Model boats use the same ISAF rules that big boats use, modified by Appendix E for model boats. The most common US book for interpretation of rules is "Racing Rules of Sailing" by Dave Perry, published by US Sailing (800) 877-2451 for $25, or available at most West Marine stores around town. All owners that race should be familiar with intrepretations, which are what the rules are addressing and what they really mean.
The complete set of ISAF 2001 - 2004 Racing Rules can be printed from the selections below. Definitions are the keys to understanding the meaning of all the rules, especially the definition "keep clear". Appendix E is the rule modifications for radio controlled boats.
2001 - 2004 RACING RULES OF SAILING
Most club racers don't know the right of way rules well. However, most sailboat racing proceeds fairly smoothly because sailors typically avoid protests when the're unsure of their rights. Even when they protest, they often decide against the time consuming, contentious process of following through with a protest.
Yet, any time a fleet gets bigger and more competitive, the close boat contact and general lack of rules knowledge causes the quality of racing to suffer. That's probably the big factor that limits the size of fleets.
We are in the bigger, more competitive fleet category, complete with beginner through experienced skippers. Without a lot of individual self discipline and patience, racing can become quite contentious and unpleasant. Our solution has been to first warn, and then to ask the ones that cannot control their temper and arguing to no longer sail with us.
At first the racing rules seem pretty complex, and they are. But, understanding them is like riding a bicycle for the first time where you have to use both hands and both feet at the same time while trying to stay balanced. Like bike riding, once you "get it", the rules start to make sense.
In order to address the rules needs for the different levels of model sailboat racing, a basic set follows to get the Beginner skipper in the mix with the most basic rules, and a simplified set for the Intermediate skipper. The Experienced skipper should be following all the rules and should be familiar with his own copy of "PERRY'S". Once you get your boatspeed up and are in competition for first place, you should be making an effort to learn the rules on the Experienced skipper level.
The Basic and Simplified sets of rules for Beginner and Intermediate skippers follow. The intermediate set has some commentary that is paraphrased from PERRY'S. If you want a set of basic rules., click here and make yourself a copy. If you want a set of simplified rules without the commentary, click here and make yourself a copy.
Skippers that choose to not make the effort to learn the rules are disadvantaged. Having to accept race rule opinions of others on-the-water can be frustrating, especially if the others do not have it quite right. From observing on-the-water exchanges, it appears the one that thinks he knows the rule often gets it wrong. Without meaningful discussion, it just gets left there.
Learning the rules can be fun, and will certianly make your racing more fun. On-the-water exchanges don't have to be '"heated" or intimidating. These basic and simplified rules are about as easy as it gets. Check out where they come from by comparing them with the 2001 - 2004 RACING RULES OF SAILING available above.
Fundamentals: Avoid collisions whenever possible.
1. Opposite Tacks: Starboard has the right of way.
2. Same Tack: Leeward or clear ahead have the right of way.
3. Changing Tacks Boats tacking or jibing keep clear.
4. Limits: Right-of-way boats changing course or when gaining right of way must at first give others room to keep clear.
5. Giving Room Except at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water, outside boats must give room to those inside at a mark or obstruction.
6. At windward marks, Rule 1 (not Rule 5) applies to boats beating on opposite tacks.
Important Definitions that Define the Rules:
"Keep Clear" When the boats are overlapped on the same tack, the leeward boat must be able to change course in both directions without immediately making contact with the windward boat. Otherwise the windward boat is not "keeping clear". A windward boat sailing hull to hull with a leeward boat is not "keeping clear" per rule 11 and can be protested to do 360 penalty turn.
"Leeward and Windward" When sailing directly downwind, a boat's leeward side is the side on which her mainsail lies. The other side is her windward side. In all other sailing directions the wind direction determines the windward and leeward boats.
"Clear Astern and Clear Ahead" On the same tack, one boat is clear astern of another when she is behind an imaginary line perpendicular to the other boat's centerline at it's stern. The other boat is clear ahead. An overlap can be broken if the windward boat turns head to wind enough for her imaginary perpendicular stern line to no longer be penetrated by the leeward boat. You can end a leeward boat's luffing rights by breaking the overlap. See 17.1 and 17.2 commentary
10. When boats are on 'opposite tacks', a port-tack boat shall "keep clear" of a starboard-tack boat.
11. When boats are on the 'same tack' and "overlapped", a windward boat shall "keep clear" of a leeward boat.
12. When boats are on the 'same tack' and not "overlapped", a boat "clear astern" shall "keep clear" of a boat "clear ahead".
13. While tacking, from the time a boat passes 'head to wind' until she is 'close hauled', she has no rights under rules 10, 11, and 12. If any boat has to alter course to avoid her, she has fouled them and must do a penalty turn.
