yacht racing protest flag

Racing Signals: Sailing Flag Meanings

Where other competitions have umpires and referees right next to the players, sailing race committees have to rely on flags to communicate with sailors.

In this article, we are going to explain the meanings of all the flags used at regattas to communicate with sailors. The flags can give information about starting procedures, course information, and on-the-water judging, so a basic understanding is a crucial part of general seamanship.

While nautical flags all have defined meanings in a historical context, they have very specific meanings in the context of racing competition. For instance, in the general nautical world, the Z-flag means that you are in distress and are in need of a tow or relief from a tug boat. At a regatta, the race committee may fly the Z-flag to indicate an additional penalty for any boat that has crossed the line early. Moreover, even though there are certain flags that have well-defined roles, race committees may stipulate additional meanings or introduce new flags via an announcement in the sailing instructions for the event, so we will cover some of these more common changes as well. We will break down the meanings into the various categories of usage.

A secret that I have learned over many years of regattas at every level from proverbial ‘beer-can’ races to national championships is that, as well as both you and the race committee can recite the racing flag rules on land, someone is always going to make a mistake or misunderstand these symbols. That is why I will be going through the official flag meanings and rules from the Racing Rules of Sailing for 2021-2024 to clarify any questions that you might have when the race committee flies a flag that hasn’t been seen since we used Clipper Ships to cross the oceans. Hopefully this article will help break down all the most common signals so that when your friend turns to you and asks ‘is that the flag that tells us it's time to go in,’ you’ll be able to help out!

Table of contents

‍ Flags at the Start

The start of a race is often the most confusing part of a regatta and is where the most flags must be used. We will be going over the rules for the flags at a basic 5-minute start. These can be modified for 3-minute dinghy starts, 5-minute match race starts, 6-minute Olympic starts, or 10-minute big boat starts, but the same logic applies.

A few flags are crucial to set everything up on the starting line prior to the starting sequence.

To begin, the race committee must have an Orange Flag visibly displayed, as this demarks the exact location on the boat from which the line is called. If there is a pin boat, they will often fly an Orange Flag as well, but if it is just a buoy, then the buoy serves as the other end of the line.

Next, the RC will additionally fly the L Flag if they are ready for competitors to check-in at the beginning of the race day. This helps them confirm that everyone is sailing under the correct sail number, which is often a logistical nightmare. They will blow one horn when raising this flag. If this flag is raised at any point later in the day, it is meant to tell competitors to come by the committee boat again.

Finally, the AP Flag is a general purpose postponement flag. The race committee may raise this on land to indicate that the harbor start has been delayed or on the water to indicate that there will be a delay in the starts. While there are other flags that are used for abandonment situations, particularly the N Flag, the AP is commonly used in informal situations. Two sounds accompany the raising of the AP, and it can be said that competitors are ‘under AP’ until it is dropped, along with one sound. If it is dropped on land, competitors may immediately launch. If it is dropped on the water, the next start may begin in as little as one minute.

The final note with the AP Flag is that the race committee may indicate the end of racing for the day by flying ‘AP over A.’ Again, the AP could technically be replaced with the blue and white checkerboarded N Flag, but the two serve very similar purposes at most levels.

Starting Flags

Once the race committee is set up and everyone is ready to go sailing, the next task is to get the right fleets to the starting line for their start. At the warning signal, one loud horn that indicates that the 5-minute countdown to the start has begun, the race committee will raise some type of Class Flag that indicates which type of boat will be starting. Above we have the different class flags for the different competition rigs for the ILCA-Dinghy, formerly known as the Laser, which would be raised to indicate which rig is starting.

This is a convention even if there is only one class on the water. Sometimes this is replaced with raising the Orange Flag itself, or some other flag as laid out in the sailing instructions. Often classes have been assigned a numeral pennant, of which 1-4 are displayed above, in place of the highly specific Class Flags. Still, some flag of this nature goes up at 5-minutes and remains up until go, at which point it is dropped.

At 4-minutes, the RC will sound another horn, known as the preparatory signal, and raise some combination of the above flags.

