Elon University, Elon, NC

By: Cameron Hunt – RD

The 23 Captains attending the Twenty-nineth Annual Century Cup Regatta held by The Piedmont Model Yacht Club at Elon, NC on June 12-13, 2010 were blessed with weather in the mid 90′s and enough wind, though light at times, to race 22 heats.  The 2 fleet promotion relegation heat system was used.  Each captain sailed in 2 seeding heats and at least 9 fleet heats.  Their best finish in the seeding heats was carried forward and one additional throw out for the fleet heats was allowed.

Eight captains registered twelve bullets and eight scored second places.  Gerry Cobley at the end of Saturday’s sailing maintained his lead on Sunday with Joe Walter advancing from being fourth to second.  Finishing just out of the plaques was Eric Olson in sixth place.

We had light and variable wind from the South for most of the heats.  The changing winds of Elon gave all points of sail as the boats traveled down the course.

Thanks to all the skippers, wives and girl friends for making this a fun event.  Also a big thank you to Frank Angel for all his preliminary work, expertise, and acting as starter; to Linda Angel for being an excellent caterer, being in charge of lunch and putting up with “Uncle” Frank. Thanks to Paul Bowen and Alan Morris for being mark observers, George Morris and Steve Carpenter for helping with the finishes.  I also want to thank Chris Kakavas for setting and removing the marks from the pond, thereby saving a trip to the hospital for Frank and me.

All in all, the fleet was very close with only 14 points separating the top 3 finishing positions as the scores below reflect.
Finish     Captain     Score     State
1.     Gerry Cobley     24     NC
2.     Joe Walter     29     FL
3.     David Brawner     38     NJ
4.     David Ramos     43     MD
5.     Robert Dudinsky     48     FL
6.     Eric Olson     56     GA
7.     Mark Rinehart     59     DE
8.     Chris Kakavas     62     NC
9.     Tony Shoaf     63     NC
10.     Carl Olbrich     69     NC
11.     Skip Allen     80     GA
12.     Scott Vernon     89     GA
13.     Rick West     91     CA
14.     Bob Szczepanski     116*     NC
15.     Ernest Freeland     116*     MD
16.     Bob Mersereau     116*     NC
17.     Ronald Kellerman     135     NC
18.     Mervin Jones     139     SC
19.     Dick Gerry     148     SC
20.     Tom Evens     160     GA
21.     Robert Donnellan     162     NC
22.     Jim Rutherford     163     GA
23.     Jerry Fernald     179**     NC
24.     Danny Thomas     000***     MD

* Tie Breaker Used

** Did not sail Sunday

*** Got hit in the head with a baseball and did not come to regatta

Situation:

3 overlapped boats at the weather mark.  At position 1, Red boat entered the zone overlapped to windward by Green who was overlapped to windward by Blue boat.
At position 2, Red boat is at the mark and overlapped to windward by Green and Green is overlapped by Blue.

Question:
Part 1               Who is the ROW boat at position 1?
Who is the ROW boat at Position 2?
Part 2               What rules apply at position 1?
What rules apply at Position 2?

Answers:

Question
Part 1 At position 1, Red is the leeward overlapped ROW boat over Green and Blue and
Green is the leeward overlapped ROW boat over Blue.
At position 2,  Red is the leeward overlapped ROW boat over Green and Blue and
Green is the leeward overlapped ROW boat over Blue.

Part 2 At position 1, Rule 11 requires both Green and Blue to keep clear of Red.
Rule 11 also requires Blue to keep clear of Green.
Rule 18.2b requires Green and Blue to give Mark Room to Red.
Rule 18.2b requires Blue to give Mark Room to Green.

At Position 2, Rule 11 still applies to Green and Blue boats to KEEP CLEAR of Red.
Rule 18.2b requires both Green and Blue boats to provide Mark Room to Red while at the mark.
Rule 18.2b also requires Blue to provide Mark Room to Green while at the mark.
Rule 18.5 provides that a boat entitled to Mark Room shall be exonerated if she breaks a Section A rule or Rule 15 or 16.

