Can a boat get help or coaching during a race?
A · Advanced · The crew, the boat and the event · 12 of 12No.
How it works
The four exceptions:
- help for a crew member who is ill, injured or in danger;
- after a collision, help from the crew of the other vessel to get clear;
- help in the form of information freely available to all boats;
- unsolicited information from a disinterested source, which may be another boat in the same race.
- When it applies: while the boat is racing, which begins at its preparatory signal.
- Equipment: a boat shall use only the equipment on board at its preparatory signal.
- People: nobody on board may intentionally leave, except when ill or injured, to help a person or vessel in danger or to swim. A person who leaves by accident or to swim must be back in contact with the boat before the crew resumes sailing to the next mark.
- Helping others: a boat, competitor or support person shall give all possible help to any person or vessel in danger. A boat that loses places doing so may be given redress.
Tricky cases
A coach shouts a tip about the wind from a launch during the race. Is that allowed?
No. It is help from an outside source. The coach has an interest in the boat, so the exception for a disinterested source does not apply.
A crew member falls overboard and a safety boat lifts them out. Is the boat penalised?
No. Help for a crew member in danger is allowed.
Another competitor calls across that the boat missed a mark. Is that outside help?
No. Unsolicited information from a disinterested source is allowed, and the rule says that source may be another boat in the same race.
Can the crew listen to a public weather forecast while racing?
Yes, if it is information freely available to all boats.
Why the rule exists
The race is between the crews on the boats. A coach in a launch feeding wind readings to one boat would turn it into a contest between support teams. The exceptions keep safety first and allow what every boat could know anyway.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Racing Rules of Sailing | As above | RRS 41; RRS 48 |
| Each event | The notice of race or sailing instructions may change rule 41 | RRS 86.1 (b) |
From the rule book
World Sailing The Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028, rules 1.1, 41, 48 and 61.4 and the Definitions (Racing, Support Person). In force from 1 January 2025. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: The Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 (PDF).