Sailing Events
There are a couple of different ways of handling sailing events. One is to simply use the Ships and Water Travel rules for comparing each ship or boat and how they perform over a set distance. When the course is more for rowing than sailing such at the Regattas in Rivers Bend more abstract rules can be used. Instituting a boating proficiency check or navigation check coupled with Strength checks work well.
These rules are for an rules light form of sailing competition where all the vessels involved are deemed to be mostly equal and allows multiple players to be involved in the action at the same time by each running their own boat. These races are meant to test a captain's skill and luck rather than how impressive his ship is. (The rules here borrow heavily from a 1967 board game called Regatta. I have the 1970 version put out by Avalon Hill as my reference copy for these rules.)
Glossary of terms
Beam reaching - sailing across the wind
Beating - sailing into the wind at a point between beam reach and head to wind, also called close hauled
Blanketing - taking the wind out of the sails of another boat by moving to windward of it
Broad reaching - sailing downwind at a point between beam reaching and running
Coming about - another term for tacking
Downwind - with the wind
Jibing - Shifting sail to opposite side when sailing downwind
Leeward - away from the wind
Luffing - sailing very close to or dead into the wind so air will spill from the sails
Mark - buoy around which boats must sail
On a tack - on a course, i.e., not tacking or jibing
Port - left side of boat
Rounding - going around a mark
Running - sailing before the wind
Spinnaker - a ballooning auxiliary sail used when running or broad reaching
Starboard - right side of boat
Tacking - changing wind in sailing upwind, swinging bow across eye of wind
Windward - toward the wind, opposed to Leeward
The object of the game is to be the skipper of the yacht that crosses the finish line first. While maneuvering their yachts around the course, players must keep in mind the differences between rounds, turns, legs and spaces:
- Each round consists of one turn per player
- Each player's turn consists of one or more legs as determined by the die.
- Each leg is a movement in a straight line which consists of 1, 2 or 3 spaces.
- Each space is designated by a + on the map.
Every round starts with a roll of a special die to determine the number of legs per turn for all players. In KloOge this is done in the chat room by typing {$1} to roll the die for Sailing Events. The results are 1, 2 and 3 on the die indicate that the round is to be a one-, two- or three-leg round. For the first round, a random is chosen to go first and roll the die. He continues to roll the die for each successive round until he rolls for a wind shift (see Wind Shifts).
Rounds one and two are the warning and preparatory signal stages of an official race. During this pre-start period, skippers maneuver their boats as close to the starting line as possible. A player may not be on or across the starting line before round three. Boats "jumping the gun" must return and re-cross the line. The length of the starting line is determined by the number of boats competing plus two spaces.
Basic Rules:
- Players may not move onto or through an occupied space.
- All legs and turns must be complete; no leg may be retraced within the same turn.
- Players must take their turns when possible, even though the possibilities may be disadvantageous. A player must give up his entire turn if, because of obstacles, he cannot complete it.
- A player may luff for one, but only one, leg per turn.
Legs - Each leg is in a straight line and varies in length according to its direction with respect to the wind. The number of spaces for each leg is controlled by the boats attitude towards the wind as follows:
Direction with Respect to Wind - Number of Spaces per leg
- Broad Reaching - 3
- Beam Reaching or Running - 2
- Beating - 1
- Luffing - 0
Turns - Each turn consists of one, two or three legs as determined by the die. When number 1 is rolled, all players move their boats one leg in any direction except luffing; for example, 2 spaces running or 3 spaces broad reaching. When the number 2 is rolled, they may move two legs in one direction or one leg in one direction followed by one leg in another direction; for example, a player may move 2 spaces beating (1 space per leg) or may divide his turn into two different legs, such as a beam reaching leg of 2 spaces followed by a broad reaching leg of 3 spaces. When the number 3 is rolled, each player may move all three
legs in one direction or two legs in one direction and one in another or, if desirable, change course from leg to leg.
Puff Card - A puff is a sudden, momentary local wind created by a down draft of vertically unstable air. It may affect one boat and not another. In these rules a "lift" from a puff is simulated by the use of a puff card, good for a 1-space extension of a leg. Each player has two puff cards to start the race. At any point during the race he can also make a boating proficiency check to gain one additional Puff Card per race. If successful he must play that puff card during that turn. He may play a puff card during any turn by announcing he is using the card but he may play only one per turn. After a puff card has been used it may not be used again.
