Before starting this article I think that the most important rule of them all is this one.

 

Aerial Protection

A boat and her owner shall compete in compliance with recognized principles of sportsmanship and fair play. A boat may be penalized under this rule only if it is clearly established that these principles have been violated. A disqualification under this rule shall not be excluded from the boat's series score. (RRS 2)

 

Transmitter aerial extremity shall be adequately protected (RRS E1.5)

You can buy one from most RC suppliers or use your creativity and find anything that will make the end of the aerial visible and safe (ie buy a Kinder egg and use the plastic inner egg as protective item)

 

Contact

We’ve all spent money and time to prepare our boat and the last thing we want is to see it damaged in a collision with another boat. So Avoid contact at all time.

A boat must avoid contact with another boat where ever possible. (RRS 14)

 

Penalties

Be a “man” and take the penalty. Should you break any rule from the RRS you should perform one of the following action :

A boat that may have broken a rule of Part 2 while racing may take a penalty at the time of the incident. After getting well clear of other boats as soon after the incident as possible, a boat takes a 720º Turns Penalty by promptly making two complete 360º turns (720º) in the same direction, including two tacks and two gybes. When a boat takes the penalty at or near the finishing line, she shall sail completely to the course side of the line before finishing. (RRS 44.1 & 2)

While racing a boat shall not touch a racing mark. Should a boat touch a racing mark , the boat must take a penalty by making on complete 360º turn including one tack and one gybe (RRS 31)

 

Port - Startboard

Probably the most known racing rule. But nevertheless we keep on seen boats / skippers braking this rule.

When boats are on opposite tacks, a port-tack (wind filling from left side of the boat) boat shall keep clear of a starboard-tack (wind filling from the right side of the boat) boat. (RRS 10)

When boats are on the same tack and overlapped (one boat’s bow engaged on the stern of another boat), a windward boat shall keep clear of a leeward boat. (RRS 11)

When boats are on the same tack and not overlapped, a boat clear astern shall keep clear of a boat clear ahead. (RRS 12)

So if you are behind another boat and on a collision course with that boat you must take evasive action (ie tack or bear-away)

 

Tacking

After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11 and 12 do not apply. If two boats are subject to this rule at the same time, the one on the other's port side shall keep clear. (RRS 13)

Basically stay clear of other boats while tacking.

 

Mark rounding

When boats are overlapped the outside boat shall give the inside boat room to round or pass the mark or obstruction, and if the inside boat has right of way the outside boat shall also keep clear. Other parts of rule 18 contain exceptions to this rule. (RRS 18.2)

All racing marks except those used for the start and finish lines have a “ 4 boat lengths zone” which determine the overlap between boats. So if you are the boat closest to the mark, and your bow has passed a 90 degree line from the stern of an outside boat, you should hail the skippers of the boats outside you for room to round the mark.

 

Obstacles

When safety requires a close-hauled boat to make a substantial course change to avoid an obstruction and she intends to tack, but cannot tack and avoid another boat on the same tack, she shall hail for room to do so. Before tacking she shall give the hailed boat time to respond. The hailed boat shall either (a) tack as soon as possible, in which case the hailing boat shall also tack as soon as possible, or (b) immediately reply 'You tack', in which case the hailing boat shall tack as soon as possible and the hailed boat shall give room, and rules 10 and 13 do not apply. (RRS 19.1)

So if you are in a collision course with an obstacle and you need room to tack to clear this obstacle you must hail to the skipper of the boat(s) on a collision course with you if you tack, room to clear the obstacle.

 

Hope this will help

Gilbert Louis

September 2003