Skipper-Level Racing Quiz
This quiz is open-book and has no time limit. 24/30 points (80%) or higher is required to pass. It is helpful to have pen and paper ready for sketching out diagrams.
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1. What is the primary responsibility of a skipper?
A. Hailing other boats on starboard tack
B. Filing a float plan with the Coast Guard
C. Ensuring crew and vessel safety
D. Steering the boat
2. What is the correct action during a Quick Stop Recovery in a crew overboard situation?
A. Turn to a beam reach
B. Reverse the engine
C. Immediately deploy a life raft
D. Hail "Crew overboard" and tack without releasing the jib
3. If you have significant weather helm, you should...
A. Ease sails
B. Steer upwind
C. Increase backstay tension
D. You could do any or all of these
4. What indicates a successful tack?
A. Turn as quickly as possible from tack to tack
B. The crew moves before turning the boat
C. A smooth turn carrying speed from tack to tack
D. The sails flap loudly
5. What is the primary purpose of the mainsheet?
A. Controlling speed
B. Steering
C. Controlling power and balance
D. Changing the sail's angle of attack
6. What is the traveler's impact on mainsail trim?
A. Adjusting the angle of attack
B. Controlling the boom height above deck
C. Easing the mainsail
D. Managing crew movement
7. What is the primary effect of easing the outhaul?
A. Reducing sail power
B. Changing sail twist
C. Changing the sail's angle of attack
D. Adding sail power
8. What should be done when a boat is heeling excessively?
A. Increase the heel for speed
B. Flatten the main sail
C. Nothing at all, it's normal
D. Change course to downwind
9. How do jib leads or "cars" affect the jib?
A. Moving them can help all the telltales fly together
B. Moving them changes twist in the jib
C. Moving them changes jib depth
D. All of the above
10. When close-hauled, what is the primary goal for proper trim?
A. Optimize crew comfort
B. Maximize boat heel
C. Speed, pointing, and balance
D. Trim in all sails as much as possible
11. A "lift" in regards to racing is defined as...
A. The equipment used to pull a boat out of the water
B. A shift in the wind direction that points the boat closer to the mark
C. A shift in the wind direction that points the boat further away from the mark
D. A shift in the wind direction that causes the boat to go faster
12. What is the time limit for starting a Ballard Cup race?
A. 5 minutes after your class flag comes down
B. 10 minutes after your class flag comes down
C. Before the last boat in the last class to start
D. Before sunset
13. If a skipper feels their boat has been fouled by another boat and wants to protest, they are required to do these two things:
A. Change course, and hail the race committee
B. Yell at the other boat to do turns, and call the coast guard
C. Yell "protest," and email the other skipper
D. Hail "protest" and raise the protest flag
14. When can you extend your bowsprit?
A. After the spinnaker has been pre-fed
B. On final approach (layline) to windward mark
C. While actively raising the spinnaker
D. On final approach (layline) to leeward mark
15. If two boats on the same tack head downwind on a course that would lead them to the buoys on the entrance to the Ballard Locks channel, which is a restricted zone, what should their actions be?
A. Depends who is on starboard
B. Both hail for room to gybe
C. Enter channel, but leave at the first opportunity
D. Treat it as an obstruction
16. What is the zone around the starting line that you are not allowed to be in while the other boats race, and when are you allowed in?
A. The box, at your 5 minute warning
B. A cone from the start to the windward mark, at your 5 minute warning
C. Zones are only at rounding marks
D. Both A and B
17. What should your actions be in the event of a collision with another boat that causes major damage?
A. If you were the stand on vessel, protest the other boat and continue
B. If you were the give way vessel, do a 720 and continue
C. Immediately retire
D. Exchange insurance information and continue
18. At the windward mark, you foul another boat, then immediately touch the mark as you round. How may you exonerate yourself?
A. Do a 360 - the last foul was touching the mark
B. Do a 1080 - 720 for the foul, 360 for the buoy
C. Do a 720
D. Re-round the mark and do a 720
19. Two boats are sailing to windward on the same tack. The leeward boat can point better and is getting closer to the windward boat while staying close hauled. What should the windward boat do?
