Hearing Decision

1. At the windward mark to be rounded to port, 17 close hauled port tack boat, 01 close hauled starboard tack boat on a course to round the mark.


2. In the zone, 17 luffed to tack, with 01 on a collision course.


3. 01 bore away to pass to leeward of 17.


4. After the tack, 17 was on a close hauled course with no speed.


5. The boom of 17 touched the head of the crew on 01.  The contact did not cause damage or injury.


6. Shortly afterwards, 01 touched the mark. The contact did not cause damage or injury.

Boat 17, having changed tack and been subject to rule 13 in the zone, did not give mark room to 01 who became overlapped inside her, to sail to the mark.  17 broke rule 18.3(b).

While racing, 01 touched a mark of a leg on which she was sailing. Boat 01 broke rule 31. Boat 01 was sailing within the room she was entitled to under rule 18.3(b) and was compelled to break rule 31. Boat 01 is exonerated under rule 21 and 64.1(a).

It was not reasonably possible for boat 01 to avoid the contact with boat 17.  Boat 01 did not break rule 14.