Rules of the Road?

[loosescrew]

Honestly, its not the motor vessels we need to be concerned with, its that windsurfer who has no clue on ROW. If you did a survey at the Hatch I would bet that MOST windsurfers do not have a clue on who has the ROW. THAT IS SCARY! If you don't know, maybe you should learn - just like you learned to waterstart (or maybe you don't know how which means you don't belong at the Hatch) and more importantly if you do know then your just an ASS. Go sail at Hookipia for a few days and when you and your board have some reconstruction - maybe you will understand WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT!

[isobars]

Someone sent me this valid comment, by PM probably to avoid seeming argumentative -- an obvious concern in this forum:
"I always figured the slogging windsurfer had the ROW
over a planing WSurfer because of lack of maneuverability.".

I agree in general, but pointed out one possible exception to illustrate the basis for most ROW laws, rules, and tips: least maneuverable rules, unless trumped by commercial status. Who's more maneuverable ... a freestyle expert at 10 mph or a legally blind novice on a plane? (Don't laugh; one hit me years ago. I found out later that he had once rammed THE STATE OF WASHINGTON at the Hatchery. Never assume the next guy is any more than a passenger, as that guy was.)

Mike \m/

[berky]

Slogging is akin to luffing, luffing boats have NO rights (nor do you have any rights while turning)! Now, that does not mean I can ram into a slogging WS whilst planning and claim ROW.

Also, port and starboard are determined by which side the wind is coming from relative to the board, not whether you are clew first of not. A port tack board - heading north on the river, while clew first is still on port!

Starboard has ROW. I'll say it again, Starboard has right of way. Starboard can not 'hunt' the port tacker unless you are in a match race.

I've been a competitive sailboat sailor my entire life. I base ROW on the Racing Rules of Sailing - starboard tack = ROW.

As for waves, I was talking about breaking shore based waves, not swell riding. If you are on starboard riding a swell on the river, you have right of way!

[isobars]

• Many IYRA rules are not binding on folks out playing on the water; some of them are just plain silly outside of sanctioned events.

• Most sailors have no clue about IYRA rules anyway.

• Both you and I pointed out several exceptions to "Starboard Rules".

• Try telling a Samoan surfer -- or luffed WSer riding a wave -- he has no ROW.

• A WSer can and often does go from luffed to hammerdown ... and back again ... faster'n we could say, "ROW". How does that fit in with the rules?

• Anyone carving turns on a wave, river or ocean, whether on starboard or port, has no ROW because he is turning ... according to "nor do you have any rights while turning".

• A guy's on starboard blasting towards a fixed landmark on a steady course. He usually has ROW ... until he swerves up- or downwind and thus abandons ROW. Now presume he resumes his steady starboard course: at what point does he regain ROW ... two seconds? 40 feet? A minute? Three Hail Marys? Never? That was debated at great length last year among many sailors with no consensus after legitimate confusion and an ensuing high-speed two-step came within a fraction of a second of destroying a board or two.

• You say you've raced a lot. The guy who almost destroyed his AHD World Cup board trying to ram my bombproof polyester anchor from below and behind was the reigning PWA World Cup champion, as he tumbled ass over teakettle in a high-speed garage sale screaming something (probably not "ROW" or "Leeward") at me. He forgot an important corollary to any set of rules one can name: "If the other guy doesn't even know you exist, ROW don't mean $#!+."

See how confusing this all is? Even if all booms and sails came with "Starboard has Right of Way" printed in big letters in front of the rider's face and endorsed by God and Robby Naish, there would still be legitimate exceptions, mass confusion, and rampant ignorance on the issue.

Mike \m/

[joew]

Hey Berky, My comments about ROW were in response to the the OP's statement about barge tows and large powered vessels. Of course ROW rules apply to windsurfers. At a regatta, it's highly likely that the basic ROW rules will be observed by the participants i.e., Stbd. tack has ROW, Leeward boat has ROW, (luffing rights), and yeah I too, have spent decades racing sailboats, Lasers, Maxi boats and a whole mess of every thing in between. Try yelling " starboard" when you are heading out from the point launch at the hatch, or "coming up" while beside and below (leeward) of some other sailor you are ripping along next to, and you'll get at best, a puzzled look, more likely a shouted expletive. Hell, you can sail well there, snake no swell, keep a good space when you jibe, and still get treated like a kook because you dared to jibe where some kid who gets to sail full time, all summer decided that was his piece of water. In reality what usually works is establishing a lane and transmitting your intended vector with course correction, well before the oncoming sailor becomes a collision hazard. Avoiding the last minute, right left, dance of death at scary closing speeds is key

[blireef]

I must say that you guys have a lot of energy and extra time.. This subject has been beaten to death in several forum topics in the last 10 years can't we go to past discussions on this one. I'm not complaining but this has been addressed MANY times in this forum....In the real world the largest vessel rules unless you're looking for injuries to file your lawsuit over.
And in regattas many people will yell starboard or coming up when they have no rights and are trying to intimidate others..

[Bond1]

[bjamin]

[biffmalibu]

1) Avoid all collisions.
2) Largest craft = ROW.
3) Starboard + swell ride = ROW.
4) Swell ride = ROW.
5) Starboard = ROW.

Notable misconceptions (in the Gorge):
1) Hotshot on port aiming for jumpable chop at Hatchery = ROW...WRONG!!!
2) Starboard has ROW over swell rider...WRONG!!!

IT IS A CARDINAL SIN TO WASTE SWELL OR FORCE ANOTHER SURFER TO BAIL OUT AND WASTE SWELL! IF YOU WANT TO MOW WATER, LEAVE THE SWELL TO SURFERS AND FIND SOME FLAT WATER. AT THE VERY LEAST, LOOK UPWIND FREQUENTLY TO ALLOW SWELL RIDERS TO NOT WASTE SWELL!

[airtime]

right on Biff...mowers go to flat water....