14. A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. Avoidable contact requires a penalty turn by the boat making contact. An exception is a 'right-of-way' boat or one entitled to 'room' need not act to avoid a collision until it is clear the other boat is not "keeping clear" or giving 'room'.
15. When a boat aquires 'right-of-way', she shall 'initally' give the other boat 'room' to "keep clear".
16.1 When a 'right-of-way' boat changes course (to luff, etc.) she shall give the other boat 'room' to "keep clear". A verbal warning is usual - "coming up!"
17.1 On the 'same tack',(Applies on a beat to windward) if a boat "clear astern" gains an 'overlap' to leeward, within six feet (two boat lengths) of a boat she is passing, she shall not sail above her 'proper course' (straight line to the next mark) while they remain overlapped and within six feet (two boat lengths) of each other.
17.2 (Does not apply on a beat to windward) On the 'same tack', while a boat being passed is within six feet (two hull lengths) of an overlapped leeward boat, or a boat 'clear astern' and steering to pass on the leeward, she shall not sail below her 'proper course'.
17.1 and 17.2 are passing rules that give obligations and rights to both boats when passing is done on the leeward side. 17.1 applies to the boat that is passing to on the leeward side. 17.2 applies to the boat being passed on the leeward side. A boat passing on the windward side has no 'proper course' protection (rules 17.1 and 17.2 do not apply) and can be luffed as high and far as the leeward boat chooses.
The leeward boat in the preceeding paragraph has to stop luffing (because she is about to round or pass a mark - rule 18) at 12 feet (the four boat circle) from an offwind mark (does not apply to the upwind mark as the windward boat will be the outside boat) and head directly to the mark. In that situation, if the windward boat had an overlap when the leeward boat reached the four boat circle, the leeward boat must give 'room'.
Also, the passing rules do not apply if the overlap does not come from 'clear astern' or if the overlap occurred when the boats were more than 2 boat lengths apart.
In addition, if a boat passing to windward (without rights) is able to luff up and break the overlap (See the example in the "clear ahead"-"clear astern" definition), then the windward boat becomes "clear ahead", and when the windward boat turns back down to the next mark, the leeward boat will establish an overlap from clear astern, and can no longer luff the windward boat per rule 17.1. Both boats then become bound by rules 17.1. and 17.2, except this time the leeward boat is passing.
18. (Room at the Mark) When two boats are 'overlapped' (as port and starboard or as windward and leeward) at the time the first of the two reach the four boat circle (12 feet from the mark), the outside boat shall give the inside boat 'room' to round or pass the mark.
At an offwind mark, rule 18 does apply to both 'overlapped' port and starboard boats and 'overlapped' same tack windward and leeward boats. Rule 18 does not apply to 'overlapped' port and starboard boats at a windward mark, but it does apply to 'overlapped', same tack, windward and leeward boats at a windward mark.
On downwind legs to the downwind mark, boats will approach the mark on both port and starboard tacks and as same tack boats, windward and leeward. Prior to reaching the 4 boat circle, 12 feet from the mark, the starboard boats can push port boats all over the course and leeward boats with luffing rights can push windward boats all over the course. However, when the first of the overlapped boats reaches the 4 boat circle, rule 18 says she 'is about to round or pass a mark', and can no longer luff or use the port-starboard right-of-way priviledge and has to head directly to the mark, allowing 'room' if there is an overlap. The rule 18 limitations stay in place until the last boat in the overlap clears the mark to stern, and then the right-of-way rights can resume.
If an overlap at the 4 boat circle is broken before the mark is reached, the outside boat still has to give room. If the lead boat is "clear ahead" at the 'four boat circle' and an inside overlap is established after the four boat circle is past, no room has to be given. (just say "no room!") If they try to squeeze through anyway and hit you, they owe you a penalty turn under rule 18. If they are able to squeeze through without hitting you, there is no foul.
Rule 18.2(e) If there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, it shall be presumed she did not. If the outside boat is unable to give room to an overlapped boat, rule 18 does not apply.
Rule 18.1(a) says rule 18 does not apply at the starting mark. A leeward boat does not have to give windward boats room to pass between her and the starting mark. A boat trying to squeeze inside at the start is "barging" and can be denied room. If they persist and hit you or cause you to alter course to avoid hitting them, they have fouled and owe you a penalty turn per rule 18.1(a).
The "anti-barging" provision of 18.1(a) applies at starting, but does not apply at the Finish. The basic rule 18 applies to the finish. A boat "barging" to finish has to be given "room" provided there was an overlap at the four boat circle. Under steady wind conditions, the boat barging to finish will almost always have an overlap at the four boat circle.