Note: It is important to remember that Rule 18 does not turn off Section A rules!!  Rule 11 requires the windward boat to KEEP CLEAR. The requirement for Blue to give Mark Room to Green, also requires additional room for Green to keep clear of Red.   The requirement for Green to give Mark Room to Red, also requires Green to hail Blue for the room to keep clear of Red.  Remember, that if Green fails to give Mark Room to Red because Blue fail to give Green Mark Room, only Green can be exonerated by Rule 18.5 and Blue would be required to take a penalty.

Note:  It is important to remember that if a boat chooses not to round the weather mark, when a line perpendicular to her stern has passed the mark and Mark Room is turned off, Section A rules still apply.

11 ON THE SAME TACK, OVERLAPPED
When boats are on the same tack and overlapped, a windward boat shall keep clear of a leeward boat.

18.2 Giving Mark-Room
(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.

18.5 Exoneration
When a boat is taking mark-room to which she is entitled, she shall be exonerated
(a) If as result of the other boat failing to give her mark-room, she breaks a rule of Section A, or
(b) if, by rounding the mark on her proper course, she breaks a rule of Section A or rule 15 or 16.

They have a very nice place to sail under the roof of a good sized lakeside pavilion. On this day the wind blew onshore,  offshore and angled to the shore starting out light and getting up to about 4 and maybe 6. One of the constant features of racing model boats on Allatoona is bouncing on motor boat wakes. The EC-12 is probably much better suited to racing in those conditions than smaller craft would be.

We had 6 boats and many AYC members were eager to sail them before they launched and raced their big boats.. From the time we got setup and in the water there were a lot of different people taking the controls of a boat and joining in the ongoing short races. Of course there was the expected good natured kidding, bickering, and giving each other a hard time. Also some very good sailing and racing was done by people who had never sailed a model boat before.

The EC-12 has a way of selling itself to any sailor who grabs the controls and so the boat was a hit with the members. The enthusiasm seems to be there to start and grow a fleet with the help of Ian. Perhaps the Harry Mote “business model” (one enthusiastic person building lots and lots of EC-12s) can be successfully employed here in the south.

Atlanta Yacht Club : Location

Atlanta Yacht Club is situated on the southwest shore of Lake Allatoona, near Acworth and about 25 miles northwest of Atlanta. By water, we are south of the dam and west of Galts Ferry Landing and Victoria Landing.

Atlanta Yacht Club
7120 Yacht Club Drive
Acworth, GA 30102

Directions

From the North-West (Chattanooga)

Situation:  At position 1, Red boat has overlapped to leeward of Blue boat, within 2 boat lengths.  At position 2, Red boat’s course is converging on Blue boat’s course.  At position 3, Red boat hails Blue boat to keep clear.

Question:
Part 1               Who is the ROW boat and why?
Part 2               What rule(s) apply?
Part 3               Can Red boat force Blue boat to luff and keep clear at position 3?

Answers:

Part 1               Rule 11, (Overlapped, same tack)
Rule 14, (Avoid contact)
Rule 18.2, (Inside Green boat is entitled to Mark-Room)
At position 1, Green boat entered the zone overlapped with windward Red boat and is entitled to Mark-Room.  Rule 11 Requires windward Red boat to Keep-Clear of Green.

Part 2               Leeward, Starboard tack Green boat.

Part 3               Rule 11, (Overlapped, same tack)
Rule 14, (Avoid Contact)
Rule 18.2, (Inside Green boat is entitled to “Mark-Room”)

Part 4               Leeward, Starboard tack Green boat

Part 5               Yes!

When Green boat luffed to “Head to Wind”, she is still on the same tack she was on prior to her luff until she actually passes “Head to Wind”.  If Green boat has enough momentum to sail across the finish line, Red boat must continue to Keep-Clear as required by Rule 11, (Same tack overlapped) and 18.2 where Green boat is entitled to “Mark-Room.”  If Green boat passes “Head to Wind”, Rule 13 requires Green boat to Keep Clear of the new ROW Red boat and Rule 18.2 is turned off and Green is no longer entitled to Mark-Room.  Since Red boat would obtain the ROW because of Green boat’s action passing “Head to Wind”, Red boat does not have to allow Room and opportunity for Green boat to keep clear (Rule 15).    Remember that Green boat finishes when her bow crossed the finished line, but continues to be “Racing” until she clears the line.  If Green boat breaks a rule by passing “Head to Wind” and interferes with Red boat while still racing, she would have to do a penalty turn, return to the course side of the finish line, and finish again, Rule 44.2.

