Crossing the fleet on port
The situation
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 question
What's the safe, correct call when you're on port meeting a fleet on starboard?
The ruling
Starboard boats have right of way; Nora (port) must keep clear of every one of them (rule 10). 'Just crossing' the first boat is risky — if a starboard boat has to change course to avoid her, she's broken rule 10, and rule 14 still requires everyone to avoid contact. The reliable options are to duck behind a starboard boat's stern (often you lose less than you think) or to tack onto starboard into a gap — remembering rule 13 gives her no rights until she's back to close-hauled.
Port meeting a starboard fleet: when in doubt, duck or tack early. You must keep clear of every starboard boat.
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
- Does hailing 'Starboard!' give you rights? · Upwind / Beating
Two boats converge on opposite tacks. The starboard-tack sailor yells 'Starboard!' loudly. The port-tack sailor says she didn't have to move because there was plenty of room.
- Port meets starboard on the beat · Upwind / Beating
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.
- Starboard bears away — and loses · Upwind / Beating
On the beat, port-tack Red is keeping clear by bearing away to duck behind starboard-tack Green. Green bears away too, hunting down to close the gap. Red can no longer make it across and the boats touch. Green protests Red on port-starboard.
- Bearing down on a ducking boat · Upwind / Beating
Port-tack Red is keeping clear by bearing away to pass astern of starboard-tack Green. Green starts to bear away too, closing the gap as Red ducks.