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Basic Rules
of Sailboat Racing
There are three guiding principles that underlie the Racing
Rules. All competitors are expected to compete within the framework of
sportsmanship, fair sailing and helping those in danger. If you’re new to
racing, you only need to know 10 basic rules that will handle most
situations you’ll encounter on the race course. As you gain more
experience, you’ll learn more about the subtleties and limitations of
these and other rules.
** Click On Pictures to Enlarge **
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The basic rules are summarized below. A boat has right of way when
another boat is required to keep clear. If you want to read the
actual wording of the rule in the rules book, “Racing Rules of Sailing,”
just click on the rule number.
There are some words in
racing that have special meaning and they are identified in italics (
i.e.,
keep clear ). Click on them and their
definitions will be displayed.
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- When boats are on the same
tack and
don’t
overlap each other, a boat that is overtaking from behind
shall
keep clear of the boat that is
clear ahead (
Racing Rule 12 ). It must change course to avoid running into
the back of the other boat. If the boat from behind continues to
overtake the other boat and they become
overlapped then the
windward-leeward rule switches on where the
windward boat must keep
clear of the
leeward boat.
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- When you’re tacking, you must
keep clear of
all other boats from the time your boat passes head to wind until it is
on a close-hauled course
(
Racing Rule 13 ). Look around before you tack to make sure you
don’t tack in the way of another boat.
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- You must avoid contact with other boats if
possible. Even if your boat has right of way you must avoid contact,
but you don’t need to act until it becomes obvious that the other boat
is not going to
keep clear (
Racing Rule 14 ).
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- Whenever you are the right-of-way boat and want to
turn, you must give the other boat a chance to
keep clear (
Racing Rule 16 ). You cannot make an abrupt turn that allows no
opportunity for the other boat to stay out of your way.
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The Radius of the Zone is
Equal to Three Hull Lengths.
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- If you cross the starting line too soon before the start, you have
to go back behind the line and start again. While going back, you have
to keep clear of all boats that have started (
Racing Rule 20
). If a boat starts prematurely,
the race committee boat displays the code flag for the letter "X" and
sounds one blast of a horn Click on Picture to Enlarge
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- If you hit a
mark while
racing,
you must
take a penalty as soon as possible by making one turn, including one
tack and one jibe (or one jibe and one tack) (
Racing Rule 31
).
While doing your One-Turn Penalty , you must stay clear of all other
boats.
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Red Boat Hits Mark and Does
One-Turn Penalty
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- If you foul another boat while
racing,
you must
take a penalty as soon as possible by making two turns in the same
direction, including two tacks and two jibes (
Racing Rule 44
).
While
doing your Two-Turns Penalty, you must stay clear of all other boats.
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After you have completed and studied the two racing sections, take the
Sailboat Racing Test.
Click on book titles to purchase:
"Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing"
"Dave Perry's 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes"
Note: Be sure to click-on the
words in italics and study their special meanings and definitions before
taking the test. |
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