WE'RE RACING!!!!!!

[pete c]

That was the cry from the sailboat we had an encounter with this afternoon.

This was the situation. We were just putting along on a starboard tack with about half the jib out, enjoying one of the last nice days on LI sound of the year. On a pretty much collision course was what I soon found out, was a racing sailboat....on a port tack.

I was taught that with a pair of sailboats under sail in such a situation, the rules are pretty clear. The starboard tack boat has the right of way. It is the port tack boat who is obliged to alter course.

As we got within earshot, we could hear the other boat yelling something. My buddy yelled back "STARBOARD TACK". The other skipper then eased off the wind a bit to our lee side and yelled "WE'RE RACING" as he passed.

Good for you *******. Sorry, I did not get the memo.

Now I do realize that the rules are not carved in granite and there is a such thing as common courtesy. If you look ahead and see a group of sailboats who are obviously in the heat of battle, the right thing to do is put your starboard tack privilege card back in your pocket and do your best to not interrupt a race.

But it was in no way apparent that this guy was in a race. He wasn't flying a large "we're racing" pennant. He was just another boat out there in a fairly busy area, just outside the entrance to Milford Harbor.

Perhaps if I was a bit more observant I might have observed a boat under full canvas with all its rail meat doing what it could to squeeze out another tenth of a knot, but like I said, there's all sorts of traffic out there and the wind was being a little fickle, varying what seemed to be 15-20 degrees regularly. It had just varied a bit when this guy was maybe a quarter mile away, so I did make a slight course adjustment. So maybe he took that as me being a clueless douchebag.

I'll plead guilty to a level of cluelessness, but not the douchebaggery charge....well, not in this instance.

So, did I do something wrong? Does my "racing detector" need fine tuning?

I can understand someone being frustrated in such a situation, but do the right thing and just mumble a few obscenities under your breath. Don't yell at the boat who had the right of way.