On a mission to simplify Mark-Room rule

Dave Perry, as the chair of a World Sailing Racing Rules Committee working party, is on a mission to simplify Rule 18 (Mark-Room). But he needs help… here’s his pitch:

Without a doubt, the most complicated rule in the rule book is Rule 18, Mark-Room. It is the rule that applies when boats are rounding or passing marks. The World Sailing Racing Rules Committee has commissioned a Rule 18 Working Party made up of international sailors and rules experts to try and find ways to simplify Rule 18 without significantly changing the way the game is currently being played.

We are now looking for fleets who would be willing to test a new Rule 18 between May 1 and July 15, 2022. The test would include a packet with the test rule and supporting information, a Zoom session with a member of the Rule 18 WP for all the participants before the testing began, and a follow-up Zoom session at the end of the test period for the participants to share their experiences, thoughts and suggestions.

Any fleets, clubs, sailing organizations or classes, etc. willing to help the Rule 18 WP by testing a new rule 18, please contact me at daveperry931@gmail.com.

Here’s Rule 18 as currently written in the 2021-2024 Racing Rules of Sailing:

18 MARK-ROOM

18.1 When Rule 18 Applies
Rule 18 applies between boats when they are required to leave a mark on the same side and at least one of them is in the zone. However, it does not apply:
(a) between boats on opposite tacks on a beat to windward,
(b) between boats on opposite tacks when the proper course at the mark for one but not both of them is to tack,
(c) between a boat approaching a mark and one leaving it, or
(d) if the mark is a continuing obstruction, in which case rule 19 applies.
Rule 18 no longer applies between boats when mark-room has been given.

18.2 Giving Mark-Room
(a) When boats are overlapped the outside boat shall give the inside boat mark-room, unless rule 18.2(b) applies.
(b) If boats are overlapped when the first of them reaches the zone, the outside boat at that moment shall thereafter give the inside boat mark-room. If a boat is clear ahead when she reaches the zone, the boat clear astern at that moment shall thereafter give her mark-room.
(c) When a boat is required to give mark-room by rule 18.2(b),

(1) she shall continue to do so even if later an overlap is broken or a new overlap begins;
(2) if she becomes overlapped inside the boat entitled to mark-room, she shall also give that boat room to sail her proper course while they remain overlapped.

(d) Rules 18.2(b) and (c) cease to apply if the boat entitled to mark-room passes head to wind or leaves the zone.
(e) If there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, it shall be presumed that she did not.
(f) If a boat obtained an inside overlap from clear astern or by tacking to windward of the other boat and, from the time the overlap began, the outside boat has been unable to give mark- room, she is not required to give it.

18.3 Passing Head to Wind in the Zone
If a boat in the zone of a mark to be left to port passes head to wind from port to starboard tack and is then fetching the mark, she shall not cause a boat that has been on starboard tack since entering the zone to sail above close-hauled to avoid contact and she shall give mark-room if that boat becomes overlapped inside her. When this rule applies between boats, rule 18.2 does not apply between them.

18.4 Gybing
When an inside overlapped right-of-way boat must gybe at a mark to sail her proper course, until she gybes she shall sail no farther from the mark than needed to sail that course. Rule 18.4 does not apply at a gate mark.

For the definition of italicized words, click here.