rules on room to finish

[viper640]

Do the rules on room to finish differ at all from rules on room at marks/obstructions? Even Dave Perry's book on understanding the rules does not seem to discuss room to finish (if it does, can someone give a page reference? didn't find it after a fairly thorough search).

Since these rules differ for upwind marks and off-wind marks, I assume they also differ for upwind and off-wind finishes, especially when a tack/gybe is necessary for finishing.

Anyone able to spell these out lucidly?

[John Burnham]

First of all, I think we can all agree that a finish mark is a mark just like any other mark of the course. (See "Definitions" in the back of the book.) Therefore, it seems to me that rule 18.1 clearly applies except at a finish to windward.

In other words, rules for a downwind finish work as they do for a leeward mark (boat inside with overlap has rights once first boat reaches two length circle even if outside boat otherwise has right of way (e.g. as leeward or starboard tack boat)).

At a finish to windward, 18.1 doesn't apply unless the boats are on the same tack except that if one boat has to tack to make the finish, he's out of luck, i.e. you can shoot head to wind at the pin from to leeward of a windward, outside boat, but if you would have to tack to pass the mark on the correct side to finish, you don't have the right to ask for room to do so).

Did you have a couple of Vipers in close proximity on Saturday?

[rgsc]

I would assume that where the boats are finishing makes a difference. Depending upon how the line is set and how long it is, there would be the boat end (obstruction), pin end (mark), and likely a middle section that's not within two boat lengths of a mark, though incidents are more likely at the ends. Perhaps a bigger chunk of the line will come under the force of the buoy rules when mark room is expanded under the new rules.

[michellepinto]

The rules for room at the finish line are different from the rules that apply while going around marks. But, they are the same irrespective of whether the finish is on a downwind or upwind leg.