that racers are often 'on the edge of control' is far from the truth. It may be true of a young racing crew learning how to fly the kite on a skiff on a breezy day, but otherwise racers are 99% of the time in perfect control of their boats.

I have never seen a racing boat coming back from the race to make any damage whatsover in our marina. Over last month I have seen two cruisers making horrible mess (and damage) while trying to park their boats. So, who is 'on the edge'?

[Knowazark]

I think its true that racers are generally more used to being in very close company with other boats and are generally more comfortable with much smaller margins of separation than most cruisers are.

I don't necessarily think its true that most racers are barely in control or are unaware of COLREGs or steps to take to avoid collisions.

The difference in comfortable margins of separation for racers and cruisers may make it look to cruisers like racers are a bunch of maniacs hellbent on destruction and mayhem - on the other hand, to racers it might look like cruisers are a bunch of grannies panicking as soon as another boat appears on the horizon.

I generally try to stay out of the way of racers ... not because I think they're out of control and likely to collide with me at the least opportunity, but because they're racing and I'm not. I'm not in such a hurry that a minute or two will make any difference. If I can reasonably stay out of the way of a racing fleet then, I will, but equally if I'm overtaken by a bunch of racing yachts while I'm pootling along I don't freak out about it either.

[roger.waite]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

It may be true of a young racing crew learning how to fly the kite on a skiff on a breezy day, but otherwise racers are 99% of the time in perfect control of their boats.

Agree. Yet a tiny fraction of a 1% is enough to make me keep well away. Particularly as inexperience may only be revealed in close proximety.



Good news: there is strong concensus for avoidance and evasion. And some hope that race organisers and racers will be as courteous to other water users, as they expect other users to be courteous to them.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Knowazark

racers are a bunch of maniacs hellbent on destruction and mayhem -

so it would appear

rock stars

[osirissail]

That U-tube is priceless - love it. Maybe the racers know COLREGs but they really need classes in chart reading! Looks like it is up in the Woods Hole region. Love to be a FRG repair man up there, make a lot of money. . .

[Rhosyn Mor]

Having both raced and now cruising.... Istay out of the race area as much as possible, mostly because racing leads one into a mindset that crossing another vessel by anything more thana fraction of an inch is a time waster, and whn cruising I prefer to have a lot more distance between us. Cruisrs who have not raced have a tendency to get very upset when a racing boat crosses their bow with an inch to spare, to the racer its not that big a deal. And most racers are in full control of their vessels at all times.
With kiddie racing its adifferent thing entirely.. stay off their course, if necessary wait for the kiddies to move onto a differnt leg. Usually contacting one of the instrucotr boats is useful, and they will let you know whats going on