Right of way
From SecondSailing
There are times when the paths of two vessels on the water cross and the vessels might come close or collide. There are rules for this situation in real life. Some of these rules have been adapted to Second Life™.
Different sets of rules apply to Sailing depending on whether you are racing or not.
Right of Way for non-races
Well. This's simple. There are no binding rules. The only two rules that apply arise from thoughtfulness and from politeness.
- Don't force a collision deliberately. Most people out there want to enjoy races and are not into a wild-west game of rudeness.
- Try to avoid boats that are obviously racing. They have other things in mind than avoiding collisions with other boats.
Don't be surprised when someone asks you to leave an area due to an ongoing regatta. Usually there is an important race taking place in this case. Be nice and obey.
Right of Way during races
Well, again. There is no such thing as a binding set of Rules for racing in Second Life. But most people and clubs that manage racing have agreed to use a common set of rules.
These rules are based on the rules of the International Sailing Federation so that people who race in the Real Life will feel at home in SL.
But due to some specialties in SL they are not identical. Some rules like those about the behaviour in case of emergencies can't be applied at all. Other situations like the "End of world" phenomenon is special to SL and does not occur in RL. So the rules in SL have been adjusted to the special situations here.
It is also worth noting that using the complete rule set usually only takes place for important races. In most races only a minimal set of rules are applied so that unexperienced skippers can also manage to sail in these races.
If in doubt, ask your race director about the rules currently valid.
There is one important rule that governs all. Sportsmanship.
Note from editor: What does this really mean, everybody has different ideas about fairness. What's in, what's out?
Another very important thing is worth noting here: If you have experiences with sailing you might be aware of the "collision avoidance rules". One of the most important rules is that while one boat must react to a potential collision the other boat has also a duty, that is to keep course and speed. Yes, there are exceptions from this rule but it governs most things.
When racing there is no general rule that forces one boat to keep a proper course. The opposite is true. For tactical purposes any boat can take actions to disturb your current course. So don't be surprised when other boats suddenly take actions you think are not allowed by your day-to-day experience. But no rule without exceptions. There are situation when this behaviour is not allowed.
Rules of section A
- Rule 10: ON OPPOSITE TACKS
When boats are on opposite tacks, a port-tack boat shall keep clear of a starboard-tack boat.
--> needs diagram
- Rule 11 --> explanation follows
- Rule 12 --> explanation follows
- Rule 13 --> explanation follows
Also see: [1]
See also:
International Sailing Federation in the internet
