I always thought that "the laws of the sea" gave right of way to the sail boat over the power boat. Of course that can get problematical when the "power boat" is an oil tanker that takes a half mile to change direction.
Regards,
GtG
When I was an officer in the Navy, we followed what my Captain called the “steel, wood, fiberglass” rule. We were steel and the top of the chain and the concept is based on the “Rule of Gross Tonnage”. I was on a submarine and when we came into port we were pretty much limited to the channel. Many pleasure boats would come over to take a look and there was no way we could maneuver even if we wanted to.
Generally true, but not if the other vessel is constrained by maneuverability or draft. Anyway, if a sailboat is struck by a freighter, the sailors will be lucky to survive to make their case in maritime court.