On the water
Rule 18, Mark-Room
Restructured so the common case comes first. When the first boat reaches the zone: if they overlap, the outside boat owes mark-room; if they do not, the boat that has not reached the zone owes it, even if she is the one ahead. The obligation continues while rule 18 applies, and ends if the boat owed mark-room tacks or leaves the zone (rule 18.2). Tacking from port to starboard inside the zone of a port-hand mark now never earns mark-room from a boat fetching the mark (rule 18.3). A mark that is a continuing obstruction (an island, a long breakwater) is now handled by rule 19, not rule 18.
Rule 17, the slam dunk
The exception for an overlap that began while the windward boat was tacking is gone. A boat that gets an overlap to leeward from clear astern, within two lengths, while the other boat is still tacking is now bound by rule 17 and cannot luff above her proper course.
Rule 14, Avoiding Contact
A boat must now also avoid causing contact between other boats, and between a boat and an object that should be avoided, such as a committee vessel.
Rules 19 and 20, obstructions
A right-of-way boat that changes course to choose her side of an obstruction must give the other boat room to keep clear, and is not exonerated if she does not. The hail for room to tack is now "Room to tack", and the notice of race may require an alternative signal (rule 20.4).
Definitions
- Continuing obstruction and committee are new defined terms.
- Finish: a boat no longer has to have started to finish, which matters for boats given a scoring penalty for an OCS in distance races.
- Sail the course now contains starting and finishing, moved from rule 28.
- Mark-room is shorter, now includes room to leave the mark astern, and no longer mentions room to tack.
- Obstruction: any rule, including the notice of race, can now designate an object, area or line as an obstruction.
Other racing rules
- rule 40: class rules, the notice of race or the sailing instructions can make PFDs compulsory without flag Y.
- rule 50: crew harnesses must float and release easily at any time.
- rule 56.3 (new): required trackers and AIS transponders must not be switched off.
Scoring
- The Scoring Penalty (rule 44.3) is now based on points, not places: 20% of the DNF score, rounded to the nearest tenth of a point (0.05 rounded up), never worse than DNF. The same arithmetic applies to ZFP (rule 30.2) and to the 30% post-race penalty of Appendix T. Check that your scoring program is set up for decimal penalties.
- rule A5.1 separates DNF from RET, and NSC now means did not sail the course other than DNC, DNS, OCS and DNF. A boat scored NSC moves the boats behind her up, like a disqualification (rule A6.1).
- rule A1 and rule A2.1 count races "scored" rather than "completed" for series and discard thresholds.
- The notice of race must say when the score freeze of rule 90.3(e) applies (rule J1).
Protests, redress and hearings
Part 5 was rewritten and renumbered for clarity, with few changes of substance. Notices of race and sailing instructions that cite Part 5 rule numbers from 2021–2024 need updating.
- A boat out of hailing distance at the time of the incident does not need to hail or show a red flag; she informs the protestee at the first reasonable opportunity (rule 60.2).
- A protest need only identify the protestor, the protestee and the incident (rule 60.3).
- The technical committee may protest after an inspection but is no longer required to.
- Parties must be given access to the protest rather than a copy, which suits online filing (rule 63.1).
- A request to reopen made after the time limit is invalid (rule 63.7).
Where the old Part 5 rules went
An approximate map, after World Sailing's Part 5 destinations guidance. Several old rules were split across new ones; use it to find your way, not as a citation.
| 2021–2024 | Subject | 2025–2028 |
|---|---|---|
60.1(a), 60.2(a), 60.3, 60.4(a) | Who may protest | 60.1 |
61.1 | Informing the protestee: hail, red flag | 60.2 |
61.2, 61.3 | Protest contents and time limit | 60.3 |
60.1(a), 60.2(a), 60.3(a), 60.5 | Limits on who may protest and on what | 60.4 |
63.1, 64.2, 64.4 | When and how a boat is penalized | 60.5 |
60.1(b), 60.2(b), 60.3(b) | Who may request or consider redress | 61.1 |
62.2 | Redress requests and time limits | 61.2 |
62.1 | Grounds for redress | 61.4(b) |
60.1(c), 60.3(d), 64.5 | Support persons | 62 |
63.2–63.9, 64.1, 65 | Hearings, decisions, informing the parties | 63.1–63.6 |
66 | Reopening a hearing | 63.7 |
64.6 | Discretionary penalties | 64 |
67, 64.4(e) | Damages, measurement costs | 65 |
Running events
- The abandonment signals (N, N over H, N over A) now refer to races in progress. Use AP signals for classes not yet started (race signals).
- The race committee may display N before the starting signal (rule 27.3), and shortening and abandoning signals have their own rules (rule 32.2, rule 32.3).
- The notice of race must now be written (rule 89.2).
- Sailing instructions may set the direction for crossing the finishing line, useful on rivers and around headlands.
- The Basic Principles are not rules and may not be changed; rule 86.1 no longer lists them.
- Appendix S time limits now read as a race time limit for the first boat to sail the course and finish, and a finishing window for the rest. Update home-grown sailing instructions to match.
- Appendix M was rewritten to follow the new Part 5.
Sources
World Sailing, The Racing Rules of Sailing 2025–2028, and its Part 5 destinations guidance; Dave Perry, A Quick Overview of the Significant Rule and Game Changes (US Sailing, December 2024); US Sailing Race Management Committee, Important Changes Affecting Race Management (December 2024).