How do you win a sailing regatta?
B · Beginner · Racing and scoring · 3 of 5A regatta is a series of races and the lowest total wins. Under the Low Point System first place scores 1 point, second 2 and so on. A boat's series score is the total of its race scores with its worst one left out, unless the event's own rules say otherwise.
How it works
- Points: first 1, second 2, third 3 and one more point for each place after that.
- The series score: the total of a boat's race scores excluding its worst score.
- The winner: the boat with the lowest series score.
- Not finishing: a boat that did not sail the course, retired or was disqualified scores points for the place one more than the number of boats entered in the series.
- How many races: the number scheduled, and the number needed to make a series, are stated in the notice of race or sailing instructions.
- Entered once, scored throughout: a boat that has entered any race in a series is scored for the whole series.
- When a race counts: if it is not abandoned and one boat sails the course within the time limit, if there is one.
- A score that cannot be dropped: a disqualification marked DNE always counts in the series score.
Tricky cases
Can a boat win a regatta without winning a race?
Yes. The series goes to the lowest total, so steady second and third places can beat a boat with wins and bad days.
Is the worst race always dropped?
No. That is the default. The notice of race or sailing instructions may say that no score is excluded, that two or more are, or that a discard comes in only after a set number of races.
In a 30-boat series, what does a disqualified boat score?
31 points: the finishing place one more than the number of boats entered in the series.
A boat missed two races entirely. Is it out of the results?
No. It is scored for the whole series, with points for each race it did not come to.
Why the rule exists
Wind shifts, and one bad race can come from luck. Racing many times and dropping the worst result rewards the crew that sails well most often. Counting places and not times means a race in light wind weighs the same as one in a gale.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Racing Rules of Sailing | As above | RRS A2; RRS A4; RRS A5 |
| If the event says rule A5.3 applies | A boat that came to the starting area but did not finish scores one more than the number that came to the starting area | RRS A5.3 |
| Any event | The notice of race or sailing instructions may specify another scoring system | RRS 90.3 (a) |
| Olympic medal races | The format is set by event documents, not by this rule book | Not read |
From the rule book
World Sailing The Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028, rule 90.3 and Appendix A, rules A1 to A6. In force from 1 January 2025. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: The Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 (PDF).