Rules 18.3 and 18.4 - Mark-Room 3: Racing Rules of Sailing 2021-2024

Our third installment on Rule 18 – mark-room covers Rules 18.3 and 18.4, regarding passing head to wind in the zone and gybing at a leeward mark.

In 2018, the Inland Lake Yachting Association (ILYA) and SailZing, LLC partnered on a Fair Sailing initiative. As part of this initiative, SailZing worked with the ILYA and UK Sailmakers to develop a series of articles on the rules. With the rules changes in 2021, SailZing is updating these articles and adding video summaries.

Our thanks to UK Sailmakers for generating the animated scenarios.

Rules 18.3 and 18.4 Video

Rule 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.”

For 2021, World Sailing changed the title of this rule from “Tacking in the Zone” to “Passing Head to Wind in the Zone.” The change aligns the title with the language in the rule.

Definitions

Fetching A boat is fetching a mark when she is in a position to pass to windward of it and leave it on the required side without changing tack.

Previously-defined terms (click to refresh your memory): tack, mark, zone, mark-room

Rule 18.3 Key Points

Rule 18.3 eliminates the mark-room provisions of Rule 18.2 for boats approaching the windward mark on port tack. This prevents chaotic situations at the mark.
If you tack from port to starboard in the zone and are fetching the mark, you can’t cause boats coming in on starboard to sail above close-hauled. This is true even if you complete your tack clear ahead of the starboard boats.
If you tack from port to starboard in the zone, you must give room to boats overlapped inside of you if they were on starboard since entering the zone.

Scenarios

#1 – “Passing Head to Wind in the Zone, Example 1”

Description: Yellow and Blue are inside the zone sailing to the windward mark. Blue tacks to starboard and pinches up to round the mark. Yellow heads up above close-hauled avoid Blue. There is no contact.

Should Blue promptly take a penalty? Answer

What should Blue have done in this situation? Answer

#2 – “Passing Head to Wind in the Zone, Example 2”

Mark-room example 2 - tacking in the zone

Description: Yellow and Blue are inside the zone sailing to the windward mark. Blue crosses Yellow and then tacks to starboard.

Should Blue promptly take a penalty? Answer

#3 – “Passing Head to Wind in the Zone, Example 3”

Description: Yellow and Blue are inside the zone sailing to the windward mark. Yellow is reaching into the mark. Blue tacks to starboard and rounds the mark. Yellow heads up to close-hauled to avoid Blue. There is no contact.

Should Blue promptly take a penalty? Answer

Rule 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.”

Definitions

Previously-defined terms (click to refresh your memory): overlap, proper course

Scenarios

#4 – “Common Leeward Mark, Example 1”

Description: Yellow and Blue are sailing toward a mark. Note the direction of the next mark. When Yellow enters the zone, Blue is overlapped. Yellow sails the course shown. Blue protests Yellow.

Should Yellow promptly take a penalty? Answer