Here is another situation that can change the effective rule in Graphic 1:

The Starboard side of the finish line is now a “Committee Boat”.   Red windward starboard boat is close hauled and is fetching the mark.   The committee boat is an obstruction and also a finishing mark.

Question 2:

Part 1               Who is the ROW boat?
Part 2.              Can Green leeward Port tack boat hail to tack to pass the obstruction and finish?

Answer to Graphic 2

Part 1               The Green Leeward Port tack boat is the ROW boat.
Part 2               No.   Rule 20.3 does not allow the Green boat to hail for room to tack at an obstruction which is also a Mark when the hailed boat is fetching that mark!  The Pramble to Section C rules state that “When rule 20 applies, rules 18 and 19 do not.  This question only asked if the inside Green ROW boat could hail to tack.  Rule 20 does not allow for Green boat to hail to Tack while the Red boat is fetching the mark. Green boat still can sail up to “Head to Wind” and if she can squeeze by the Committee Boat and finish without contacting the committee boat, Red boat would still be required to Keep Clear (Rule 11).  If the Green boat passes “Head to Wind” she would be tacking and must stay clear of the new ROW Red boat, (Rule 13).   If these boat were going to the Port side mark, then Rule 18.2 applies because it is only a mark, not an obstruction also.

PREAMBLE, SECTION C – AT MARKS AND OBSTRUCTIONS
Section C rules do not apply at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water or at its anchor line from the time boats are approaching them to start until they have passed them. When rule 20 applies, rules 18 and 19 do not.

PREAMBLE, SECTION A  – RIGHT OF WAY
A boat has right of way when another boat is required to keep clear of her. However, some rules in Sections B, C and D limit the actions of a right-of-way boat.

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.

11 ON THE SAME TACK, OVERLAPPED
When boats are on the same tack and overlapped, a windward boat shall keep clear of a leeward boat.

13 WHILE TACKING
After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11 and 12 do not apply. If two boats are subject to this rule at the same time, the one on the other’s port side or the one astern shall keep clear.

15 ACQUIRING RIGHT OF WAY
When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat’s actions.

SECTION C – AT MARKS AND OBSTRUCTIONS

Section C rules do not apply at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water or at its anchor line from the time boats are approaching them to start until they have passed them. When rule 20 applies, rules 18 and 19 do not.

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.

20.3 When Not to Hail
A boat shall not hail unless safety requires her to make a substantial course change to avoid the obstruction. Also, she shall not hail if the obstruction is a mark that the hailed boat is fetching.

One boat keeps clear of another if the other can sail her course with no need to take avoiding action and, when the boats are overlapped on the same tack, if the leeward boat can change course in both directions without immediately making contact with the windward boat.

Question 1:
1.  At position 1, what rules applies to “When Boats Meet?”
2.  At Position 2, what rules applies to “When Boats are Overlapped?”

Question 2:
1.  At Postion 1, what rules apply?
2.  At Postion 2, are the boats overlapped?  What Rules apply?

Answers:
Question 1:
Postion 1         Part 2, Section A, Rule 12, 14
Postion 2         Part 2, Section A, Rule 11, Section B, Rule 14, 15, 16, 17

Question 2:
Postion 1         Part 2, Section A, Rule 10, 14
Postion 2         Part 2, Section A, Rule 10, Section B, Rule 16

Rule 17 only applies to boats that are on the same tack.
Rule 16 requires the always requires the ROW boat to allow room and opportunity for the burdened boat to keep clear.

17 ON THE SAME TACK; PROPER COURSE
If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of her hull lengths to leeward of a boat on the same tack , she shall not sail above her proper course while they remain on the same tack and overlapped within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat. This rule does not apply if the overlap begins while the windward boat is required by rule 13 to keep clear.

10 ON OPPOSITE TACKS
When boats are on opposite tacks, a port-tack boat shall keep clear of a starboard-tack boat.

11 ON THE SAME TACK, OVERLAPPED
When boats are on the same tack and overlapped, a windward boat shall keep clear of a leeward boat.

