ISAF Racing Rules Forum

The following new rules and comments are taken from Dick Rose's January Sailing World article, 'How the new rules change the game. There are also links to subsequent rules articles by Rose below.
Changing course

Rule 16 When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear.

"The old rule contained exceptions that allowed you to assume a proper course when starting or rounding a mark. These exceptions are not in the new rule. But, the old rule also said you couldn't "obstruct" another boat that was keeping clear. The new rule is more permissive. It allows a right-of-way boat to change course as long as she gives the give-way boat enough space to avoid her in "a seamanlike way." This means that a starboard-tack boat can luff up to "obstruct" a port-tack boat, provided the port tacker has room to keep clear without having to make a crash tack."

Say goodbye to mast abeam

Rule 11 When boats are on the same tack and overlapped, a windward boat shall keep clear of a leeward boat.

Rule 17.1 A boat that establishes a leeward overlap from clear astern within two of her hull lengths of a windward boat shall not sail above her proper course during that overlap...

"At first glance, it appears that a leeward boat may now luff head-to-wind regardless of the weather boat's position because there is no longer any reference to 'mast abeam' in the new rules. However, Rule 11 is modified by other parts of the new rules. Rule 17.1 invokes a restriction of the old rules -- you can't luff above your proper course if you established your overlap from clear astern (within two lengths of the windward boat). There is still no proper course until after the starting gun, at which point a leeward boat has to bear off to closehauled, but only if she established her overlap from astern. Rule 16 (see earlier) applies another restriction: It says you can no longer luff as hard or as fast as you please."

Beware the port-tack approach

Rule 18.3 If two boats were on opposite tacks and one of them tacked within the two-length zone to pass a mark..., the boat that tacked (a) shall not cause the other boat to sail above closehauled to avoid her or prevent the other boat from passing the mark or obstruction , and (b) shall keep clear if the other boat becomes overlapped inside her...

"This new rule aims to prevent port tackers from trying to squeeze into a crowd of starboard tackers right at the weather mark. If you come into the weather mark on port tack inside the two-length zone, it no longer matters if you complete your tack clear in front of approaching starboard tackers. If you force another boat to luff above close-hauled, or to hit the mark, you have broken Rule 18.3."

Tactical vs. seamanlike roundings

Rule 18.2(a) When boats are overlapped before one of them reaches the two-length zone, if the outside boat has right-of-way, she shall give the inside boat room to pass the mark or obstruction, or if the inside boat has right-of-way the outside boat shall keep clear...

"This new rule clearly states what has been implied by past appeals. If the outside boat is to leeward, she need only give the inside boat the minimum amount of room, --enough to make a "seamanlike" rounding -- leaving equal space around the mark throughtout her turn. However, if the inside boat is the leeward boat, she then has the right to make a "tactical" rounding. She can delay her jibe so as to exit the rounding closer to the mark, because that is her proper course."

No more onus while tacking

Rule 13 After a boat passes head-to-wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a closehauled course...

"The new rules do not change the game of putting a "lee bow" on another boat. There is still no foul if you complete your tack before the other boat has to change course. However, there is no longer an "onus" on the tacking boat to prove she finished her tack in time. Now, if you want to protest someone for tacking too close, you'll need more convincing evidence than you did in the past."

Slam dunk reversal

Rules 13 and 16

"As mentioned earlier, the new rules do not place a mast-abeam restriction on the leeward boat, nor do they prohibit her from "obstructing" a boat that is tacking on her. This will make it harder for a starboard tacker to "slam dunk" a port tacker. Under the old rules, a slam dunker could hail mast abeam, or claim she was being obstructed from keeping clear, to prevent the other boat from luffing as she completed her tack. Under the new rules, the boat being "dunked" can luff as soon as she crosses the starboard tacker's transom, as long as she gives the dunker room to keep clear."

Below are links to continuing series of articles by Dick Rose and to a Rules Conversion Chart:

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