Here is the link to the google pod cast of my chapter 2 on the Start.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LVa3comzPFX898CbWGAf957uGl1DP9kZ/view?usp=sharing

The source article is here

https://sites.google.com/site/johnsrcsailingrulesandtactics/

and see Chapter 2 The Start.

John

If so I would be very interested to read their opinion on the windward gates used:

M/10R: inside out gate with offset marks on both sides of the gate

IOM: outside in gate

In particular I wish to know if, in your opinion, different gates:

• reduce the number of incidents at the windward mark;

• distribute or concentrate the fleet at the start of the run;

• allow boats to bail out if they mis-mis-judge the lay line, or which to avoid a congested mark

• facilitate the work of the observers and umpires;

• facilitate the setting of fair courses.

As a judge/umpire a both events I have a personal opinion which I wil reveal if this thread has some replies. I may well be that my opinion will be very different ffrom that of competing sailors.

Thanks and congratulations to the sailors, IOMICA, MYA, and the volunteers who put on a great show at the 2026 IOM World Championship at Datchet Water, UK.

The windward mark.

Initially, we saw the conventional windward mark with an offset, but many boats arrived together, on both starboard and port tacks and there were many incidents. The RC switched to an outside-in windward gate.

The outside-in gate has one big advantage – it usually splits the fleet over the two marks, reducing congestion, but it also has one big disadvantage – there is no longer an offset mark to separate the boats rounding and bearing away from the boats still approaching each mark. Look at the diagram, below.

Boats rounding the right-hand mark – mark to port, is quite conventional, with the proviso that while the boat bearing way is on stbd and has ROW over an approaching port tack boat, the stbd tack boat is subject to R 16.1 as she alters course. Green cannot just turn down and interfere with Blue. As they are on different legs, R 23.2 also applies, and the ROW boat is not interfering IF she is sailing her proper course.

Boats rounding the left-hand mark – mark to stbd, has all the issues of a stbd rounding – see my web site

https://sites.google.com/site/johnsrcsailingrulesandtactics/

and Chapter 3 bonus item – ‘Weather Mark – the ‘Dreaded Marks to Stbd’, but with no offset, they have the additional problem that they are on port and as they bear away to the run, have to stay clear of any approaching stbd tack boats. Yellow has to stay clear of Pale Blue. As they are on different legs, R 23.2 also applies, and the ROW boat is not interfering IF she is sailing her proper course.

John

I have written a new short article on what constitutes a tack. It is on my web site near the bottom of the home page - see Appendix D What constitutes a Tack

https://sites.google.com/site/johnsrcsailingrulesandtactics/

John

Visit

https://www.sailing.org/racingrules/

to download both the 2025-2028 RRS with corrections and the detailed document listing the specific changes.

These is one item in this list of corrections that affects radio sailing and Appendix E. After the RRS was published for 2025, we noticed an error in E6.3 in that the requirement to hail 'Protest' promptly had been dropped. This is now corrected by putting back the words that were already there in the 2021-2024 version.

E6.3 now reads

Appendix E, Rule E6.3

Change rule E6.3 to:

Rule 60.2(a)(1) is changed to:

(1) If the protestor is a boat, she shall inform the other boat at the first

reasonable opportunity by hailing ‘(Her own sail number) protest

(the sail number of the other boat)’.

John

Dave Perry is well known for his enthusiastic and engaging teaching style for sailors and race Sailing. He is one of the sport’s leading coaches and rules experts, serving on the US Sailing Appeals Committee and being the Rules Advisor for the US Sailing Team at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Dave Perry Racing Rules Webinar Mar. 25, 2026 Part 1 of 2

https://youtu.be/fCuJD0LUzbI

Dave Perry Racing Rules Webinar Mar. 25, 2026 Part 2 of 2

https://youtu.be/KahN5d3x4Wc

John

I had held of writing about in the past as it is such a big and complex issue with lots of conditions and options. However I decided to give it a go, and here is the result – an overview of redress, and the conditions under which it may be awarded or refused. As it may only be awarded as part of a protest hearing process, I put it on my web site under Chapter 7 The Protest as a bonus item.

https://sites.google.com/site/johnsrcsailingrulesandtactics/

I hope this helps.

John

It may be found at the bottom of the home page in my Appendix section as item E Conflicting rules at the weather mark R 18, 19 or 20? Mark Room vs Obstruction

John

Boat A had, prior to Spreader, acknowledged their infringement and their need to do a turn.

Is there a rule against 'sailing above proper course to the next mark' at a bear away mark - I can't remember. Or, if not, does a boat with a penalty to take need to keep clear regardless of (normal) rights?

You round a mark correctly and without touching it. For some prior reason you need to do a penalty turn, which you make after the rounding. And in doing so (probably doing it too soon!!!), you then touch that same mark. Is that - after the first/real rounding had been legal - an infringement? Does that first rounding ever actually become 'complete', at least prior to rounding the next mark?

I have written a summary of the situation attached, together with a solution which the regatta organiser may apply to fix the problem.

John

Appendix E3.7 and Case 140.pdf

Here is the link, and scroll down to the Case Book.

https://www.sailing.org/racingrules/

I have not yet read it.

John

I was recently windward boat, rounding a port hand windward spreader mark and the boat, to which I had given mark room, did not bear away on to its Proper Course after rounding the mark.

