No Room to Barge at the Start
At a starting mark, rule 18 is switched off — a windward boat has no right to room to barge in.
When boats are approaching a starting mark surrounded by navigable water to start, the Section C rules — including rule 18 — do not apply. A windward boat trying to barge between a leeward boat and the committee boat is owed no mark-room and must keep clear under rule 11. The leeward boat may hold its course and close the door.
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How it interacts with other rules
- Rule 11 — On the Same Tack, Overlapped · see also
With rule 18 off, the ordinary windward/leeward rule decides it.
- Rule 18 — Mark-Room · overrides
The Section C preamble turns rule 18 off at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water.
- Rule 16 — Changing Course · limited by
If the leeward boat luffs to close the door, it must still give room to keep clear (rule 16).