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Priority on Starboard tack
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Windzzrf_Millennial



Joined: 12 Aug 2020
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 11:19 pm    Post subject: Priority on Starboard tack Reply with quote

Today i had a minor to moderate collision while windsurfing in light winds with a winging wind enthusiast. The gentleman winging was on port tack. I was planing on starboard tack with a slight upwind position on 7.0/115L with 38 cm fin. As we got very close, the winger veered upwind and attempted to gain an upwind advantage from a downwind position. The sound of the impact was breath taking. Luckily no injuries were sustained. My carbon freeride board sustained a deep gash through the leeward rail.

With wings and windsurfers sharing the water, and wings traveling at slower speeds with I think it is critical to be cognizant more than ever of priority rules. Starboard tack has priority.

The winger is a friend and a very skilled windsurfer that knows whats going on. This can happen to anyone, is what I learned today.
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WNDZRFR



Joined: 28 Mar 2000
Posts: 124
Location: Greater East Bay Area

PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Was he also a millennial? If so that could explain the confusion! javascript:emoticon('Wink')

Just pulling your chain Kris, glad both of you are all right.

A decade ago sailing at Berkeley I had just passed Doug at full speed heading towards the jetty on a windy day and went into the usual high speed jibe in front of the windows of the restaurant when BAM! The collision was so loud sailors from the parking area came rushing over to see what had happened.

Turned out a racer from out of town thought sailing up wind and then tacking in front of the windows on a windy day was a good idea. Obviously he was in my blind spot and didn't know the layout of the local jibing spot. Sad to say he took most of the impact. (My only collision in 47 yrs of sailing).

Moral of the story: sometimes sailing knowledge of the Local Site and its customs is more important than right of way!

There is also the unspoken rule: The bigger or faster craft takes the right of way whether it is there's or not... So in your case, Starboard or not he should not have cut you off. In my experiences with wingers they are more like squirrels on the water, you can never tell where there next move is going to take them, so more precautions are needed around them. Back in the early days of kiting you had to be really alert to what they might do planed or not.

See ya soon on the water!

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Last edited by WNDZRFR on Sun Feb 12, 2023 3:54 pm; edited 1 time in total
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mac



Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 17736
Location: Berkeley, California

PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 5:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You really have to make these teaching moments. I got hit in Berkeley last summer by a fairly new winger coming downwind and in my blind spot. We were both on starboard--and he had no idea that the upwind sailor is responsible for keeping clear. When he tried to explain that it was all my fault, I got so mad I told him to go away before I punched him. He later checked, came back and apologized and offered to pay for fixing my board. I'd already fixed it, and I told him that all I really want is for everybody to know the rules of the road so everybody can be safe.

But the comment about milleniels is on the button. Skateboard perspective.
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WNDZRFR



Joined: 28 Mar 2000
Posts: 124
Location: Greater East Bay Area

PostPosted: Sun Feb 12, 2023 4:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mac has me remembering the Formula fin days at Berkeley before foiling took over.

Didn't matter to me who had the right away as I always tried to stay out of the way of Formula boarders since they always seemed to be going almost perpendicular to us on our smaller windsurfing gear.

And especially on their downwind runs coming back from Treasure they could really sneak up on you and from some of the crashes I witnessed I don't think they were always in total control at those speeds and direction!

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mac



Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 17736
Location: Berkeley, California

PostPosted: Sun Feb 12, 2023 6:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sailed formula out of Berkeley for about twenty years. Control? Sometimes.

A few good things about racing formula. You could eat whatever you wanted, and lose weight. There was no question about hierarchy. You knew where you finished in the fleet. And you had to learn the rules to be able to start and round marks. Knowing that you are sailing with someone who understands starboard is a big plus for safety. And the gear let you sail from Berkeley to San Francisco if you wanted—and usually find a partner to sail with. Swimming and waterstarting is always the slowest point of sail.

The racing foils aren’t quite as fast as a formula fin—but you get upwind and downwind faster.
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Windzzrf_Millennial



Joined: 12 Aug 2020
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 4:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In santa cruz there are ‘surfing etiquette’ signs at water access points that explain the rules of the road. What would it take to get ‘sailing etiquette’ signs posted at local wind sports venues that are used frequently by both windsurfers and wingers? For example, at the third dock gangway in Berkeley, near the wind sock at point isabel, at the treasure island ramp, at 3rd Ave ramp, etc?

Rule 1: when two sailors are on the same tack, leeward sailor has priority
Rule 2: when two sailors are on opposing tacks, the starboard tack sailor has priority
Etc…

As an example, here is a link to the surfing etiquette rules at a water access point in santa cruz:

https://www.capitolabeachcompany.com/surfing-etiquette/
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mac



Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 17736
Location: Berkeley, California

PostPosted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Having been on the SFBA Board for many years, and active in Berkeley, you have to wonder why it is so hard. SFBA has a reasonable sign at Crissy, and the new web site, and 101 Surfsports websites are great about safety. I never tried to get signs in Berkeley, we pretty much relied on peer to peer education. For windsurfing, with the long learning curve, newbies were willing to take advice from us graybeards. But winging seems to be easier to learn, and more akin to skateboarding in a skate park than sailing or surfing. I work at peer to peer education since we all use the same rigging area. When the newbies find out that I was the person behind that and that it took more than 8 years, they cut me some slack and listen some.

At Crissy, the park service is not really friendly with any of the recreational groups. Sad to say. For most parks, the people who work in them have multiple parks and kinds of recreation going on, so they only know a little about what we need. Then there is lining up the money...
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Windzzrf_Millennial



Joined: 12 Aug 2020
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 3:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Berkeley in particular could really use a ‘rules of the road’ sign at the third dock. Berkeley has a lot of beginner water sports enthusiasts and has lots of sailors sharing the south sailing basin. It is literally a spawning ground for mosquitoes whoops i mean wingers.

I would imagine there are a significant number of entities that would have to sign off on installation of a sign. Mac do you have a sense for who to approach about that?

it would be pretty easy to just put one up but better to do it officially.
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mac



Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 17736
Location: Berkeley, California

PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 12:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

WM--I'm busy trying to kill the ferry and reopen the pier. But I think you have a good idea. You should ask this guy: rmiller@ci.berkeley.ca.us

to put it on the agenda for an upcoming Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission meeting. I'm no longer on that Commission. The next meeting is March 8. Here's the web site: https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/parks-recreation-and-waterfront-commission

Mac
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Windzzrf_Millennial



Joined: 12 Aug 2020
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2023 1:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Mac… i emailed the guy yesterday and hope to hear back soon
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