Two boats running downwind side by side — how do I tell who's leeward?
Both boats are on the same tack and overlapped, so Rule 11 decides it: the windward boat must keep clear of the leeward boat. Downwind neither boat sits directly below the other, so use the wind: leeward is the side the wind is blowing towards. The windward boat must head up, not bear away, to keep clear — bearing away steers straight at the leeward boat.
📖 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/ixDCdazWdeg/">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.
- Tactics Made Simple by Jon Emmett — Racing tactics, explained simply.
- Five Oceans masthead wind indicator — See the wind direction at a glance.
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