To calculate the cost of the fence, we first need to find the perimeter of the yard, which is the total length of fencing required.

The formula to find the perimeter (P) of a rectangle is:
P = 2 * (length + width)

P = 2 * (27 + 61)
P = 2 * 88
P = 176 feet
Number of sections = Perimeter / 10
Number of sections = 176 / 10
Number of sections = 17.6

Since you can't have a fraction of a section, you need to round up to the nearest whole number (18 sections).

Now, calculate the cost of the fence:
Cost = Number of sections * Cost per section
Cost = 18 * $16
Cost = $288