This week’s WH‑15 race was our biggest of the season — 17 boats on the line and 22 enthusiastic Juniors out on the water! A steady 10‑knot breeze made for, exciting racing, and the post‑race crowd packed the house.
Cactus Pie picked up another win, sailing strongly in the fresh conditions.
Starting next week, we’ll begin seeing drops in the series standings — only the top 12 races count toward the final score, and with next week being our 13th race, some results will start to drop.
There was also a lively post‑race discussion about mark‑room, especially between port‑ and starboard‑tack boats as they entered the three‑boat‑length zone.
Reference — Rule 18: Mark-Room (RRS 2025–2028)
From the official 2025–2028 Racing Rules of Sailing
Rule 18 – MARK-ROOM:
18.1 When Rule 18 Applies
(a) 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
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between boats on opposite tacks on a beat to windward,
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between boats on opposite tacks when the proper course at the mark for one but not both of them is to tack,
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between a boat approaching a mark and one leaving it, or
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if the mark is a continuing obstruction, in which case Rule 19 applies.
(b) Rule 18 no longer applies between boats when mark‑room has been given.
18.2 Giving Mark-Room
(a) When the first of two boats reaches the zone,
(1) if the boats are overlapped, the outside boat at that moment shall give the inside boat mark‑room;
(2) if the boats are not overlapped, the boat that has not reached the zone at that moment shall give the other boat mark‑room.
When a boat is required to give mark‑room by this rule, she shall continue to do so for as long as this rule applies, even if later an overlap is broken or a new overlap begins.
(b) Rule 18.2(a) no longer applies if the boat entitled to mark‑room passes head to wind or leaves the zone.
(c) When Rule 18.2(a) does not apply and the boats are overlapped, the outside boat shall give the inside boat mark‑room.
(d) 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, Rules 18.2(a) and 18.2(c) do not apply between them.
(e) If there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, it shall be presumed that she did not.
18.3 Tacking in the Zone
If a boat passes head to wind from port to starboard tack in the zone of a mark to be left to port, Rule 18.2 does not apply between her and another boat on starboard tack that is fetching the mark. If the other boat has been on starboard tack since entering the zone, the boat that passed head to wind
(a) shall not cause the other boat to sail above close‑hauled to avoid contact, and
(b) shall give mark‑room if the other boat becomes overlapped inside her.
18.4 Gybing in the Zone
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.
–– Source: Official RRS 2025–2028,
https://d7qh6ksdplczd.cloudfront.net/sailing/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/29083752/2025-2028-RRS-with-Changes-and-Corrections.pdf
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