The P Flag is always required to go up, and it is simply the ‘Prep Flag,’ which signals to the racers that they need to get serious about the race. Once the P Flag is raised, all the right-of-way rules that apply during the start switch on and racers, particularly in team and match racing, are allowed to begin tactically engaging with each other (though in team racing this would happen at minute 2 of the 3-minute start). Moreover, racers can talk with their coaches until the prep signal, and race committees may alter the course up until this moment. Afterwards, all coaching is banned and all course changes on the current leg are not allowed. This belies the fact that a 5-minute starting sequence is actually a 4-minute sequence with a warning signal at 5-minutes, but that is a purely semantic detail.

Depending on how rowdy the competitors are, the race committee may raise any combination of the I, Z, U, or Black Flags. Each of these flags deals with boats that start ‘on-course side’ (OCS), essentially a false start for sailing. If any of these flags is raised, a boat is not allowed to be anywhere within the triangle formed by the starting line and the first mark of the course after the 1-minute signal during the start. These flags essentially help the RC ensure that they can get off a clean start and ensure that they can identify any boats that are OCS at go. When they are flown, the following penalties are added beyond requiring a boat to clear itself by dipping back under the line:

• I Flag: Conventionally referred to as the ‘one-minute rule,’ this requires that any boat over the line after a minute also has to sail around an end of the line in order to start the race fairly. This punishes a boat for being over by potentially making it a little harder to clear themselves if they are over on a large line.
• Z Flag: Often flown in combination with the I Flag, this flag adds that any boat that is OCS will get a 20% penalty on top of their score in that race, regardless of whether they clear themselves or not. This further hurts any boat that is ‘pushing the line’ by ensuring that even if they manage to clear themselves and come back, they will still see an impact on their scoreline that is equivalent to immediately being passed by 20% of the fleet.
• U Flag: Now we’re getting into harsh territory. When the RC is really trying to brush the fleet back off the plate, this flag immediately disqualifies a boat that is over after a minute with no course for redress. If these boats are identified, they tend to be told to stop sailing the race by a notice board at the top mark.
• Black Flag: The black flag serves a very similar purpose to the U Flag, except it is a step harsher. It disqualifies you after a minute and even prevents you from sailing in a restart of the race or a race abandoned halfway through.

The I Flag is by far the most common flag, and is often effective at keeping boats from being over. The U Flag rule was introduced in 2013 as an option and formally codified in the Racing Rules in 2017 and is massively more popular than the Black Flag, which is considered overly punitive. In particular, when many sailors are over in a Black Flag start, such that the RC cannot determine who was over, they are forced to make unfair decisions that carry over to the restart, so the U is now almost universally used in its place. Additionally, as the U has become more popular, people tend to shy away from the Z flag, which is considered cumbersome for scorers and confusing to sailors.

In general, while these flags are supposed to be raised in conjunction with the P Flag, often the RC will only raise the most punitive of the flags, as any of them can essentially be considered as a prep flag.

As the starting sequence continues, any prep flag(s) raised must be lowered at the 1-minute signal. The class flag is then lowered at go, leading to the next category of flags: Recall Flags

Recall Flags

After the pain of raising and lowering all those start flags, the RC then has three possible jobs. If the start is clean, they shout ‘All Clear!’ and can then relax until they have to start another race or record finishes for the race in progress. Unfortunately, this is often not the case, as they likely will need to ‘recall’ certain competitors for being ‘OCS,’ i.e. false starting. They have two choices here.

If only a few, easily-identifiable boats have started early, the RC will raise the X Flag along with a single sound in what is referred to as an individual recall. This indicates to the boats on the course that there are some competitors who are currently OCS and must clear themselves. If the I Flag had been flown for the start, competitors have to round an end; if not, they can just dip back behind the starting line and restart from there.

While the X is suitable on its own to inform a boat that it has been called over, it is an oft practiced courtesy for the RC to hail an OCS boat’s sail number over a megaphone, a radio, or other transmission device. The X Flag is dropped when all OCS boats have cleared themselves or after 4 minutes from go, whichever comes first.

If more boats than can be easily identified are called over, the RC can blow two horns and fly the First Substitute Flag, indicating a general recall. In this case, the race is fully reset and the committee will initiate another entire starting sequence for that fleet. After a general recall, the RC will often, but not always employ the next level of penalty flag for the restart in an attempt to get the race off cleanly.

