LASERS TALK TO EACH OTHER

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When I sailed on a J24. I had an assigned person to do the talking so that the helm and trim people were not distracted.

On a Laser you need to do some talking. This is a game played by devoted people like yourself. they are brothers and sisters in this world of sliding forward through the water, squeezed by the forces of the wind. If they are not friends, then you have a spiritual challenge to get with it. Make them friends.

When you are on starboard in the port-starboard situation, warn them.

If you are the leeward boat speak up to the windward boat.

If you are tacking close, call out. Let them know.

If you need to tack for an obstruction, the rules require you to hail.

We often have problems at the leeward mark "zone".

If you think you may have inside overlap, ask the outside boat "Do I have an overlap?" If they say "yes", expect that they will give you room. (On bigger boats the folks ahead have a better view of overlap.)

If they say "no overlap", then bear off behind them and prepare to pass them on the next leg.

When you are half way down the leeward leg, start heading for the left side of the zone (Boat A in illustration) at the leeward mark. That sets you up to be the inside boat of boats entering straight and from the right (Boats C and D). A boat that has a marginal overlap on your left side will have the overlap broken if you turn to the mark just as you enter the zone (A3).

Call out to them that they have no overlap when you do that. The ones that are coming in from the right-- call out to them "inside give me room". If you are on starboard you can do a tactical rounding. If you are starboard leeward boat you can do a tactical rounding. If you are port tack and the windward boat you have to do a "seaman like rounding" i. e. close to the mark.

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Speak out loud and clear, so your friends know what you are doing.

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