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Introduction

This guidance highlights the main changes to the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) effective from 1 January 2025. The changes include some minor edits which are solely for clarification and are not detailed here. The changes in the RRS are side-lined, except in the appendices.

This guidance is intended primarily for competitors but will also be useful to race and protest committees and other race officials. Competitors and officials involved in technical matters need to be aware that the Equipment Rules of Sailing (ERS) for 2025 contain significant changes from the previous version.

Summary

A large number of rule numbers in Part 5 have changed as a result of a substantial rewrite and simplification of the structure of Part 5. World Sailing has published a document which explains the destinations of the rules which is available and from the World Sailing website under RRS Study Pack 2025 – 2028

There has also been a revision of the Definition Sail the course, as a result of which many references to starting and finishing in the rules have been removed in favour of the definition.

References to "he" or "his" when referring to a competitor have now been changed to be gender neutral. A boat is still referred to as "she" or "her".

Definitions

Committee A new defined word which means any of the race committee, protest committee, or technical committee.

Continuing Obstruction A new definition which defines a continuing obstruction as an obstruction which a boat will pass alongside for at least three of her hull lengths. A vessel under way, a boat racing or a race committee vessel which is also a mark can never be continuing obstructions.

Finish Clarifies that a boat finishes when she crosses the finish line after her starting signal, not after starting (the defined term). The sailing instructions may also change the required direction to cross the finish line as well.

Mark-room The definition has been changed to:

Room for a boat

(a) to sail to the mark when her proper course is to sail close to it,

(b) to round or pass the mark on the required side, and

(c) to leave it astern.

It no longer includes room to tack in certain situations.

Obstruction The definition now includes an object, area, or line that is so designated in a rule. This means it is necessary for the rule to specify still if the object, area, or line is an obstruction.

Rule It has been clarified that the Basic Principles are not rules themselves.

Sail the course The definition has been broken down into a series of steps rather than being one continuous test of using the string rule.

Terminology

Boat The term boat means a boat which is subject to the rules.

Other words In order to determine the meaning of words which are not defined, the reader may also refer to The Equipment Rules of Sailing.

Part 1, Fundamental Rules

No substantial changes.

Part 2, When Boats Meet

Rule 14 The obligation to avoid contact with another boat has been widened to include “not cause contact between boats”, and “not cause contact between a boat and an object that should be avoided”. All obligations are still subject to the test of “if reasonably possible”.

Rule 17 A ‘rule 17 overlap’ can now be created whilst the windward boat is still tacking.

Section C The mark-room and room at an obstruction rules continue to not apply at a starting mark surrounded in navigable water from the time the boats approach it to start. However, the time the rules do not apply now ends when the start mark has been left astern, not when the boats have passed it.

Rule 18 The rule has undergone a number of changes in terms of its layout but there is no substantive change to how the rule operates. Rule 18.2(a) explains the obligations if the boats are overlapped when the first of them reaches the zone. Rule 18.2(b) explains that mark-room ceases to apply if the boat entitled to it passes head to wind or leaves the zone. Rule 18.2(c) is the new ‘basic rule’ which explains the obligations if rule 18.2(a) no longer applies. Rule 18.2(d) repeats the situation from previous rule 18.2(f). Rule 18.2(e) contains the same ‘reasonable doubt’ rule concerning overlaps.

Rule 18.3 concerning tacking in the zone remains substantially the same, however in order for it to apply the boat that has been on starboard since entering the zone needs to be fetching the mark and there is no requirement for the boat which tacked from port to starboard to be fetching the mark.

Rule 19 The new rule clarifies that, in deciding which side to pass the obstruction, the right of way boat must give the other boat room to keep clear if she changes course.

Rule 20 It is now mandatory to use the words ‘room to tack’.

Part 3, Conduct of a Race

Rule 28 The rule is now simply an obligation to sail the course, with what it means to sail the course detailed in the Definition Sail the course.

Rule 32.1(b) The rule allowing the race committee to shorten or abandon due to insufficient wind has been changed to require it to be unlikely any boat will sail the course rather than finish within the time limit.

Rule 35 All references to starting and finishing have been removed in favour of the reference to sail the course.

Part 4, Other Requirements When Racing

Rule 40.2 The requirement to wear a personal flotation device can now also be applied by a class rule as well as the notice of race or sailing instructions.

Rule 44.3(a) To allow the use of a Scoring Penalty, it must now be stated in the notice of race or sailing instructions.

Rule 44.3(c) The rule has been clarified to explain that scoring penalties are now based on the number of points and not places.

Rule 50.1(b) To be excluded from the weight of a competitors clothing and equipment a crew harness now needs to be considered as defined by The Equipment Rules of Sailing whereas before it was left open to interpretation. It is also clarified that the requirement for the harness to have positive buoyancy is in fresh water.

Rule 50.1(c) The requirement for a harness to meet a specified ISO standard has been removed. Instead, the harness must allow the competitor, at any time, to easily disconnect the harness from the trapeze, or the attachment to the boat.

Rule 55.2 The use of a spinnaker pole or whisker pole must ensure that it is attached to the foremost mast spar (as defined by The Equipment Rules of Sailing).