22.1 If reasonably possible, a boat not racing shall not intefere with a boat that is racing. This means sail away from the finish line when you have finished so your wind shadow or presence does not affect the finishing boats' progress or manuverability. A protest is usually not considered unless a finished boat's presence caused a subsequent finisher to lose a position on her finish. In that case a protest will result in a DSQ.
61.(Protest Procedures) If you have the right-of-way and another boat makes you change course to avoid hitting her, she has broken a rule. You must tell her this by protesting. Hail loudly enough for the other skipper to hear "(your boat number) protests (their boat number)".
Usually you are close enough to just say "(whoever), you owe me a penalty turn". If the other boat does not do her 360 penalty turn, and you choose to follow through with the protest, notify the Race Committee immediately after the race that you are protesting, and the Race Committee will hold a hearing after the races at which both skippers will have an opportunity to tell their stories "briefly" (one minute, and an additional minute for cross examination) and then the RC will consider the case and make a decision.
If you push your position on the racecourse, even though you are in the right, and get tangled up in a situation where the other guy has to do his 360, most of the time, you will end up losing several positions, and sometimes come in dead last behind the guy who fouled you and did his 360. The more consistent sailors often just forgo their rights in a crowd and just go around.
If you are in doubt as to who has the right-of-way, consider giving way. You could be wrong and could unecessarily cause your victim, who might have the right-of-way, to lose several places.
When you are confident that you are right and the other boat refuses to do his penalty turn, It may be better to forgo the formal protest procedure and discuss the issue with the other guy after the day's racing. That's your choice. You are welcome to bring it to the RC for an informal advisory decision. You can also bring it to the Race Committee as a Protest, and a Protest Hearing will be held.
Remember, above all, this is fun and these are friends. Leave your yelling, temper and bad manners at home, or better still, at work.
We will be guests at most of the places we will sail this year. There will be lots of little kids hanging on every word they hear from the skippers of "the boats of their dreams". Please leave your language at home too so the mommas and pappas will welcome our return. We also need to make sure we leave the places cleaner than when we came for the same reason.
Any boat can sail in any way or direction that they please. It is only when a boat hits another or causes a right-of-way boat to have to alter course to avoid them, that a foul occurs.
A leeward boat, prior to the start may sail as high as 'head to wind' to luff a windward boat across the start line early. A leeward boat may also luff as high as 'head to wind' at any time to prevent a "barger" from slipping inside the starting mark.
On the downwind leg, boats may be on both starboard and port tacks. Outside the four boat circle, encounters by port and starboard boats are governed by rule 10 only, 'port' has to "keep clear" of 'starboard'. All of the other rules like proper course and leeward boat priviledges do not apply. Approaching the mark, as soon as the 12 foot circle is reached, 'keep clear' still applies but port-starboard rights end until the last boat in an overlap clears the mark to stern.
Same tack luffing rights also end at the four boat circle going to the downwind mark.
Same tack luffing rights do not end at the four boat circle going to the windward mark.
On a downwind leg, if a port tack boat reaches the 12 foot circle 'clear ahead' of a starboard tack boat, the starboard tack boat has to 'keep clear' of the port tack boat until the mark has been passed by both boats.
When a boat tacks directly in front of another that is on the opposite tack, if the tacking boat can make it around to pointing in the direction of the new tack, even though the sails are not sheeted in and/or there is little or no boatspeed, no foul has occurred if the approaching boat is still clear astern. The approaching boat, moving at a faster speed will probably have to alter course to avoid hitting the newly tacked boat, but has to do it to "keep clear" under rule 12. If the tacking boat is not able to get to the new tack position before the approaching boat has to alter course to avoid a collision, then the tacking boat has fouled under rule 13.
Under rules 17.1 1nd 17.2, offwind starts on the same tack become real messy. As most of the starters are trying to slip in from a reach to the most windward starting mark, the leeward boats (all of the starters but one) may have luffing rights on the boats to windward of them because "the overlap was not gained from 'clear astern'" as called for in rules 17.1 and 17.2. Only if you were watching how the overlap occurred, and it did come from 'clear astern', would the leeward boat be limited to sail no higher than his 'proper course' to the next mark. The racing begins and the racing rules start at the preparatory signal, one minute to Mark. For rules 17 to apply, an overlap must be established from clear astern within that minute. Usually not likely.
Racing begins and the racing rules start at the preparatory signal, one minute to Mark. A foul that occurs prior to one minute to mark, does not require a penalty turn (excuse me is fine), and a foul between one minute to mark and the start does require a penalty turn.