Everything you need to know about

Revised Racing Rules

but didn't know who to ask

The revised racing rules are simple, easy to learn and fair. Think of them as just two chapters in a short book. Chapter One has to do with DEFINITIONS. Chapter Two has to do with the RULES themselves. Since definitions are things we all know anyway, we can skip Chapter One and go right to Chapter Two, right? Wrong!!! In this case, even though the terms may be familiar, they do require total understanding if we're to apply the rules properly! So, let's start at the beginning.

CHAPTER 1: DEFINITIONS

You only have four definitions to learn: RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE, INSIDE, OUTSIDE and OVERTAKING.

Before you start thinking that everybody knows what "inside" and "outside" mean and "overtaking" couldn't be all that difficult, let me ask you again to carefully study each of these definitions, because if you don't, you're not going to apply the rules properly!

RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE (R.O.W.) is an imaginary line through the bow of the sailboard at 90 degrees to the line between the two course marks that bound the leg on which you are sailing. The R-O-W line is always at right angles to the line between two course marks (including the starting mark and the upwind mark) ... but it can intersect your sailboard at various angles depending on whether you're heading upwind, downwind or on a reach. Picture an animation of the R-O-W line, moving at right angles to the line between the two course marks that bound the leg on which you're sailing, and then "turning the corner" and starting down the line between that mark and the next one. Now put your board anywhere along that R-O-W line as it moves. You can move your board downwind or upwind or anywhere in between, but notice how the R-O-W line is always at right angles (90 degrees) to the line between the marks. The angle of your board to the R-O-W line can change but not the angle between the R-O-W line and the line between the marks! When the R-O-W line rotates around the mark, it maintains that same right angle to the mark.

The INSIDE of your sailboard is the side on which your board leaves the next course mark. The OUTSIDE of your board is the other side. If you're sailing a downwind Slalom Race, you start out with the inside of your board on the same side as the next course mark. When you round that mark, the inside of your board switches over to the other side as you head for the next mark. When you round that mark, it switches back to the other side, and so on. If you're sailing a Figure 8 Slalom Race, the Inside-Outside just flops back and forth at each gybe until you're done.

Your sailboard is OVERTAKING from the time you establish an overlap from clear astern until you are clear ahead (if you're on the Outside) or your R-O-W line passes the R-O-W line of the overtaken board (if you're on the Inside).

CHAPTER 2: RULES

The first rule you must know is Rule 13.1:

"When one sailboard is required to keep clear of another, the right-of-way sailboard shall not alter course so as to obstruct the other sailboard while she is keeping clear".

If you're going out from the beach and on a collision course with a board coming in, and that board bears off to avoid a collision, don't alter your course to obstruct the other board, thus causing a collision. Or, if you're on starboard tack (right hand forward on the boom) and you're on a collision course with a port tack board tack (left hand forward on the boom), and that board bears off, don't alter your course to obstruct the other board, thus causing a collision. Or, if you're being overlapped from your outside, and you hail "Coming up!", and the other board alters course to windward, don't you alter your course to obstruct the other board while it's keeping clear, thus causing a collision. You can hail "Coming up!" again and if the other board is maxed out and can't head upwind, then that board must slow down or stop ... but you can't alter your course to obstruct the other board while it's slowing down or stopping, thus causing a collision. Or, if you're being overlapped, and you hail "Bearing off!", and the other board heads off, don't you alter your course to obstruct the other board while it's keeping clear, thus causing a collision. You can hail "Bearing off!" again and if the other board decides that bearing off isn't in its best interest, then that board must slow down or stop ... but you can't alter your course to obstruct the other board while it's slowing down or stopping, thus causing a collision. In other words, this rule does not prevent you, if you have right of way in an overlapping (but not yet overtaken) situation, from exercising your right of way and heading another competitor upwind, or pushing another competitor downwind; but it does prevent you from causing a collision while the other board is keeping clear. If the other board who's required to keep clear doesn't keep clear, you can protest but you can't cause a collision. After all, this is a polite windsurfing race, not a destruction derby.

Rule 13.2 addresses right of way in surf conditions since ocean racing, especially Slalom and Course Slalom, is often held at least partly in the surf. When surf conditions exist,

"A sailboard that is coming in shall keep clear of a sailboard that is going out" and "A port-tack sailboard that is neither going out nor coming in shall keep clear of a starboard-tack sailboard". In all other conditions, "A port-tack sailboard that is neither going out nor coming in shall keep clear of a starboard-tack sailboard".

Just remember, you're going out when you're leaving the beach and you're coming in if you're approaching the beach; you're on a starboard tack if your right hand is nearest the mast and you're on a port tack if your left hand is nearest the mast.

Rule 13.3 replaces the old Rule 41 with its four parts. It simply states,

"Except when gybing around a mark, a sailboard that is either tacking or gybing shall keep clear of a sailboard on a tack".

In other words, look before you change direction and yield right-of-way before making any change" except when gybing around a mark when Rule 13.4 applies. Picture several racers approaching the mark and all initiate their gybe. Now, if you're clear ahead, you have right of way and everyone else must keep clear. If you're not clear ahead, but overlapping, you must keep clear until, if you're on the inside, your r-o-w line passes the r-o-w line of the board you're overtaking OR if you're on the outside, you establish clear ahead. This can all happen while rounding a mark! The amazing thing is that these simple rules cover all situations, both between and at marks!

Rule 13.4 replaces old Rules 37 to 40 and Rule 42. It simply states,

"A sailboard overtaking on the inside shall keep clear of an overtaken sailboard until her right-of-way line is ahead of the right-of-way line of the overtaken sailboard" and "A sailboard overtaking on the outside shall keep clear of an overtaken sailboard throughout the existence of that overlap".

Thus, if you're overtaking on the Outside, you have no rights until you're clear ahead of the Inside board; up until then, the Inside board has right of way and can hail "Coming up!" and head you up! If you're overtaking on the Inside, you have no rights until your R-O-W line passes the R-O-W line of the overtaken board; until then, the board you're overtaking can head you down off the wind. When your R-O-W line passes the overtaken board's R-O-W line however, you can hail "Coming up!" and start to head the other board upwind if you like.

CONCLUSION

FOUR definitions and FOUR rules. That's simple and easy, something novices can understand and experts can appreciate! They cover nearly all situations and do it fairly For those situations not covered, check out RRS. You can see a copy on the Internet at www.sailing.org or www.paw.com/sail/harken .

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