For sailors racing under Australian Sailing's Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 (with Australian Sailing prescriptions), all ages. Covers right of way, marks, starts, penalty turns, touching marks, protests and hearings.
When boats are on opposite tacks, a port-tack boat must keep clear of a starboard-tack boat (rule 10).
A boat has right of way when the other boat is required to keep clear of her. The Part 2 rules apply between boats that are sailing in or near the racing area and intend to race, are racing, or have been racing. Some rules in Sections B, C and D limit the actions of a right-of-way boat.
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, Part 2 introduction and rule 10.
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rules 11, 12 and 17.
While tacking (rule 13): after a boat passes head to wind she must 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 keeps clear.
Changing course (rule 16.1): when a right-of-way boat changes course, she must give the other boat room to keep clear.
Beating to windward (rule 16.2): when a port-tack boat is keeping clear by passing to leeward of a starboard-tack boat, the starboard-tack boat must not bear away if that would force the port-tack boat to change course immediately to keep clear.
Acquiring right of way (rule 15): when you gain right of way, you must at first give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she gained it through the other boat's own actions.
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rules 13, 15 and 16.
Yes, in most cases. If reasonably possible, a boat shall avoid contact with another boat, not cause contact between boats, and not cause contact between a boat and an object that should be avoided.
A right-of-way boat, or one sailing within the room or mark-room she is entitled to, need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room.
A boat not racing can only be penalised for breaking rule 14 when the incident resulted in injury or serious damage. A boat that causes injury or serious damage has, as her penalty, to retire (rule 44.1(b)).
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rules 14, 44.1 and the Part 2 preamble.
Rule 18 applies when boats are required to leave a mark on the same side and at least one of them is in the zone (the area within three hull lengths of the mark). It does not apply between boats on opposite tacks on a beat to windward, between a boat approaching a mark and one leaving it, or when the mark is a continuing obstruction (rule 19 applies then).
When the first of two boats reaches the zone:
The boat required to give mark-room keeps doing so for as long as the rule applies, even if the overlap is later broken or a new one begins. If there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, it is presumed she did not.
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rule 18 and the definition of Zone.
Individual recall (rule 29.1): if any part of your hull is on the course side of the starting line at your starting signal, the race committee promptly displays flag X with one sound. It stays up until each such boat has returned completely to the pre-start side, but no later than four minutes after the starting signal (or one minute before a later start, if earlier).
General recall (rule 29.2): if the committee cannot identify the boats over the line, or there was an error in the starting procedure, it may signal a general recall (First Substitute with two sounds). The warning signal for the new start is one minute after the First Substitute is removed.
Starting penalty flags (rule 30):
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rules 29 and 30.
A boat shall sail the course, and may correct any errors in sailing the course as long as she has not finished.
While racing, a boat shall not touch a starting mark before starting, a mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg she is sailing, or a finishing mark after finishing. The penalty available for touching a mark is a One-Turn Penalty.
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rules 28, 31 and 44.1.
A boat may take a Two-Turns Penalty when she may have broken a Part 2 rule in an incident while racing. She may take a One-Turn Penalty when she may have broken rule 31 (touching a mark). The notice of race or sailing instructions may instead specify a Scoring Penalty or another penalty, which then replaces the turns.
To take the penalty, get well clear of other boats as soon after the incident as possible, then promptly make the required number of turns in the same direction. Each turn includes one tack and one gybe. If you take the penalty at or near the finishing line, your hull must be completely on the course side of the line before you finish.
If a boat broke both a Part 2 rule and rule 31 in the same incident, she need not take the penalty for rule 31. If she caused injury or serious damage, or gained a significant advantage in the race or series despite taking a penalty, her penalty is to retire.
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rule 44.1 and 44.2.
If the protest is about an incident you saw in the racing area, hail "Protest" at the first reasonable opportunity. If your boat is longer than 6 metres, also conspicuously display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity, and keep it displayed until you are no longer racing.
If the other boat is not within hailing distance, the incident was an error in sailing the course, or you did not see it in the racing area, you only need to inform the other boat of your intention to protest at the first reasonable opportunity.
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rule 60.2.
A protest must be in writing and identify the protestor, the protestee and the incident. Deliver it to the race office (or as the sailing instructions say) within the protest time limit, unless the protest committee decides there is good reason to extend it.
The time limit is two hours after the last boat in the race finishes for an incident observed in the racing area, or two hours after the relevant information is available for other protests. If the sailing instructions state a different time limit, that applies instead.
A protest is invalid if, among other things, it does not comply with the definition of Protest or rules 60.2 or 60.3, or if a boat alleges a breach of a Part 2 rule or rule 31 but was not involved in the incident or did not see it.
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rules 60.3 and 60.4.
All parties to a hearing must be:
If a party does not come to the hearing, the protest committee may proceed without them. The committee may combine hearings from the same or closely connected incidents.
A boat is only penalised at a protest hearing to which she is a party (or under rules 62.4, 64 or 69, or a rule that expressly allows a penalty without a hearing). If the committee decides a boat broke a rule, it disqualifies her whether or not that rule was mentioned in the protest, unless she is exonerated, another penalty applies or she has already taken an applicable penalty.
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rules 60.5 and 63.1 to 63.2.
A boat must have a person in charge on board, designated by the member or organisation that entered the boat.
Under Australian Sailing's prescription to rule 46, all persons on board while racing must be members of a club affiliated to Australian Sailing and have an Australian Sailing number, or hold a valid Sail Pass, or (for an international competitor) be a member of a club affiliated to a World Sailing recognised Member National Authority.
Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rule 46.