A boat above me hailed "Room!" and squeezed in between me and the committee boat — the committee boat is a mark, so doesn't she get mark-room?
No. That is barging, and she pays. Same tack and overlapped, Rule 11 makes the windward boat keep clear of the leeward boat, and she is windward. The committee boat is a mark, but the Section C preamble switches Rule 18 off at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water, from the time boats are approaching it to start until they have left it astern. No mark-room at the start, and hailing for room does not make the gap yours.
📖 Want Rule 11 in more depth? Elvstrøm Explains the Racing Rules 2025-2028 sets out every rule with plain-English explanations and diagrams. (affiliate link)
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<p><a href="https://sailing.kiwi.nz/v/z0xXQ73mPoY/">Source: Sailing Kiwi</a></p>Go deeper: books and gear
- Elvstrøm Explains the Racing Rules 2025-2028 — Every rule, with plain-English explanations and diagrams.
- 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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