simple Nebbian don't bear away. You are right but
if the guy opposite to you is bearing away chances are he want to go somewhere down wind, so just keep going straight.
It's only when you are both going upwind that you let the guy on starboard go pass upwind of you.
To make it easy just let the guy on starboard go where ever he wants.

Besides the kitesurfer was maybe being polite as they may go downwind of incoming windsurfers not to bother them with the lines.
good luck

I agree with Leski, interpret the rule as "Starboard has right of way"
The trouble occurs when you get in the wave zone, then everybody seems to have their own ideas, some wave sites have "local rules/etiquette", it's best to find out from a local what's going on.

General hot tips for sailing at the train are:

1. there are no rules
2. keep well away from sailors wearing floppy hats
3. keep well away from sailors wearing any form of glasses
4. keep well clear of sailors wearing float coats
5. keep well clear of sailors over the age of 50
6. give a wide berth to anyone who looks like they weigh over 100kg
7. keep a good eye on any folk wearing a GPS
8. steer well clear of people who take more than 2 hours to wash and de-rig - both on and off the water

so that basically means to keep clear of everyone

oh, and admire anyone who has no hair

is dutch inn. cott a starboard / port rule???? or heading out into the waves has wright of way?????

"Starboard has right of way" as Decrep said is the best way of interpreting this rule one the water. (So Nebbian, that should be easy to program no?)

As for Dutchies, it is hardly a wave spot as such, but if there are breaking waves then yeah you should give right of way to a windsurfer going out.
This is a very simple rule to understand I think, as it is easier to come back to the shore with a wave pushing you than having to face it going out.

Grumple:

"Starboard has right of way", all well and good, but which way do you turn to give way? Grrrr! Might be making mountains out of molehills here, so I'll just shut up until I hit someone...


I just had an idea!!

Next time I'm at the train I'll wear a big floppy hat, some blueeye sunnies, a life vest, and strap a GPS to my arm... then everyone will stay out of MY way! YEEHAA!!! [}:)]

Nebbian,
Starboard has right of way, you do not have to, or should not alter your course. The sailor on Port has to take nessesay evasive action to avoid you if you maintain your current course (heading,direction).
Check out
http://www.windsurfingperth.com.au/tips/water-rules.html
These rules are used maily to sort out disputes when racing but should be exercised at all times when on the water.
Wave sailing is a different kettle of fish. There are general guidelines that may not apply in some locations due to conditions or local law. Always best to check the the locals if you are new to a location. It also does not hurt to check out the locals on the water first as well to see where and how they sail.
Remember that all your fellow sailors may not know the rules and it's better to keep and eye out and avoid collisions.
There's no point in being in the right if a collision occurs and you get injured and miss the rest of the season

actually, at the train (taking last weekends southerly wind as an example), most folk will give whoever is closest to the sandbar right of way. Most are aware of the starboard rule but certainly won't make you give way if your on port tack and closer to the sandbar (upwind) than they are, providing your not head to head coming straight at each other. However there are the exceptions who want the sandbar no matter what.

one good thing about gps frenzy is that most of the guys who were once point-upwind-aholics and would always try to outpoint anyone, are now bearing away downwind alot because they are trying to clock their best speeds, in turn freeing up the sandbar spot for slower folk like me. In fact I can almost have it all to myself these days coz most of the guys are into the gps thing, and i'm one of a very few who can tack. So gps is not all bad however where once upon a time you tried to stay downwind of the point-a-holics so you didn't get wiped out, now staying downwind is just as risky because u got to keep an eye out for the gps wearer suddenly bearing downwind on you and wiping you out as they go for their all time record, so you can't win either way.

not sure whats worse to have upwind of you, a kite or a gps-a-holic?!

just so the non-Trainers can appreciate where Nebs coming from, the run at Train during a southerly is about 700 metres in length and for about 300 metres of it, maybe 20 to 30 metres wide. On a weekend with wind in summer you get about 30 windsurfers packed into this puddle at once, and usually a few kites mixed in, plus jetboats, jetskis, seaplanes, and fishermen, all making use of it. It is southports equivalent to Currumbin creek where 15 to 30 kiters manage to pack themselves into an area the size of two soccer fields end to end. There's not much sailable flat water on the goldcoast that isn't tide affected.

Hey Nebbian. The shallow bits have probably snatched a few fins over the years. The worst would be on a NE running down the other side of the sand island when the sun's reflecting off the water mid to late afternnoon, and you can't judge the depth.

On a couple of occasions at high tide on a windy southerly where I've been able to sail straight out accross the sand island on a waveboard with tiny fin, I've had a few guys following me (obviously not locals) and they came to very abrupt stops once they hit the island not realising it was only a foot deep. There used to be a sign there but the pole rusted and now all thats left is a dangerous rusted 2 foot length poking out of the sand.

In the 4.5 years of sailing there the things I've seen floating in the water include; a submerged big green bin floating just under the surface, shopping trolley near the car park, submerged wooden forklif type pellette floating just under the surface, a log after we had the cyclone further north, marajuana leaves, your common crabpots, a paint roller on a brrom handle, womans handbags, lots of caps, and a zillion shopping bags (shopping bags soon seperate the boys from the men ) There's this unspoken law at the train, if you hit a shopping bag and and it makes you crash then you are a girlyskirt, and if you hit a shopping bag and manage keep going then your a real man

p.s. anyone learning some freestyle stuff has complete immunity to all rules and laws o.k?!

how the hell can a freestyler get 'huge' air at the train JF?
and another person to keep clear of is that stiffy cliffy dude!

defo best to ask the locals first??????,

at sandpoint VIC probably one of the top speed sailing venues in the world, where you could get 50+ windsurfers trying to get as close to the sandbar as possible for clean, glassy water to get top speeds out of their planks....-

i think i was told the rule was imagine you are driving a right-hand drive car - which made bugger all sensce to me maybe someone can correct me on that one....

i had a few close shaves there but never a head on collision, thank f**k, ( as the impact speed would have been somewhere between 40 - 60 knts) ouch