CAUTIONHaving the right of course does not relieve you from the responsibility of avoiding a collision.
Ship in sight
We can consider three ways of encountering another yacht on the water:
Generally, the yacht with limited ability to manoeuvre has the right of course.
We leave free the course and to pass it to stern. The yacht that has right of course is called privileged yacht. It can maintain its speed and course. The ship penalized is that must adjust their speed and/or course to maintain the due distance from the privileged ship.
Encounter
When you meet another yacht that goes in the direction parallel, both yachts must adjust their speed and course.
When two mechanical thrust yachts are meeting on intersecting or nearly intersecting courses such as to give rise to the risk of collision, each one must change its course to starboard so that each one passes on the left of the other.
Crossing
When two mechanical thrust yachts are crossing, creating a risk of collision, the one that has the other yacht at its starboard must move away and, if the circumstances so permit, avoid passing on the bow of the other yacht.
Overtaking
Overtaking is defined as when a ship coming from a direction of more than 22.5 degrees at stern compared to the yacht that it plans to overtake, such that it can only see the light of the yacht stern but neither of the two side lights.
If you find yourself having to pass a yacht proceeding more slowly than you and that is on your course, your yacht is the one penalized. Make all the necessary adjustments to avoid the collision and pass to the bow or starboard.
Announce your intentions by sounding the horn twice if you intend to pass on the bow, and one time if you intend to pass at starboard. The yacht that is reached by another yacht takes precedence over the latter and therefore must maintain the same course and the same speed without laying or manoeuvring.
The yacht that has the bow within a 135° angle (formed by the yacht stern light) is considered the yacht that can be reached.
CAUTIONHaving the right of course does not relieve you from the responsibility of avoiding a collision.
CAUTIONYachts with limited ability to manoeuvre usually have the right of course.
In the event of an imminent collision, prudence has priority over right of course.