Appendix B - Basic Racing Rules

The racing rules are designed to avoid collision. When two boats converge, one boat is required to keep clear of the other. If the boat that has right of way is forced to avoid a boat without right of way, or if there is a collision, the boat without right of way is penalized. Usually, there are two ways in which boats can be penalized. Voluntary penalties are withdrawal from the race or, if the 720 rule is in effect, the boat can perform two complete turns on the same leg on which the infraction occurred. If voluntary penalties are not taken, the competitors or the race organizers may lodge a protest, which will be decided by a protest committee.

Basic racing rules are outlined below. Actual rules are slightly more complex, but what is covered here applies in most situations. For a more detailed treatment, the official rules may be obtained by writing the United States Yacht Racing Union (USYRU) or by reading books such as Understanding the Racing Rules by Dave Perry. The USYRU address is: USYRU, PO Box 209, Newport, RI 02840.

B.1 Definitions

Port and Starboard Tack

A boat is on port tack when its mainsail is on its starboard side. Conversely, a boat is on Starboard tack when her main is on her port side.

Windward and Leeward

The leeward side of a boat is the side on which the mainsail is carried. The opposite side is the windward side. If the boat is head to wind, the leeward side is the side the mainsail was on before the boat came head to wind. Leeward generally denotes the boat that is further downwind. If two boats are overlapped on the same tack, the leeward boat is on the leeward side of the other boats.

Overlapped

Two boats are overlapped if one boat is across an imaginary line projected abeam from the furthest point aft on the other boat.

Clear Astern and Clear Ahead

A boat is clear ahead if it is ahead of another boat and not overlapped. The other boat is then clear astern.

Tacking

A boat is tacking from the moment she passes head to wind until she has born off onto close-hauled course.

Jibing

A boat is jibing from the moment her boom crosses her centerline until it fills on the new leeward side.

Bearing Away

A boat is bearing away when altering its course away from the wind.

Luffing

A boat is luffing when it alters course toward the wind.

Proper Course

A proper course is any course a boat might sail after the starting signal, which would lead the boat to finish as quickly as possible in the absence of any other boats.

B.2.1 Basic Open Water Rules

1. A boat on starboard tack has right of way over a boat on port tack
2. A boat to leeward has right of way over a boat to windward.
3. A boat which is tacking or jibing must keep clear of boats which are not.
4. A boat that is clear astern keeps clear of a boat that is clear ahead.
5. The Luffing rule - When a boat that is clear astern attempts to pass a boat to windward, the leeward boat may luff head to wind as quickly as she desires to protect its wind. The leeward boat may, in this case, cause a collision as long as serious damage does not occur.

1. At the windward mark with boats on the opposite tack, apply the rules as if the mark were not there.
2. At the windward mark with boats on the same tack, a boat which is outside must give a boat overlapping it on the inside room to round the mark.
3. At an offwind mark, a boat that is outside must give a boat that is overlapping inside room to round the mark. The windward/leeward rule or the port/starboard rule does not apply at mark roundings.
4. At a starting mark which is to be passed on the leeward side, an overlaping windward boat is not entitled to room.
5. Marks of a finishing line are treated as other marks of the course.