Sometimes, as in college sailing or as stipulated by other sailing instructions, any general recall immediately implies the I Flag for the next sequence if it had not been flown previously. As such, the RC does not necessarily have to fly the I if it is unavailable. Still, such stipulations are almost always written out explicitly for a given event and are often accompanied by a verbal announcement as a courtesy.

Still, outside some usages of the AP or N Flags to abandon or delay starts already in sequence, these are all the flags that deal with general housekeeping and the starting sequence.

While Underway

While the starting flags are by far the most complicated of the flag rules, there are still other flags to keep track of while racing. The first among these are...

Course Change Flags

Although course changes are relatively rare, race committees often pull them out when conditions change substantially during races or if there has been a problem with one of the marks.

When wind or time constraints require, the race committee may send an official to any mark of the course that no boat has yet rounded and have it raise the S Flag along with two sounds. This indicates that the fleet shall finish at that mark, cutting off the race earlier than written in the sailing instructions.

In the case of any other change to the course, such as a minor adjustment to the angle or distance of an upcoming leg, a race committee boat will go to the preceding mark and raise the C Flag along with repeated sounds.

This is sometimes accompanied by a Red Square or a Green Triangle to indicate that the mark has been moved to port or starboard respectively. Although during less formal events, you can change the positions of any marks so long as there are no competitors currently sailing on that leg of the course, it is considered poor form if at all possible to inform competitors, particularly in longer races. Sailors make decisions based on the position of the marks, and if this has been changed without them noticing, that can drastically affect the outcomes of strategic decisions, so in large competitions the C Flag is a must.

If, meanwhile, something odd has happened to a mark of the course, any official boat may fly the M Flag with repeated signals. This serves to inform the competitors that they have become a replacement for the missing mark. This is relatively uncommon, but anchors do occasionally snap on marks, so it is always good to have a support boat with the M if possible.

Finally, as mentioned before, if conditions have deteriorated to the point that a race is considered no longer possible, due to lack of wind, fear of foul weather, or some form of interference -- I’ve seen it happen because cruise ships wanted to pass through a dinghy course, and you don’t say no to them -- the race committee may abandon the race using the N Flag. Still, this flag is relatively rare as you will often see the AP in its place for convenience, as they are functionally similar.

Miscellaneous Flags

While we have covered the bulk of the flags necessary for racing at any level, there are a few more flags from across different disciplines and classes that are worth mentioning, if only to let you in on these quirky parts of the racing world! This starts with what one could reasonably call…

The Cheating Flag

Calling the O Flag the cheating flag is certainly a bit of a misnomer. The O Flag does, however, suspend Rule 42 of the Racing Rules of Sailing. Rule 42 is particularly notorious, as it bans pumping, rocking, ooching, sculling, and excessive maneuvering, all of which are methods to make your boat go substantially faster. While Rule 42 is worth an article in and of itself, the larger point is that it is meant to keep anyone from gaining an unfair advantage over their competitors.

Certain competitive classes, however, including the Olympic class 470s and Finns and many of the new foiling fleets, allow competitors to ignore Rule 42 in certain conditions, typically in heavy breezes that are referred to as ‘planing’ conditions. There are differences across the classes, but whenever it is allowed and the RC flies the O Flag, Rule 42 is switched off and competitors can ooch, pump, rock, and tack their boats all around the racecourse. This allows for a much more physical style of sailing and is a rule that many different classes and sectors of sailing are beginning to consider.

If conditions no longer meet the threshold for that class’s rules regarding suspension of Rule 42, an official boat will raise the R Flag at some point during the race. They can only do so at a mark of the course so that it is fair to all the competitors throughout the fleet. This is relatively rare, and is normally done between races, but is still a key part of the O Flag rule.

Judge and Umpire Flags

On the topic of Rule 42, there are certain fouls in sailing that can be actively enforced on the water by judges or umpires, depending on the context.

Rule 42 is enforced by judges with a Yellow Flag, which they will point at an offending boat along with a sound signal and a direct sail number hail. That boat may clear themselves from their first Yellow Flag by taking their two-turn penalty, but, unless otherwise noted in the sailing instructions, any subsequent violation can entail disqualification.