12 ON THE SAME TACK, NOT OVERLAPPED
When boats are on the same tack and not overlapped, a boat clear astern shall keep clear of a boat clear ahead.

14 AVOIDING CONTACT
A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room or mark-room
(a) need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room, and
(b) shall not be penalized under this rule unless there is contact that causes damage or injury.

15 ACQUIRING RIGHT OF WAY
When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat’s actions.

16 CHANGING COURSE
16.1 When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear.
16.2 In addition, when after the starting signal a port-tack boat is keeping clear by sailing to pass astern of a starboard-tack boat, the starboard-tack boat shall not change course if as a result the port-tack boat would immediately need to change course to continue keeping clear.

Keep Clear
One boat keeps clear of another if the other can sail her course with no need to take avoiding action and, when the boats are overlapped on the same tack, if the leeward boat can change course in both directions without immediately making contact with the windward boat.

Right of way
A boat has right of way when another boat is required to keep clear of her. However, some rules in Sections B, C and D limit the actions of a right-of-way boat.

Situation:
Blue and Red boat are approaching the Leeward offset Mark.  Blue boat reached the zone clear ahead of Red boat.  Rule 12 (ON THE SAME TACK, NOT OVERLAPPED) applies as does Rule 18.2b (Giving Mark-Room).

12 ON THE SAME TACK, NOT OVERLAPPED
When boats are on the same tack and not overlapped, a boat clear astern shall keep clear of a boat clear ahead.

18.2b Giving Mark-Room
(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.

Remember the definition of Mark-Room.  The 2nd sentence of Rule 18.2b requires the boat clear astern at that moment to give the ROW Blue boat Mark-Room.  The 1st sentence of the definition of Mark-Room requires the Red clear astern boat to allow the Blue boat to sail to the Mark and , and then room to sail her proper course while at the mark.   The 2nd sentence also does not include room to tack   as part of Mark-Room for the Blue ROW boat as she is not overlapped with the Red boat.  The Red boat must provide Mark-Room for the clear ahead Blue boat.  As the Blue boat sails toward the mark, his options are to sail to the mark and tack around the mark or to pass the mark on port tack until she can tack without breaking Rule 13 (WHILE TACKING) Remember that the Blue boat does not have a right to tack at the mark, but she may if she complies with Rule 13.

Blue ROW boat decided to not use the Mark-Room provided at the Mark and sailed pass the mark on Port tack.
Once a perpendicular line from the stern of Blue has passed the mark, Mark-Room is turned off and only Rule 12 applies.  The clear astern Red boat must stay clear of Blue boat.

After the Blue boat has passed the mark, she decided that she would tack onto starboard and beat to windward. Remember Mark-Room does not include the right to tack in this situation, but she can luff to close-hauled course.
Once the Blue boat passes Head-To-Wind, Rule 13 now applies.  Blue boat must stay clear of the Red boat that is still on a tack.  Once Blue boat passes Head-To-Wind, Red boat becomes the ROW boat and Blue boat must stay clear of Red boat.  Blue boat’s tack was assisted with wind and she passed Head-To-Wind quickly and failed to stay clear of Red boat, breaking Rule 13.  Even though Blue was now on Starboard, Rule 15 applied to Blue boat. Red boat was not obligated to anticipate Blue boats tack and because of the speed of the tack, Red boat was unable to avoid contact with Blue boat.  Red boat protested Blue boat for breaking Rule 13 and 15 while Blue boat protested Red boat for breaking rule 10 and 14 Avoiding contact.   There was no damage caused by the contact.
Blue boat violated Rule 13 (Tacking too close) and Rule 15 (Acquiring the ROW), Red boat violated Rule 14 but will be exonerated because Red boat was the ROW at the time of contact and there was no damage.  Rule 10 did not apply to the Red because Rule 13 was in effect at the time of the contact.

15 ACQUIRING RIGHT OF WAY
When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat’s actions.

10 ON OPPOSITE TACKS
When boats are on opposite tacks, a port-tack boat shall keep clear of a starboard-tack boat.

If Blue boat has increased the clearance ahead of Red boat prior to tacking, she would have conpleted her tact and be sailing on a close hauled course which would have required Red boat to stay clear (Rule 10).