Sailing rules, for watching
Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.
Settling an argument? Search all 31 rules
- When has a sailing boat started, and when has it finished?
- What does a boat have to do to complete the course?
- What happens if a boat touches a mark?
- How do you win a sailing regatta?
- What do DNF, OCS, BFD and the other letters mean in sailing results?
- What happens when boats are level on points?
- How does a sailing race start?
- What happens if a boat is over the line at the start?
- What do the I, Z, U and black flags mean at a start?
- Why do sailing races get postponed or abandoned?
- Can the course be changed while a race is going on?
- Who has right of way when two sailing boats are on opposite tacks?
- Who has right of way when two boats are on the same tack?
- Does a boat lose its rights while it is tacking?
- Is a right-of-way boat allowed to hit a boat that gets in its way?
- Can a boat sail anywhere it likes to block another boat?
- Who gets to go inside at a mark?
- What happens when boats meet near the shore or another obstacle?
- Are there boats that lose their rights or must be left alone?
- Why do sailing boats spin in circles after an incident?
- Can a boat take a points penalty instead of doing turns?
- How does one boat protest another in sailing?
- What happens at a sailing protest hearing?
- What can a boat do if its race was spoiled through no fault of its own?
- Can a boat break a rule and not be penalised?
- Can a sailor be punished for unsporting behaviour?
- Can sailors rock or pump the boat to go faster?
- Can a boat get help or coaching during a race?
- Do sailors have to wear life jackets when racing?
- Are there rules about what sailors wear and how they sit out?
- Who runs a sailing race, and which rules apply at an event?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| RRS plus rule number | World Sailing The Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 (156 pages), in force from 1 January 2025. Race Signals, Introduction, Definitions, Basic Principles and Parts 1 to 7 (rules 1 to 92), read in full. "RRS Definitions (Zone)" points to a definition; "RRS A4", "RRS P2" and "RRS T1" are rules in Appendices A, P and T |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
All checked on 14 October 2026. Read in full: Appendix A (scoring), Appendix P (special procedures for rule 42) and Appendix T (arbitration). Not covered: Appendix B (windsurfing fleet racing), C (match racing), D (team racing), E (radio sailing), F (kiteboarding), G (identification on sails, beyond its first rule), H (weighing clothing), J (contents of the notice of race and sailing instructions), M (recommendations for protest committees), N (international juries), R (appeal procedures) and S (standard sailing instructions); the Case Book, the Call Books and the Interpretations of Rule 42; the Equipment Rules of Sailing and all class rules; the World Sailing Regulations; the Olympic event formats and medal races.
The flag pictures on the inside cover do not come through in the text file. The meanings of the signals do. Where a page describes what a flag looks like, that is from general knowledge and marked C.
Not covered: Appendix B (windsurfing fleet racing), C (match racing), D (team racing), E (radio sailing), F (kiteboarding), G (identification on sails, beyond its first rule), H (weighing clothing), J (contents of the notice of race and sailing instructions), M (recommendations for protest committees), N (international juries), R (appeal procedures) and S (standard sailing instructions); the Case Book, the Call Books and the Interpretations of Rule 42; the Equipment Rules of Sailing and all class rules; the World Sailing Regulations; the Olympic event formats and medal races.