18.2 Giving Room; Keeping Clear
(a) overlapped - basic rule
When boats are overlapped the outside
boat shall give the inside boat room
to round or pass the mark or obstruction,
and if the inside boat has right of way the outside boat shall also keep
clear. Other parts of rule 18 contain exceptions to this rule.
(b) overlapped at the zone
If boats were overlapped before either
of them reached the two-length zone and
the overlap is broken after one of
them has reached it, the boat that was on the outside shall continue to give
the other boat room. If the outside boat
becomes clear astern
or overlapped inside the other boat,
she is not entitled to room and shall
keep clear.
(c) not overlapped at the zone
If a boat was clear ahead
at the time she reached the two-length zone,
the boat clear astern
shall thereafter keep clear. If the
boat clear astern
becomes overlapped outside the other boat, she shall also give the inside
boat room. If the boat clear
astern becomes overlapped
inside the other boat, she is not
entitled to room. If the boat that
was clear ahead
passes head to wind, rule 18.2(c) no longer applies and remains inapplicable.
(d) changing course to round or pass
When after the starting signal rule 18 applies between two boats and the right-of-way
boat is changing course to round or pass a mark,
rule 16 does not apply between her and the other boat.
(e) overlap rights
If there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an overlap
in time, it shall be presumed that she did not. If the outside boat is unable
to give room when an overlap
begins, rules 18.2(a) and 18.2(b) do not apply.