A boat blocked my tack and my gybe and left me behind the start — isn't that illegal?
No — Rule 16.1 (give room when you change course) only restricts the right-of-way boat, and the boxed-out boat never had right of way. Driving a rival away from the line is a legal pre-start move; being blocked is not, by itself, breaking a rule. (World Sailing Case 52.)
📖 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)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/plMq6Q3MOTU" title="Sailing Kiwi" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://sailing.kiwi.nz/v/plMq6Q3MOTU/">Source: Sailing Kiwi</a></p>Go deeper: books and gear
- Ronstan Clear Start race timer — A countdown timer made for sailing starts.
- 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.
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