A Few Basic Rules For Safe, Fun Sailboat Racing
Published: Sunday, April 1, 2012 7:00 am
By: Ken Quant, Broad Reach Marketing
If you ever thought about entering a sailboat race but decided against it because you were intimidated by the rules, stop worrying. You don’t need to know everything about the sailboat racing rules to go out and have fun and be safe. By reading and understanding a few basic rules and terms you should be able to get around the course without fouling another boat or causing an accident.
One of the fleets I race in is a very social Friday evening group that actively encourages people to try racing for the first time. To aid in this, I created a list of the “Basic Rules Every Racer Should Know.” It covers only the most basic terms and situations, and was created to encourage confidence in anyone thinking about trying their first race. It uses plain language descriptions, simple diagrams, and is designed to make sure anyone willing to try racing can be safe.
Overview:
In sailboat racing there are no out-of-bounds lines on the floor, or referees to call fouls. The rules are self-enforced and administered within the fleet. The specifics of the official U.S. Sailing Racing Rules are mind-numbingly detailed and written to cover all potential incidents based on past experience. Each rule is implemented for a very specific reason, but in reality most of them will never be used by the casual racer. So don’t worry about the details, to get started just learn these simplified concepts and rules and go out and have fun.
That all said, these rules should only be thought of as a beginning! To get an official copy of the complete rules, join US Sailing at www.ussailing.org. Members receive an official copy of the complete and current rules as a membership benefit. For a more thorough, plain-language discussion of the rules, look into purchasing Dave Perry’s book entitled “Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing” at the same site.
To download a pdf version of these simplified rules, go to: www.broadreachmarketing.net/rules.php.
