Someone yelled "no barging!" at the start — is that actually a rule?
No — "barging" is not a term in the Racing Rules of Sailing. A windward boat was disqualified for "barging" at the committee boat, then reinstated on appeal. When the leeward boat luffed, Rule 16.1 required her to give room to keep clear; the windward boat stayed within that room and was exonerated under Rule 43.1(b). The line that matters: a boat forced into a breach is protected, but a boat that chooses to barge into a gap she never had to take is not. (World Sailing Case 146.)
📖 Want more situations like this one? Bryan Willis's The Rules in Practice 2025-2028 works through the rules as they happen round the racecourse. (affiliate link)
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<p><a href="https://sailing.kiwi.nz/v/PDmZuXjOHxA/">Source: Sailing Kiwi</a></p>Go deeper: books and gear
- The Rules in Practice 2025-2028 by Bryan Willis — Situations round the racecourse, worked through for the current rules.
- 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes by Dave Perry — Rules scenarios to test yourself on, with the answers.
- Sailing sunglasses — Cut the glare off the water.
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