Finally, certain levels of modern match and team racing, with the addition of high-performance racing like SailGP, have full on-the-water umpires who actively follow the racing to make calls on fouls and other plays. While this is not the spot to go through the intricacies of team and match race calls, the basic gist is as follows.

In any interaction, any boat involved in the race may call in the umpires if they believe that their opponent has fouled them. If the opponent clears themselves quickly, essentially admitting fault, the umpires will not get involved. If no boats clear themselves, the umpire has to make a call on whether there has been a foul. If they determine that the maneuvers were clean, they will make one sound and fly a Green Flag, thus exonerating all boats in the interaction. If they determine there was a foul, they will fly a Red Flag with a singular sound and hail the offending boat.

Beyond that, if a boat is found to have broken a rule not related to an interaction, the umpires may come in and fly the Red Flag without being directly invited into the situation. Further, if a boat is found to be in violation of sportsmanship or refuses to take a penalty as assessed by an umpire, the umpire may fly a Black Flag, disqualifying them from the race.

While there are differences at each event and in each discipline, these general guidelines are followed in most umpired races, with specific flags used at various events, generally depending on availability.

With that, we have made it from land, through the start, a few general recalls, all the way to umpire flags! I hope this has helped you get a grasp of the various flags used across sailing. While this has not scratched the specifics of the various alterations made for kiteboards and windsurfers, nor some of the annoyances of protest flags and more, we have gone through the bulk of regularly used race committee and umpire signals.

The ‘Wear Your Life Jacket!’ Flag

Finally, we have a safety flag. At big boat regattas, the race committee may, if it chooses, fly the Y Flag at any point prior to a start to inform competitors that they must wear personal floatation devices, which is not always strictly necessary.

The Most Important Flag

While I wish I could tell you that everyone uses their flags properly and accompanies them with the proper timing and sound signals, that is far from the truth. Everyone’s flag set is slightly incomplete or out of date, and invariably there is going to be a miscommunication somewhere, where the race committee forgets to put the I Flag up but really should have; I’ve certainly done that a time or two. Still, there’s nothing quite like being on the water, so, despite the endless mutual griping between racers and their race committees, hopefully everyone comes back to shore flying the ‘Happy Flag.’

Happy sailing!

Related Articles

Gabriel Hannon

I have been sailing since I was 7 years old. Since then I've been a US sailing certified instructor for over 8 years, raced at every level of one-design and college sailing in fleet, team, and match racing, and love sharing my knowledge of sailing with others!

by this author

Most Recent

What Does "Sailing By The Lee" Mean?

Daniel Wade

October 3, 2023

The Best Sailing Schools And Programs: Reviews & Ratings

September 26, 2023

Important Legal Info

Lifeofsailing.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.

Similar Posts

How To Choose The Right Sailing Instructor

August 16, 2023

Basics Of Sailboat Racing Explained

May 29, 2023

Cost To Sail Around The World

May 16, 2023

Popular Posts

Best Liveaboard Catamaran Sailboats

December 28, 2023

Can a Novice Sail Around the World?

Elizabeth O'Malley

June 15, 2022

4 Best Electric Outboard Motors

How Long Did It Take The Vikings To Sail To England?

10 Best Sailboat Brands (And Why)

December 20, 2023

7 Best Places To Liveaboard A Sailboat

Get the best sailing content.

Top Rated Posts

© 2024 Life of Sailing Email: [email protected] Address: 11816 Inwood Rd #3024 Dallas, TX 75244 Disclaimer Privacy Policy

Sailboat Racing Flags and Signals

Are you ready to hit the open water and expe­ri­ence the exhil­a­rat­ing world of sail­boat rac­ing? Before you set sail, it’s cru­cial to under­stand the mean­ing behind the var­i­ous flags and sig­nals used dur­ing races . In this arti­cle, we’ll dive into the Inter­na­tion­al Code of Sig­nals, explore prepara­to­ry, course, protest, aban­don­ment, penal­ty, safe­ty, and emer­gency sig­nals.

