Skip to content

RRS 2025–2028 · Part 4, Section B

55 Setting and Sheeting Sails

Rules on changing headsails and spinnakers, one pole at a time, and sheeting sails to outriggers.

A replacing headsail or spinnaker may be fully set before the old one comes down, but only one mainsail and (except while changing) one spinnaker may be set at a time. Only one spinnaker or whisker pole at a time except when gybing, attached to the foremost mast. Sheeting a sail through anything that pushes the sheet or clew outboard of the hull or deck is prohibited, with exceptions for a whisker pole on a headsail when no spinnaker is set, a regular boom, a self-tacking headsail boom, and a boom sheeted to a bumkin. The Equipment Rules of Sailing define headsail and spinnaker for these purposes.

55.1 Changing Sails

Overlap allowed during a change.

55.2 Spinnaker Poles; Whisker Poles

One at a time.

55.3 Sheeting Sails

No outriggers, with listed exceptions.

55.4 Headsails and Spinnakers

Equipment Rules definitions apply.

Related