SAILBOARD
LEEWARD MARKAdvanced

Gybing at the leeward mark

The situation

Inside and overlapped at the leeward mark, Kira needs to gybe to head off down the next leg. She starts to swing wide to set up a smooth gybe.

The question

How much room does the inside boat get to gybe?

The ruling

Mark-room includes room to gybe when a gybe is part of her proper-course rounding — but rule 18.4 limits her: until she gybes, an inside overlapped right-of-way boat must sail no farther from the mark than needed to sail her proper course. So Kira can't swing out wide 'to set up' the gybe and push the outside boat around; she stays tight on her proper-course track and gybes at the mark. 'In wide, out tight' still rules. (Note rule 18.4 doesn't apply at a gate mark.)

Key point

Gybing at the mark, the inside boat can't swing wide — rule 18.4 keeps her on her proper-course track.

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 18.4 — Gybing at the Mark.

Related cases

  • Which gate mark? · Leeward Mark

    The leeward mark is a gate (two marks). Coming down overlapped on the inside, Owen is committed to rounding the left-hand gate mark; the outside boat is set up for the same one.

  • Taking more than your room · Leeward Mark

    Rounding the leeward mark with mark-room, the inside boat swings wide on the exit and forces the outside boat — who had kept clear — up and out of her water.

  • Clear ahead at the zone · Leeward Mark

    Running down to the leeward mark, Green is clear ahead of Blue as the first of them reaches the three-length zone. Blue then lunges for the inside at the last second.

  • Overlap obtained too late · Leeward Mark

    Blue is clear astern as Green reaches the zone, then ranges up and gets an inside overlap once they're already inside the zone, and calls for room.

Related guide

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