SAILBOARD
UPWIND / BEATINGBeginner

Port meets starboard on the beat

The situation

Both boats are beating to windward and their courses cross. Green has the wind on its starboard side; Red has it on the port side.

The question

Who must give way, and what are Red's options?

The ruling

Green (starboard tack) has right of way; Red (port tack) must keep clear under rule 10. Red can bear away and duck behind Green's stern, or tack onto starboard. But a tack earns nothing instantly: while tacking, rule 13 keeps Red as the give-way boat until she's on a close-hauled course, and rule 15 then requires her to give Green room to keep clear.

Key point

Port keeps clear of starboard. Duck the stern or tack early — a tack doesn't instantly hand you the rights.

Play this on the board

Opens the situation on the boat-length grid — scrub it and see exactly how the boats meet. Free, no account needed.

Rules cited

See the underlying rule: Rule 10 — On Opposite Tacks.

Related cases

  • Crossing the fleet on port · Upwind / Beating

    Beating up the first leg, Nora is on port tack and a long line of starboard-tack Optis is crossing ahead. She thinks she can just cross the first one.

  • The lee-bower who claimed starboard · Upwind / Beating

    Crossing on port, Red tacks onto starboard right on the lee bow of an oncoming starboard-tack boat, Green. Green has to luff hard to miss Red's transom as Red settles. Red protests Green — “You're windward now, you have to keep clear of me!”

  • Tacking too close (the lee-bow) · Upwind / Beating

    Red, on port, tacks onto starboard close ahead and to leeward of Green, who is on starboard. As Red passes head to wind and settles, Green has to change course to avoid her.

  • The lee-bow tack · Upwind / Beating

    Crossing on port, Tom decides to tack onto starboard right on the lee bow of an oncoming starboard-tack boat, hoping to slow her and roll over the top. He tacks close ahead and to leeward.

Related guides

← All cases