Get ready to nav­i­gate the rac­ing scene with con­fi­dence and sail towards vic­to­ry!

Key Take­aways:

• The Inter­na­tion­al Code of Sig­nals con­sists of 26 flags and 10 numer­al pen­nants , which are used for safe­ty and com­mu­ni­ca­tion on the water.
• Prepara­to­ry flags and sig­nals such as the ‘P’ flag, ‘I’ flag, ‘S’ flag, and ‘X’ flag are cru­cial for sailors to under­stand and respond to, as they indi­cate impor­tant instruc­tions and changes in the race .
• Course and mark sig­nals pro­vide infor­ma­tion about the direc­tion to sail and the marks them­selves, help­ing sailors nav­i­gate the race­course effec­tive­ly and make informed deci­sions.
• Protest flags and sig­nals, includ­ing the red flag with a white cross, blue flag, yel­low flag, and red flag, are impor­tant for ensur­ing fair com­pe­ti­tion and resolv­ing dis­putes between boats.

Table of Con­tents

The International Code of Signals

You should learn the Inter­na­tion­al Code of Sig­nals, as it con­sists of 26 flags and 10 numer­al pen­nants that can con­vey impor­tant mes­sages while sail­ing. These sig­nals are essen­tial for main­tain­ing safe­ty and com­mu­ni­ca­tion on the water. By famil­iar­iz­ing your­self with this code, you can ensure that you’re pre­pared for any sit­u­a­tion that may arise while sail­ing.

The Inter­na­tion­al Code of Sig­nals is a uni­ver­sal sys­tem used by sailors around the world . Its sim­plic­i­ty and effec­tive­ness make it a valu­able tool for com­mu­ni­ca­tion at sea. Each flag and pen­nant rep­re­sents a spe­cif­ic mes­sage or instruc­tion , allow­ing sailors to con­vey impor­tant infor­ma­tion with­out rely­ing on ver­bal com­mu­ni­ca­tion.

Learn­ing the Inter­na­tion­al Code of Sig­nals is par­tic­u­lar­ly impor­tant for those who desire free­dom on the water. By under­stand­ing and using these sig­nals, you can com­mu­ni­cate with oth­er boats, request assis­tance, or inform oth­ers of poten­tial dan­gers. This knowl­edge empow­ers you to nav­i­gate the open seas con­fi­dent­ly and inde­pen­dent­ly.

In addi­tion to enhanc­ing your safe­ty, know­ing the Inter­na­tion­al Code of Sig­nals also allows you to ful­ly immerse your­self in the sail­ing com­mu­ni­ty. It’s a lan­guage shared by sailors world­wide, con­nect­ing you to a glob­al net­work of adven­tur­ers who share your love for the sea.

Preparatory Flags and Signals

Make sure to brush up on the mean­ing of the prepara­to­ry flags and sig­nals before your next sail, as they can indi­cate impor­tant infor­ma­tion about the race or event. These flags and sig­nals are essen­tial for every sailor who desires the free­dom to com­pete in sail­boat rac­ing.

When you see the prepara­to­ry flag ‘P,’ it sig­nals that the race is about to start, and you should be ready to go . Anoth­er impor­tant sig­nal is the ‘I’ flag, which indi­cates a change in the start­ing line . Pay atten­tion to this flag, as it could affect your strat­e­gy and give you a com­pet­i­tive advan­tage.

Dur­ing the race, you may encounter the ‘S’ flag, which means you must take a penal­ty for a rule infringe­ment . Don’t ignore this flag, as it could cost you valu­able time and posi­tion. Addi­tion­al­ly, the ‘X’ flag indi­cates that the race has been aban­doned or post­poned . If you see this flag, be pre­pared to fol­low the instruc­tions giv­en by the race com­mit­tee.

Under­stand­ing and respond­ing to these prepara­to­ry flags and sig­nals is cru­cial for any sailor who val­ues their free­dom to com­pete in sail­boat rac­ing. So, take the time to famil­iar­ize your­self with them and be ready to nav­i­gate the race­course with con­fi­dence and skill.

