Room to tack at an obstruction

The Case Book for 2025-2028 (click here) complements The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), providing details on the application of the RRS to around 140 scenarios. Here is Case 101:

When a boat with right of way is required to give another boat room for a maneuver, right of way does not transfer to the boat entitled to room. When, in reply to her hail ‘Room to tack’ when approaching an obstruction, a boat is hailed ‘You tack’, and when she does so and is then able to tack again to keep clear in a seamanlike way, the other boat has given the room required.

Facts
A and B were International Dragons. A was approaching the shore close-hauled on starboard tack, clear ahead and on a track to leeward of B. A hailed ‘Room to tack’, and B replied ‘You tack’. A tacked and B held her course. A was then on a collision course with B and tacked again. Both of A’s tacks were made in a normal, seamanlike way. After A’s second tack she was overlapped to leeward of B. Shortly afterwards B tacked and A did likewise. A protested B for not giving room as required by rule 20.2(c).

The protest committee concluded that B failed to give A ‘room to tack and avoid her’, and disqualified B, stating that she had ‘failed to keep clear of A after her tack.’ B appealed. – Full report