Cruiser racing: the rules of racing 

A guide to some of the basic principles that you need to know when racing.

Racing – the rules

When you are out cruising you tend to stay a safe distance from other cruising yachts (or anything else for that matter), however when you are racing it can be a completely different story. Yachts vying for the competitive edge will jostle for position on the start line and can end up bunched together rounding a mark or when altering course to avoid an obstruction.

The Racing Rules of Sailing provide the detailed structure required for close quarter racing. Yachts that are racing also have to comply with the far reaching International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea (IRPCS), in particular when a yacht racing meets a vessel that is not racing.

It’s not essential to know every rule inside out when you first start racing, however it’s important to have a basic understanding. Some of the smaller guides to the Racing Rules provide a useful overview to get you started, backed up with a copy of the rules in full for when you want or need to know more.

Right of way

Understanding who has right of way in different situations when racing is perhaps the most important aspect of the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) that you need to know. A good understanding will help to keep you out of the protest room, and help you to spot any other yacht that is racing ‘dirty’.

The priorities of who has right of way when racing are covered in Part 2 of the RRS, ‘When Boats Meet’. It provides guidance for a variety of situations over and above the basic principles of Port, Starboard and Windward, Leeward rules.

The following illustrations are a guide to some of the basic principles that you need to know when racing and do not provide a full explanation of the rules.

For more information get yourself a copy of The Racing Rules of Sailing.

On opposite tacks

When boats are on opposite tacks, the port-tack boat keeps clear of the starboard-tack boat, even if the starboard tack boat is also the windward boat. Whereas boats on the same tack, the windward boat keeps clear provided there is an overlap.  

On the same tack, overlapped

When boats are on the same tack and overlapped, a windward boat must keep clear of a leeward boat.

On the same tack, not overlapped

When boats are on the same tack and not overlapped, a boat clear astern shall keep clear of a boat clear ahead.

What is an overlap?

It is important to understand the concept of overlap because it will determine what action boats must take not just when tacking, but also when rounding marks and passing an obstruction.

An overlap is when one boat is not clear astern of another.

Mark rounding

The basic principle when rounding a mark is that the windward boat must keep clear. The outside right-of-way boat must also give the windward boat room to get around the mark.

For boats approaching a windward mark on opposite tacks, the basic rule of port tack boat keeps clear still applies.

If there’s an obstruction, the right-of-way boat must give room to the windward boat. If the obstruction can be passed on either side, the right-of-way boat chooses which side to pass and must give room to allow the other boat to pass the same side.

Other rules in The Racing Rules of Sailing include:

The RRS have been organised so that rules relating to a particular aspect of racing have been grouped together in the different parts:

Part 1: Fundamental Rules – cover the underlying principles such as, safety, fair sailing, acceptance of the rules and the decision to race.

Part 2: When Boats Meet – to determine who has right of way.

Part 3: Conduct of a Race – how a race will be started, what happens if you start too early or the course is changed or shortened during the course of the race.

Part 4: Other Requirements When Racing – mainly relate to people and equipment.

Part 5: Protests, Redress, Hearing, Misconduct and Appeals – the protest procedure.

Part 6: Entry and Qualification – specific requirements for entering a race.

Part 7: Race Organisation – for race organisers and the procedures they must follow in order to conduct a race.

The RRS are revised and published by the International Sailing Federation every four years; the current rules came into effect on 1 January 2009 and are valid until the end of 2012.

Words by Simon & Vicky Jinks, RYA Instructors