How much room can I take

How much room can I take? 

 One question which is frequently being asked is whether and inside boat can make a tactical rounding rather
than one which is close to the mark.

The obligation on the outside boat is to give the inside boat the space she needs to sail to the  mark in a
'seamanlike' way in the prevailing conditions. 

Room, however,  does not include all the space the inside boat might like to take to set up for a
tactically desirable 'swing wide - cut close' type rounding.

Once the inside boat is at the  mark , she has to be given the space she needs to sail her  proper course around or past the  mark.

In other words, the inside boat is not allowed to sail wide to exit close to the  mark , but must sail to the  mark in
a 'seamanlike' manner. I hope this clarifies the situation.

Martin Smethers IJ

Member of the RYARacing Rules Committee

27/04/09