Please advice me if it was in breach of Rule 17,  which I believe does not just apply to running boats but anywhere, where boats become overlapped.

My understanding of the current Proper Course definition, is, the fastest course to the next mark 'in the absence of other boats'.

So rule 17 does not allow you to sail high, to get clear wind from other boats. It is the course you would sail if no other boats were present.

When a boat gives another boat mark room (water) at a windward spreader mark, I believe that the inside boat. which established its overlap within 2 boats lengths to leeward, has an obligation to immediately bear away onto their Proper Course (a run).

I believe that if the boat given mark room makes no attempt to bear away and continues to sail high then it is in breach of rule 17 and should complete a penalty turn.

Am I correct in my interpretation of rule 17?

Thankyou in advance

The boats become becalmed and make light but obvious contact - Frank claims that despite multiple changes of tack with no perceptible change of heading Ned's contact was an infringement.

Ned gets moving completes a penalty turn and resumes racing; over the course of the next two legs Ned sails a blinder and gains 10 places.

Frank however throws his toys out of the pram and after regaining way and completeing the race is 10 places below his infringer.

Frank seeks redress for the foul by Ned and the committee reason that Ned's turn was admission of fault and therefore appealed to Ned to retire or be lobbed. And, they awarded NED's place to FRAnk.

This appears to be a misapplication of the redress or unfair advantage rules.

In some guidance an "alternative penalty" is advised as a precaution in order to protect against DSQ, not as implicit admission of fault.

My view about 'Right of Way' assertion is that it should come with a strong caveat emptor warning - and the penalty for the Right-of-Way boat that infringes R14 is jeopardy.

There is an argument that Radio Sailing needs to investigate more specific rules as certain things (like judging overlaps when sailing directly away from the control area) are almost impossible at any distance.   The chances of a top down approach working are pretty slim given the bureaucracy and inertia involved.  Perhaps clubs could experiment with local rules and hopefully drive any good ideas from the bottom up.

To be clear, the RYA has an administrative simple procedure for approving experimental changes to the rules.

To counter John's criticism of  'bureaucracy and inertia', as Racing Rules Committee Chair of IRSA, I would be very grateful for any suggestions. If you could identify rules that do not work, that should be changed. May I suggest that, for the moment, we limit our discussion to the rules that govern what happens when boats meet - Part 2 of the Racing Rules of Sailing.

For instance:

- it is very rare that, as an umpire, I penalise a boat for breaking rule 17, On the same tack, proper course.

- RRS 18.3, Tacking in the Zone does not really work in radio sailing. It is difficult to judge, especially as with the relatively stiff sails used in radio sailing it is difficult to judge when a boat is above close hauled.

I would be really interested to read your suggestions.

When the hail does not conform to the required wording there were two options:

 the hail was considered  to break RRS 20.1 and the hailed boat was required to respond by tacking or hailing ‘You Tack’. The hailed boat could protest the hailing boat for the incorrect hail; or

the incorrect hail was considered not to be a request for room to tack. The hailed boat is not required to respond. Rule 20.2 does not apply and the rules of Section A and B do.

The Q and A panel has chosen the second option. A hail for room to tack that does not include ‘[my sail number] Room to Tack’ is not a correct hail therefore RRS 20.2 does not apply.

This may lead to situations in which a hailing boat believes that they are entitled to room to tack, and the hailed boat believes that they do not have to respond.

It also means that different rules will apply depending on whether the boats are initially on port or on starboard.

Our experience at the M/10R Worlds were that some sailors learnt to use the obligatory hail quite easily. Others did not.

The umpires explained several times the reasoning behind the hail of ‘my sail number. This serves to identify the boat that requires room to tack. There may be several boats that need to respond, and it is unlikely that the hailing boat can identify them all.

The umpires reminded sailors who made an incorrect hail that they should make the correct hail.

We shall see how this works out. I look forward to your reactions (please try and remain with the limits of forum decorum!)

2025 7 room to tack.pdf

It states; ' If reasonably possible, a boat shall not cause contact between boats'

I believe that new rule ,14(b), in conjunction with 16.1 means that a leeward boat can no longer luff and cause contact with a windward boat and claim , windward boat keeps clear.

The leeward boat that luffs would be breaking 14(b) and should make a penalty turn.

Is my interpretation correct?

Is there a source that explains the intention of the rule and case(s) where it may be applied correctly.

Go to this page and scroll down to Radio Sailing

https://www.sailing.org/racingrules/

John

A major difference I have seen is the way that the windward mark is rounded. In full size, without a clear lead, boats arrive on starboard as " diving" in on port and the resulting collision may incur significant damage, a race losing penalty and maybe a heated conversation in the car park afterwards.

In radio sailing it appears to be common to arrive on port- using the " its too far to see properly" excuse, even if mark or boat contact is accepted- the gain in rounding close to the mark is more than the small loss of a single turn

Are there plans to ( perhaps) increase penalties to address this issue?

Or am I just looking at the wrong races?😉

If I finish and I am recorded as being finished but inadvertently sail back on the course side and go back through the finish line,  1st. Which position will I be recorded in the race, ie the first crossing or the second crossing ? 2nd carrying on from that I then sail down the line and hit one of the finishing bouys do I need to do a turn ? And for reference what would be the Rule No for both 1 and 2 .

Many Thanks