A. Tack
B. Protest leeward boat for not sailing proper course
C. Hail that they are pointing as high as they can, and maintain course
D. Gybe
20. If you cross the starting line prematurely, what should you do?
A. Do a 360
B. Go back behind the starting line completely, and re-cross the line
C. Go back and turn back up when any part of the boat has recrossed the line
D. Do a 720
21. You are sailing close-hauled on port tack on the first beat to Meadow Point. A much larger boat, also on port tack, is leeward of you. You both are nearing the beach. They hail "shallow water, room to tack." You know you have plenty of water for another 200 yards. What is your obligation?
A. No obligation. Hail, "I am not going to run aground for 200 yards" and maintain course
B. Hail "You tack!" and duck behind them
C. Tack immediately and protest
D. Gybe
22. As you approach the leeward mark on starboard gybe, you are on a collision course with a boat on starboard tack that has already rounded in the mark. They are not in your class. Who is the stand on vessel?
A. They are, because they are leeward
B. You do, because you are leeward
C. Neither boat - you are in different classes
D. Neither boat - you are on different legs of the race
23. Two boats (A and B) are on port tack, heading to the windward mark, and they encounter a recreational vessel (C) on starboard tack. The only windward boat, Boat A, is on on a collision course. Boat B is able to pass behind Boat C. Who is obligated to act and what should they do?
A. Boats A and B both should hail "We're racing, get out of the way!" to Boat C
B. Boat A should hail "Room to tack" to Boat B
C. Boat B should immediately tack
D. Boat B must give Boat A room to also pass behind Boat C
24. You are ahead of your class, going downwind to the leeward mark, E. You're not sure which buoy is E. What should you do?
A. Look at the Sailing Instructions you have on board
B. Hail the committee boat via VHF and ask them
C. Ask another competitor
D. Wait for everyone to catch up and see what they do
25. How should you check in your boat pre-race as a Ballard Cup participant?
A. Present sail numbers, hail the committee boat, and get a response
B. Call the Committee on their VHF channel
C. It's not needed if you registered for the series
D. Sail by the committee boat and call out your boat's naem
26. You are on starboard tack, on a collision course within 2 boat lengths of a boat on port tack. You have hailed repeatedly and they are maintaining course. You should immediately:
A. Hail "Protest!" and hold your course
B. Duck behind the port tacker
C. Turn your boat to starboard
D. Luff sails to slow down so they can pass
27. You are on port tack and did not see another boat on starboard tack behind your sails. You are on a collision course within 2 boat lengths of the boat on starboard tack. You should immediately:
A. Luff sails to slow down so they can pass
B. Gybe
C. Duck behind the starboard tacker
D. Turn the boat to port
28. You are in heavy air conditions. You decide to duck another boat, but your boat does not respond to the helm, preventing you from turning downwind. Your first course of action should be
A. Push against the helm more, to force the turn downwind
B. Tack immediately
C. Hail the other boat to tack
D. Check the main is eased; if not, aggressively ease the mainsheet.
29. You are the first boat to enter the zone at the windward mark, port rounding. You are on starboard tack, with a second boat overlapped to leeward on the same tack. Your responsibility is to...
A. Maintain your course and round first
B. Luff your sails to slow down the second boat
C. Leave enough room for the second boat to round the mark inside your course
D. Hail "no room" and "protest"
30. You are on the starboard layline for the windward mark, just outside the zone. A port tack boat tacks onto starboard tack, completing the tack inside the zone, as you enter the zone. The other boat pinches up and causes you to sail above close-hauled to avoid contact. The rule here is:
A. You are required to give the "tacked boat" room, because they were the inside boat relative to your position
B. You were fouled. The "tacked boat" is not allowed to force you above close-hauled
C. You are required to give the "tacked boat" room because they entered the zone first
D. You fouled the tacked boat and should do two penalty turns.
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