Course and Mark Signals

When approach­ing a mark, be sure to keep an eye out for the appro­pri­ate course and mark sig­nals to nav­i­gate the race­course effec­tive­ly. These sig­nals are cru­cial for your suc­cess as a sailor. Free­dom is at the core of sail­boat rac­ing, and under­stand­ing these sig­nals will give you the free­dom to make informed deci­sions on the water.

As you approach a mark, look for the course sig­nal dis­played by the race com­mit­tee . This sig­nal indi­cates the direc­tion you need to sail after round­ing the mark. It could be a sim­ple arrow point­ing left or right, or it may con­sist of mul­ti­ple arrows indi­cat­ing a more com­plex course. Pay atten­tion to this sig­nal to ensure you take the cor­rect path and stay on course.

In addi­tion to the course sig­nal, keep an eye out for mark sig­nals . These sig­nals pro­vide impor­tant infor­ma­tion about the mark itself. They can indi­cate a change in the mark’s posi­tion, a change in the round­ing direc­tion, or even a change in the mark itself . Under­stand­ing these sig­nals will help you antic­i­pate any changes in the race­course and adjust your strat­e­gy accord­ing­ly.

Protest Flags and Signals

When you see a protest flag in sail­boat rac­ing, it’s impor­tant to under­stand its mean­ing. The most com­mon protest flag is a red flag with a white cross, indi­cat­ing that a boat is protest­ing anoth­er boat for a rule vio­la­tion.

If you find your­self in a protest sit­u­a­tion, it’s cru­cial to know how to resolve it prop­er­ly to ensure fair com­pe­ti­tion.

Meaning of Protest Flags

You should famil­iar­ize your­self with the mean­ing of protest flags before par­tic­i­pat­ing in sail­boat rac­ing. Under­stand­ing these flags is essen­tial to ensure fair com­pe­ti­tion and main­tain the free­dom that rac­ing rep­re­sents.

Here are three impor­tant protest flags and their mean­ings:

• Blue Flag : This flag indi­cates that a boat intends to protest anoth­er boat for break­ing a rule. It’s impor­tant to keep a close eye on this flag, as it sig­ni­fies a poten­tial dis­pute between com­peti­tors.
• Yel­low Flag : When this flag is dis­played, it means that a protest hear­ing is being held. This flag warns all par­tic­i­pants to be cau­tious and respect­ful dur­ing the hear­ing process.
• Red Flag : The red flag is raised when a protest has been with­drawn. It sig­ni­fies that the dis­pute has been resolved or aban­doned.

Common Protest Signal

Don’t under­es­ti­mate the sig­nif­i­cance of famil­iar­iz­ing your­self with the com­mon protest sig­nal dur­ing sail­boat rac­ing. It’s cru­cial to under­stand this sig­nal as it can great­ly impact your race and the free­dom you desire on the open water.

When you see a boat rais­ing a protest flag, typ­i­cal­ly a red flag, it means that they believe anoth­er boat has vio­lat­ed a rac­ing rule. This sig­nal sig­ni­fies their inten­tion to file a protest against the oth­er boat’s actions.

As a sailor, know­ing this sig­nal allows you to be proac­tive in avoid­ing poten­tial con­flicts and ensur­ing fair com­pe­ti­tion. By being aware of the com­mon protest sig­nal, you can nav­i­gate the race­course with con­fi­dence, know­ing that you’re respect­ing the rules and uphold­ing the free­dom that sail­boat rac­ing rep­re­sents.

Resolving Protest Situations

To effec­tive­ly resolve protest sit­u­a­tions dur­ing sail­boat rac­ing, it’s impor­tant that you remain calm and coop­er­ate with the race offi­cials. Remem­ber, your free­dom to enjoy the race depends on your abil­i­ty to han­dle these sit­u­a­tions with grace and respect.

Here are three key points to keep in mind:

• Com­mu­ni­cate clear­ly: When pre­sent­ing your protest, make sure your mes­sage is con­cise and eas­i­ly under­stood. Use sim­ple lan­guage and avoid any unnec­es­sary aggres­sion or hos­til­i­ty.
• Fol­low pro­ce­dures: Famil­iar­ize your­self with the rules and reg­u­la­tions of the race. Under­stand the prop­er steps to take when fil­ing a protest and be pre­pared to pro­vide any evi­dence or wit­ness­es that sup­port your case.
• Be open to com­pro­mise: Some­times, find­ing a mid­dle ground is the best way to resolve a protest sit­u­a­tion. Lis­ten to the oth­er par­ty’s per­spec­tive and be will­ing to nego­ti­ate a solu­tion that’s fair for every­one involved.

