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The images took us by surprise. In the middle of a fleet of 49er FX racing under spinnaker in over 25 knots of wind, a cruising yacht crossed the regatta course. Seconds later, the French crew of Chloé Revil and Albane Dubois collided with the cruiser, before Spaniards Alicia Fras and Elena Barrio Garcia, unable to avoid the crash, drew alongside.
The accident caused no injuries but some material damage, and forced both teams to abandon the race. A torn mainsail for the French and a damaged daggerboard for the Spanish. And above all, a particularly interesting case study for the boating license section.
A cruising yacht remains subject to RIPAM, even in the middle of a regatta
First essential point: a boat not taking part in a regatta is not subject to World Sailing's racing rules. It remains subject to RIPAM, the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. In this case, the cruising yacht was sailing on the starboard tack beam. The 49er FX were also sailing downwind on starboard tack under gennaker.
Strictly speaking, under RIPAM, two yachts sailing on the same tack must apply the leeward-boat-priority-over-windward-boat rule. The cruising yacht therefore had priority. But this reading quickly becomes insufficient in a high-speed regatta context. A 49er FX launched downwind easily exceeds 20 knots, with brutal acceleration. At this speed, in the heat of the action and the game of regatta, everything goes very fast.
Crossing a regatta course remains a risky maneuver
Even when there is no official sailing ban, crossing a regatta course requires maximum vigilance on the part of the vessel not racing. In these conditions, a classic cruising yacht becomes a difficult obstacle to anticipate, especially when it arrives perpendicular to the fleet.
Sailing Energy photographer Jesus Renedo, who was on the water, summed up a very complex day for the crews: " In fifteen years of photographing skiffs, I've never seen a day like this." The photo sequences show the cruiser continuing on its way amidst the colorful spinnakers, clearly not measuring the approach speed of the competitors.
Right-of-way rules never replace the obligation to avoid collision
This is a fundamental point of both coastal and deep-sea permits: even if a vessel has priority, it must act to avoid collision. The RIPAM specifies that no priority rule authorizes maintaining a course that is clearly leading to collision. Each skipper has a permanent obligation to keep a lookout and anticipate.
In a situation like Quiberon, both parties had to try to avoid an accident. But the actual maneuvering capabilities differ enormously between a multi-ton cruiser and an Olympic skiff flying a gennaker surf.
In the shots taken by the Sailing Energy team, the cruising yacht can be seen cutting across the road, then swooping down once she had passed the axis of progress of the fleet leaders, destabilizing the competitors who were following.
A cruising yacht on the beam can luff slightly or slow down. A 49er FX launched at full speed in a gust has far fewer immediate options, especially in the middle of a compact fleet. This is precisely what explains the second incident with the Spanish crew ESP73. Following at a very short distance in the same wind corridor, the Spaniards didn't have the material time to avoid debris and stopped boats.
Why Olympic regattas often impose exclusion zones
Major international competitions generally set up safety zones around the courses. Semi-rigid committees, flags and VHF announcements are used to keep yachtsmen away from the race course.
In practice, however, these devices are not always sufficient, especially in busy sailing areas such as Quiberon Bay in spring. For yachtsmen, the rule remains simple: when a regatta course is visible, it's best to go around it, even if there's no official decree forbidding passage.
Faced with Olympic dinghies or foiling catamarans, speeds and trajectories have little in common with those of classic cruising.
