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Racing Rules

The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) governs the sport of sailboat, sailboard and kite board racing.
It is revised and published every four years by World Sailing.
The 2025-2028 version is available here.
All rule references within the ‘Blue Book’ are bookmarked allowing for easy navigation throughout the publication.

FUNDAMENTAL RULES

1. A boat, competitor or support person shall give all possible help to any person or vessel in danger.
2. A boat shall carry adequate life-saving equipment for all persons on board, including one item ready for immediate use, unless her class rules make some other provision. Each competitor is individually responsible for wearing a personal flotation device adequate for the conditions.
3. A boat and her owner shall compete in compliance with recognized principles of sportsmanship and fair play. A boat may be penalized under this rule only if it is clearly established that these principles have been violated. The penalty shall be a disqualification that is not excludable.
4. The responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in a race or to continue racing is hers alone.
5. Each competitor, owner and crew agree to be bound by the rules

The Racing Rules Applied (RRS Part2 Section A, B, C & D)

The following images explain the fundamentals whilst racing.
All boats at all times should take steps to avoid collisions whoever has right of way.

10. Opposite Tacks

When sailboats are on opposite tacks, the port tack boat must keep clear of the starboard tack boat.

11. On the same tack, overlapped

On the same tack and overlapped, the windward boat must keep clear of the leeward boat.

12. On the same tack, NOT overlapped

On the same tack and not overlapped, the boat clear astern must keep clear of the boat clear ahead. Any vessel overtaking another shall keep clear.

13. While Tacking

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.

14. Avoiding contact

If reasonably possible, a boat shall (a) avoid contact with another boat, (b) not cause contact between boats, and (c) not cause contact between a boat and an object that should be avoided. However, a right-of-way boat, or one sailing within the room or mark-room to which she is entitled, need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room.

15. Acquiring right of way

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.

16. Changing course

When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boats room to keep clear. 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.

17. On the same tack; proper course

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.

18. Rounding a Mark

When boats are overlapped approaching a turning mark, the outside boat must give the inside boat enough room to round, provided that the overlap was established before the lead boat entered the 3 boat-length zone. This rule does not apply at a starting mark as boats are approaching the start. The inside overlap boat does not have rights to room at the starting mark. This rule does apply at the finishing mark. A boat that has established inside overlap prior to the 3-boat-length zone must be given room to finish.

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