Abandonment Flags and Signals

Grab the binoc­u­lars and look for any aban­don­ment flags or sig­nals on near­by boats. As a sailor who desires free­dom, you under­stand the impor­tance of being aware of poten­tial dan­gers on the water. Aban­don­ment flags and sig­nals are cru­cial in ensur­ing the safe­ty of all sailors. These flags and sig­nals indi­cate that a boat or its crew may require assis­tance or are in need of imme­di­ate res­cue. By spot­ting these flags or sig­nals, you can take action and pro­vide the nec­es­sary help, ensur­ing that every­one can con­tin­ue enjoy­ing the free­dom of sail­ing.

To help you bet­ter under­stand the var­i­ous aban­don­ment flags and sig­nals, here is a table high­light­ing some of the most com­mon­ly used ones:

Penalty Flags and Signals

Keep an eye out for any penal­ty flags or sig­nals, as they can indi­cate rule vio­la­tions and affect the out­come of the race. In sail­boat rac­ing, it’s cru­cial to under­stand the mean­ing behind these flags and sig­nals to ensure fair com­pe­ti­tion and main­tain the spir­it of free­dom on the water. Here are three key points to con­sid­er:

• Penal­ty flags: These flags are raised by race offi­cials to indi­cate a rule vio­la­tion by a boat. The flags come in dif­fer­ent col­ors, such as yel­low or blue, and are typ­i­cal­ly dis­played along­side a num­ber, rep­re­sent­ing the spe­cif­ic rule bro­ken. Be vig­i­lant in spot­ting these flags, as they can result in time penal­ties or dis­qual­i­fi­ca­tion.
• Sig­nals from oth­er boats: Pay atten­tion to the actions of oth­er boats around you. If a com­peti­tor rais­es a flag or makes a spe­cif­ic hand sig­nal, it could be a warn­ing that you have vio­lat­ed a rule. Keep an open mind and be ready to adjust your tac­tics to avoid penal­ties.
• Com­mu­ni­ca­tion with race offi­cials: If you have any doubts or con­cerns about a poten­tial rule vio­la­tion, don’t hes­i­tate to con­tact the race com­mit­tee. They’re there to ensure fair­ness and resolve any dis­putes that arise dur­ing the race. Main­tain a respect­ful and open line of com­mu­ni­ca­tion to uphold the prin­ci­ples of free­dom and fair play.

Safety and Emergency Signals

If you encounter any safe­ty or emer­gency sig­nals dur­ing the race, please fol­low the instruc­tions pro­vid­ed and ensure the well-being of your­self and oth­ers. Your safe­ty is of utmost impor­tance, and it is cru­cial to under­stand the mean­ing behind these sig­nals. To help you nav­i­gate the race course, here is a table out­lin­ing some com­mon safe­ty and emer­gency sig­nals you may encounter:

So, now you know the var­i­ous sail­boat rac­ing flags and sig­nals used in com­pe­ti­tions. The Inter­na­tion­al Code of Sig­nals pro­vides a stan­dard­ized sys­tem for com­mu­ni­ca­tion on the water.

From prepara­to­ry flags to protest flags, each sig­nal plays a vital role in ensur­ing fair and safe races. Under­stand­ing these sig­nals is cru­cial for all sailors and race offi­cials.

By fol­low­ing the cor­rect flags and sig­nals, par­tic­i­pants can nav­i­gate the race­course effec­tive­ly and respond appro­pri­ate­ly to any emer­gen­cies or penal­ties that may arise.

