Six Tauranga yachties may be in trouble with the law after it is claimed they failed to get out of the path of a cargo ship entering the Port of Tauranga at the weekend.

The skippers face disqualification from placings in the race they were taking part in at the time of the incident on Sunday morning, and the marine equivalent of a ticket, a $200 fine.

The Zhe Hai 505 cargo ship.

Harbourmaster Jennifer Roberts is looking at photographic, AIS, and radar evidence after a complaint was laid by the Port of Tauranga pilot on board the Zhe Hai 505.

The pilot on board the 179m long ship carrying fertiliser says he was forced to turn to avoid a collision with the yachts competing in a race organised by Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club.

Before altering its course the Zhe Hai 505 made five short blasts on the horn, which officially means ‘your intentions are unclear', but the pilot says the yachts failed to take notice.

It puts them in breach of the Bay of Plenty Regional Navigational Safety Bylaw 2010 which requires small craft to stay clear of, and not impede the passage of, the commercial shipping using the port. The yachties also didn't turn on their engines to motor clear, which race rules allow them to do.

'The pilot was furious, he was most upset,” says Jennifer.

'The commodore is meeting all the skippers today and is going to talk and find out which ones it was,” says Jennifer.

'We have a group of eight, but they say there were only six, two were out of the way. I'm still narrowing down the details.”

There were 12 yachts in the race including Sniper skippered by commodore Gary Smith. His was not one of the yachts involved.

The race was the 2013 Gold Cup, a handicap race that involved the fleet leaving the harbour to round a GPS point off Motiti Island. The fleet was making its way down the channel against the last of the incoming tide with little wind.

The incident took place near the C3 channel marker on the turn from the Maunganui Roads into the Cutter Channel.

One of the yachties involved says they knew a shipping movement was near because there were two tugs standing by.

Most of the yachts were well out of the way some were a bit closer than he was, but as the tugs didn't take any action, he feels because none was needed.

Acting upon the complaint from the Harbourmaster the yacht club hierarchy has lodged a protest against the eight yachts, a protest that one of the skippers says will be vigorously defended.

From the boats' point of view the pilot over reacted says Yacht Club Commodore Gary Smith. He believes the ship would have passed the yachts safely without having to alter course.

In the past tugs have warned boats out of the way of an approaching ship, but that did not happen. He says the Harbourmaster is obliged to investigate the alleged incident because of the complaint.