APPROACHING A MARK ON OPPOSITE TACKS.
It frequently happens that two yachts are approaching a mark on opposite tacks, and the one on the port tack may be able to weather the mark, whilst the one on the starboard tack cannot do so until she goes on the other tack. In Fig. 49, D will be the mark, A a vessel on the starboard tack, and B the one on port tack. It would be the duty of B to give way, even though it were at the finish of a race, and that she was in a position to cross the line E; she would be clearly ahead of A, but might not be able to quite weather her, and so would have to give way. We recollect a case similar to the above happening at Cowes between the Kriemhilda and Arrow, in 1874, in a match of the Royal Albert Yacht Club ; the Arrow was on port tack and gave way, but the late Mr. Chamberlayne said he never gave way more reluctantly in his life; yet, as it was clearly his duty to do so, he ordered the helm of the Arrow to be put down, and the Kriemhilda got round the mark first.
The foregoing case is very clear, and there can be no doubt as to what the vessel on the port tack should do ; but the case would be more difficult to deal with if the yachts were in the position with regard to the mark shown in Fig. 50. A is a yacht on the starboard tack ; B a yacht on the port
tack ; D a buoy which the yachts have to round and proceed in the direction of the arrow E. B goes into stays under the lee bow, but a little ahead of A, so that when they arrive at the buoy they are in the q2 position of A 2 and B 2, and a collision ensues. B will claim the foul, and argue that A should have given her room at the buoy ; A will claim the foul, and say that B should not have gone into stays in a position where A could strike her. B in this case would be in the right, provided always that the foul would not have occurred if A had not altered her helm by putting it up. But B would not be justified in tacking in such a position if she thereby caused A to put her helm down or luf to avoid a collision ; nor would she be justified in so tacking if a collision ensued, and A did not alter her course one way or the other. On the other hand, A would not be justified in putting her helm up, and so cause a collision or a fouling of the mark.