Racing Rules for Beginners
The Work of a Lifetime
Understanding the intricacies of sailing racing rules can take a lifetime to master. The rule book is extensive, and applying those rules in the dynamic environment of a race requires both knowledge and experience.
However, every seasoned sailor started with the fundamentals. So, while a deep understanding develops over time, grasping the basic right-of-way rules is essential for safe and enjoyable sailing from the very beginning.
The core rules are crucial for preventing collisions and fostering fair competition on the water.
Avoiding Collisions
Rules 10, 11 and 14 establish a hierarchy of responsibility, determining who must “give way” (change course to avoid a collision) and who has the “right of way” (the privilege to maintain their course).
Key definitions
- Stand-on Vessel: The boat with the right of way. It maintains its course and speed.
- Give-way Vessel: The boat that must take action to avoid a collision.
- Starboard Tack: The wind is coming over the starboard (right) side of the boat.
- Port Tack: The wind is coming over the port (left) side of the boat.
- Keep Clear: A general term meaning to avoid a collision by a safe margin.
- Clear Astern/Ahead: One boat is clear astern of another when her hull and equipment in normal position are behind a line abeam from the aftermost point of the other boat’s hull and equipment in normal position. The other boat is clear ahead. Note: Include rudder and any bowsprit when determining the aftermost and forwardmost points of a boat.
- Overlapped: Boats overlap when neither is clear astern. However, they also overlap when a boat between them overlaps both.
Rule 10: Opposite Tacks (Port and Starboard)
10. When sailboats are on opposite tacks, the boat on port tack must keep clear of the boat on starboard tack.
This rule applies when two sailboats are approaching each other on opposite tacks. Starboard tack boat has right of way. If you’re on port tack, you must give way. If you are on starboard tack and it looks like a boat on port tack will collide with you, yell loudly “Starboard!” to alert another boat that you are on the starboard tack and have the right-of-way.
Rule 11: Same Tack, Overlapped
11. When sailboats are on the same tack and overlapped, the windward boat (the boat closer to the wind) must keep clear of the leeward boat (the boat further from the wind).
“Leeward has right of way.” If you are upwind and overlapped by another boat on the same tack, you must give way.
Rule 14: Avoiding Contact
14. A boat shall avoid a collision and avoid causing other boats to collide. If avoidance is not possible, a boat shall minimize contact.
This is a fundamental safety rule that applies regardless of other right-of-way rules. Even if you have the right of way, you must take action to avoid a collision if it’s clear the other boat isn’t going to give way. This rule emphasizes common sense and safety above all else.
Important note: Even if you are the stand on boat, you still have the responsibility to avoid a collision. You can, and should, take action to avoid a collision if it is clear that the give way vessel is not.
Putting it all together
- First, determine if the boats are on opposite tacks (Rule 10).
- If they’re on the same tack, determine if they’re overlapped (Rule 11).
- Regardless of the other rules, always remember to avoid collisions (Rule 14).
Practical Tips
Practice Identifying Tacks: Get comfortable quickly determining whether you and other boats are on port or starboard tack.
Overlapped or Overlapping: Know when another boat overlaps you by coming from behind or when you overlap another boat in front of you.
Look Around Frequently: Maintain situational awareness to anticipate potential collisions.
Communicate: If you’re unsure about who has the right of way, communicate with the other boat. A simple “starboard?” can prevent a lot of confusion.
When in doubt, give way: It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Take a sailing course: Nothing beats hands-on experience and instruction from a certified instructor.
Right of Way
Rule 12: On Same Tack, Not Overlapped
12. When boats are on the same tack and not overlapped, a boat clear astern shall keep clear of a boat clear ahead.
If you are sailing behind another boat on the same tack, and no part of your boat is alongside theirs (you are not overlapped), you must keep out of their way. The boat in front has the right of way over you.
Rule 13: While Tacking or Gybing
13. After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11 and 12 do not apply. If two boats are subject to this rule at the same time, the one on the other’s port side or the one astern shall keep clear.
When you are turning your boat through the eye of the wind (tacking), from the moment your bow crosses the wind until you are sailing properly upwind on the new tack, you have no right of way over any other boat. You must stay out of everyone else’s way during that specific period. Once you are properly sailing on your new course, the normal rules apply again.
Rule 15. Acquiring Right of Way
15. When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat’s actions.
If you do something (like tack or pull alongside) that suddenly makes you the right-of-way boat, you have to give the other boat a fair chance (time and space) to see what happened and start getting out of your way. You can’t just instantly claim your space if they haven’t had time to react.
Rule 16. Keeping Clear when Changing Course
16.1 When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear.
16.2 In addition, on a beat to windward when a port-tack boat is keeping clear by sailing to pass to leeward of a starboard-tack boat, the starboard-tack boat shall not bear away if as a result the port-tack boat must change course immediately to continue keeping clear.
If you have the right of way and decide to turn or alter your course, you can’t just swing aggressively into the path of the boat that’s supposed to be avoiding you. You must make your course change in a way that still allows them the space and time needed to maneuver out of your way.
Rule 17. Same Tack Proper Course
17. If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of her hull lengths to leeward of a boat on the same tack, she shall not sail above her proper course while they remain on the same tack and overlapped within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat.
If you come up from behind someone on the same tack and get alongside them (overlapped) to leeward and very close (within two boat lengths), you can’t immediately start heading way up into the wind just because you are now the leeward, right-of-way boat. You must stick to the course you would normally sail to get to the next mark fastest, as long as you remain that close and overlapped.
Marks and Obstructions
Once you are familiar with Rules 10 through 17 you can move on to understanding the rules covering Marks and Obstructions (Rules 18-20).
The right-of-way rules change significantly at marks and obstructions due to the introduction of Rule 18: Mark-Room; Room to Pass an Obstruction, Rule 19: Room to Tack at an Obstruction and Rule 20: Room to Tack at a Mark. These rules modify or even override the fundamental right-of-way rules (Rules 10, 11, 12, and 13) to ensure safe and fair rounding of marks and passage of obstructions.
Sailing is a fantastic sport, and understanding these right-of-way rules will help you by making your sailing safer and more enjoyable.