Proper course refers to the course a boat would sail to finish as quickly as possible in the absence of other boats. In racing, this is a critical legal concept because a boat often cannot sail above its proper course to interfere with another boat if they are subject to certain right-of-way restrictions. One specific example involves a leeward boat being forbidden from luffing a windward boat higher than the ‘proper course’ if the overlap was established from behind. It is not necessarily a straight line, as the fastest path might involve zigzagging (tacking) to stay in better wind. Defining what is ‘proper’ is a common source of debate in protest rooms. It represents the most efficient path to the next mark under the current conditions.
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