Wind Shifts - When the wind shift result comes up a coin flip is used to determine the direction of change is done with a Heads meaning the wind shifts counterclockwise 45° (a one-position change); when Tales appears the Indicator is moved clockwise 45° (a one-position change). The player who rolled the 4 gives the die to the next player who rolls it to determine the number of legs for the coming round. This player becomes the first player for succeeding rounds. When the 4 again appears, the procedure is repeated.
Blanketing - When a boat occupies the space directly to windward of another boat, it "blankets" the other boat (takes the wind out of its sails). The "blanketed" player loses a turn. A boat flying a spinnaker can partially blanket from the second space directly to windward of another boat; the blanketed player loses one leg of his turn. (A trailing boat that is on a spinnaker reach is sometimes in a good position to blanket.)
Using a Spinnaker (only available in the Island Kingdoms events) - Only when broad reaching or running may a player use a spinnaker to gain one more space per leg. He does so by turning his spinnaker card face up before moving and announcing that he is "flying a spinnaker." When unable to run or broad reach to advantage for a full turn, he must begin his turn by taking down his spinnaker, i.e., turning the spinnaker card face down and giving up one leg. (To take down a spinnaker in a one-leg turn is, in effect, to lose a turn.)
Advanced Rules:
These rules are more complete and are used to create a more detailed sailing event.
This game is designed primarily for players with some sailing experience. In addition to including right-of-way rules, which affect sailing strategy, it adds refinements based on the fact that some headway is lost in tacking and jibing, causing sailors to plan their maneuvers accordingly.
The advanced game consists of the basic game plus the following modifications and additions:
ATTITUDE OF YACHTS - It is important in the advanced game to tilt the yachts according to sailing maneuvers and wind changes. The tilt of the boat indicates on which side the sail is positioned; this information is sometimes necessary for clarifying the right of way of determining whether a jibe is taking place.
HEADINGS - Throughout the advanced game it will be important to know what the established heading of each yacht is; therefore, each time a player completes a turn he will need to position his yacht so as to indicate its heading. The various heading positions are shown at right.
Heading moves are used to change course when the rules demand. Each heading move equals one leg; a player may not make two consecutive heading moves in one turn. The following examples illustrate when heading moves must be used:
1. Tacking and Jibing - As some headway is lost in these maneuvers, one leg must be sacrificed every time the bow of the boat swings across the eye of the wind. These are called heading moves.
2. Luffing - A wind change can leave a yacht in a luffing position. When this happens, the skipper of the luffing yacht must make a heading move to change course before he can make any other move. Although it is usually an unlikely move, a player may luff purposely, but he must use a heading move to begin luffing and a second heading move to recover.
RIGHT-OF-WAY RULES - The advanced game differs most from the basic in its adherence to right-of-way rules, out of which much strategy in sailboat racing grows. The rules are those used by the North American Yacht Racing Union. The NAYRU rules most pertinent to this game are as follows:
Opposite Tack Rule - A port-tack yacht shall keep clear of a starboard-tack yacht. (A boat is on a starboard tack when the wind is on its starboard side and on a port tack when the wind is on its port side.)
Same Tack Rule - A windward yacht shall keep clear of a starboard-tack yacht. (This means that when two yachts have the wind on the same side, the one away from the wind has the right of way.)
Changing Tack Rule - A yacht which is either tacking or jibing shall keep clear of a yacht on a tack. (A yacht is on a tack except when tacking or jibing.)
Rules of Exception and Special Application - When one of the following rules applies, it overrides any preceding rule:
Rounding or Passing Marks and Obstructions - When an inside yacht is within 2 spaces of the mark, an outside yacht on the same tack must keep clear (accommodation of NAYRU rule).
Yachts Returning to Start - A premature starter when returning to start, or a yacht working into position from the wrong side of the starting line or its extensions, when the stating round begins, shall keep clear of all yachts which are starting (or have started) correctly until she is wholly on the right side of the starting line or its extensions.
Keeping Clear - When a player ends a turn on a space directly in the path of a right-of-way yacht, he has failed to keep clear if the player with the right of way reaches the occupied space within his next turn. To the player who takes no chances, to keep clear will mean to avoid ending a turn on any space directly ahead of a right-of-way yacht which that yacht could possible pass or reach on its next turn.
Penalties For Violations. - Before the start of the advanced game, players should decide which of the following penalties will be enforced: OPTION A (Official NAYRU Penalty): The player who violates another's right of way is disqualified ("protested out of 'the race"). The ever-present possibility of this "sudden death" penalty can add excitement to the game. OPTION B: The player guilty of an infraction must take back his leg(s) and forfeit his turn. (This option gives less experienced players a chance to continue the race.)
