SportsMaze

The rare cases people argue about

Rare situations, and the ones people argue about.

A · Advanced · 12 rules · Step 3 of 4

Racing and scoring

  1. What happens when boats are level on points?A tie on series points is broken by comparing the boats' race scores from best to worst.

The start and running a race

  1. Why do sailing races get postponed or abandoned?A postponed race is delayed before its start and may be started later.
  2. Can the course be changed while a race is going on?Yes.

When boats meet

  1. Can a boat sail anywhere it likes to block another boat?Mostly yes, with one limit.
  2. What happens when boats meet near the shore or another obstacle?At an obstruction, an outside boat must give an overlapped inside boat room to pass between it and the obstruction.
  3. Are there boats that lose their rights or must be left alone?Yes.

Penalties and protests

  1. Can a boat take a points penalty instead of doing turns?Only if the event's rules say so.
  2. What happens at a sailing protest hearing?A protest committee hears both boats and their witnesses, finds the facts on the balance of probabilities, applies the rules and decides.
  3. What can a boat do if its race was spoiled through no fault of its own?It can ask for redress.
  4. Can a boat break a rule and not be penalised?Yes, in three cases.
  5. Can a sailor be punished for unsporting behaviour?Yes.

The crew, the boat and the event

  1. Can a boat get help or coaching during a race?No.
Officials' detail · 3 rulesNext: officials' detail rules