Rule 56.3 A new rule which requires that, when a boat must be equipped with an AIS transponder or other tracking device by a rule, then it must not be turned off, or its effectiveness, intentionally reduced.

Part 5, Protests, Redress, Hearings, Misconduct And Appeals

There has been an extensive rewrite of Part 5. Those who wish to know where the rules in the 2021–2024 RRS have been moved to in the 2025–2028 RRS for the purposes of cross referencing can review the ‘’ published by World Sailing.

In summary, the new Part 5 works by having one single rule that applies to each of protests (rule 60), requests for redress (rule 61), and reports about support persons (rule 62). There is a new single common rule for how hearings are to be conducted including reopenings (rule 63).

The structure of each of rules, 60, 61 and 62 is the same. Each rule explains how a protest/request/report could be made, what the validity requirements are, and what the various outcomes under the rule are. At the appropriate point in each procedure, the protest committee is referred to rule 63 to conduct the hearing.

There has been no change of substance of rule 69.

Rules 70-72 have been rewritten to clarify the appeals and interpretations procedures.

Part 6, Entry And Qualification

Rule 76.1 The rule has been amended so that an entry of a boat can be rejected, or a competitor excluded, after the first race so long as it is rejected before the first race occurring after the entry was received, i.e. an entry part way through a series. The reason given must now be a ‘proper’ reason and must be provided in writing if the boat or competitor requests it.

Rule 76.3 This provides a boat or competitor with the right to seek redress (which might not have previously been available if they were not properly entered).

Rule 78.1 The rule has been amended to avoid the anomaly that a boat could receive a discretionary penalty for a breach of a class rule, but also receive a disqualification because the underlying facts mean there has been a breach of rule 78.1.

Rule 78.2 Amended so that the appropriate committee, i.e. if there is one, the technical committee can now deal with the certificates instead of the race committee.

Part 7, Race Organization

Rule 86.1 The list of rules that cannot be changed (or which can only be changed by prescription etc.) has been updated.

Rule 89.2 Notices of race must now be issued in writing.

Rule 90.3(e) The time limit after which no changes can be made to the results, now runs from the end of an event, and not the series.

Rule 91(a) The national authority may now prescribe a minimum number of protest committee members for specified events within its jurisdiction. The 911��Ʒhas decided not to make any prescription at this time.

Appendix A, Scoring

References to races being completed have been removed and refer instead to races being scored. The urgent rule change from January 2023 in rule A6 has been included. The scoring abbreviation NSC is to be used when DNC, DNS, OCS or DNF do not apply.

Appendix B, Windsurfing Competition Rules

Rule 16 is now amended to include changes in the position of equipment. The changes to rule 17 are now based on the board’s shortest course through the starting line. The notice of race or sailing instructions may now specify alternative penalties to the 360⁰ turn.

Appendix C, Match Racing Rules

The Definition Finish clarifies a finish can only occur after the starting signal. Rule 16.2 is reinstated but amended to reflect the longstanding call concerning bear aways upwind. Arm signals under rule 20 must now be given by the helm. Starting marks cannot be moved after the warning signal. When one boat has retired, the umpires may now terminate the match rather than the other boat having to sail the course.

Appendix D, Team Racing Rules

Arm signals may now be required in the notice of race. It is clarified further penalties can be imposed if incidents cause injury or damage or a team gain an advantage. The protest procedure is changed and now umpires may penalize any boat that broke a rule, was not exonerated and did not take the appropriate penalty. The scoring rules have corrected the OCS scoring error from the last edition. The breakdown rules have been amended to focus on the team’s score, rather than finishing position.

Appendix E, Radio Sailing Rules

Sail number and national letter rules have been updated.

Appendix F, Kiteboarding Racing Rules

The definition of continuing obstruction is adapted for kites to be where the kite passes alongside the obstruction for at least 30 metres. The definition of mark-room includes a requirement not to sail further from the mark than needed. Rule 31 now applies without being changed as it was in the 2021–2024 RRS. The One Turn Penalty is changed to be a 360° turn with no requirement for a tack or gybe.

Appendix G, Identification on Sails

The sailing instructions alone can no longer be used to designate an event as an ‘international event’ for the purposes of Appendix G.

Appendix H, Weighing Clothing and Equipment

It is now clarified that the weighing procedure must be carried out using fresh water.

Appendix J, Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions

If the time limit after which there can be no scoring changes under rule 90.3(e) is imposed, this must be specified in the notice of race. If the direction of the finish line is changed under the new Definition Finish, this must be stated in the sailing instructions.

Appendix M, Recommendations to Protest Committees

New rule M5 has been included setting out recommendations of how to proceed with a decision on a discretionary penalty under rule 64.

Appendix N, International Juries

No substantial changes.

Appendix P, Special Procedures for Rule 42

No substantial changes.

Appendix R, Procedures for Appeals and Requests

The default time periods in the appeals procedure have been shortened from 15 days to seven days, however the national authority can extend the time limits when there's good reason to do so.

Appendix S, Standard Sailing Instructions

No substantial changes.

Appendix T, Arbitration

No substantial changes.

Race Signals

N, N over A, N over H This now means all races in progress are abandoned.

911��ƷPrescriptions

No substantial changes.