Related posts:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Forum: The Racing Rules of Sailing

• The Racing Rules of Sailing
• Regole e dintorni - Italian channel
• Rule 18 and Room at the Mark
• Rules 2 and 69
• Match and Team Racing Rules
• Protest Hearing Procedures
• Race Officers
• Share your SI/NOR language.
• Training Announcements and Opportunities
• Event Management System
• 2022 Test Rule 18 - Revision 1 (May 2022)
• LGBTQ Therapists Toronto
• Order Australia Driver license Online Australiaaussiedocsforsale.com
• Online Slice Master Game Tips To Play
• Interesting about geometry dash game
• How Snake Game Help Can Boost Your Levels

RRS 61.1 - Informing the protestee - how fundamental is displaying red flag.

• Regional Judge
• Regional Race Officer
• National Judge
• National Race Officer
• Umpire In Training

 If they're hung on my anchor rode for 2 or 3 minutes, someone is going to take a penalty, red flag or no. 

 And Matt the only way a jury could exonerate Boat A was if they had successfully protested Boat B 

 I can't make out from the original post who had ROW or what rules were broken, other than that boat A appears to have broken 31 

An anchor line or an object attached accidentally to a mark is not part of it.

 Would Boat A have any standing for a valid protest against B without display of red flag? 

• Fleet Measurer
• International Judge

“For the display of the red flag, the general consensus is that this is to be within a matter of seconds.  Going below, or hunting around a locker to find the flag is not soon enough.”

• International Race Officer
• International Umpire

A protest flag flown 10–15 seconds after an incident when a member of the crew is able to retrieve and display the flag in that time and acts to do so is consistent with displaying the flag at the “first reasonable opportunity.”

Rule 61.1 (a) uses the phrase “first reasonable opportunity.” The word “immediate” does not occur in that rule. Where as it may be reasonable for a boat to hail “Protest” immediately after an incident (see Appeal case US122 ), it is just as reasonable for it to take a little time for a crew to retrieve and then display a protest flag. Furthermore, while it is possible to store a flag such that it could be displayed immediately, Rule 61.1(a) does not require it. On the other hand, it is also possible to store a flag in such a way that the delay required in retrieving it would not be reasonable. A protest flag flown 10–15 seconds after an incident, when a member of the crew is able to retrieve and display the flag in that time and acts to do so, is consistent with displaying the flag at the “first reasonable opportunity.” See also US Sailing appeals US46 , US67 and US82 .

Last Updated

Protests, Hearings, and Redress: Racing Rules of Sailing 2021-2024

In this article, we’ll highlight rules 61 – 63 regarding protests, hearings, redress from a sailor’s point of view. These rules are in part 5 of the racing rules of sailing.

This series updates the Inland Lake Yachting Association (ILYA) #FairSailing initiative begun in 2018. In the update, we’ve incorporated the 2021-2024 changes and added a video version of the article.

Video: Protests, Hearing, Redress

Rule  61 – Protest Requirements  

61.1 informing the protestee  (2021 changes shown in red).

“(a) The protesting boat shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity. When her protest will concern an incident in the racing area that she was involved in or saw, she shall hail ‘Protest’ and conspicuously display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity for each. She shall display the flag until she is no longer racing. However, 

(1) if the other boat is beyond hailing distance, the protesting boat need not hail but she shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity; 

(2) if the hull length of the protesting boat is less than 6 meters [about 19 ½ feet], she need not display a red flag; 

(3) if the incident was an error by the other boat in sailing the course, she need not hail or display a red flag but she shall inform the other boat either before or at the first reasonable opportunity after the other boat finishes;  

(4) if at the time of the incident it is obvious to the protesting boat that a member of either crew is in danger, or that injury or serious damage resulted, the requirements of this rule do not apply to her, but she shall attempt to inform the other boat within the time limit of rule 61.3.

 (b) If the race committee, technical committee or protest committee intends to protest a boat concerning an incident the committee observed in the racing area, it shall inform her after the race within the time limit of rule 61.3. In other cases the committee shall inform the boat of its intention to protest as soon as reasonably possible.  A notice posted on the official notice board within the appropriate time limit satisfies this requirement.

(c) If the protest committee decides to protest a boat under rule 60.3(a)(2), it shall inform her as soon as reasonably possible, close the current hearing, proceed as required by rules 61.2 and 63, and hear the original and the new protests together.” 

61.2 Protest Contents  

“A protest shall be in writing and identify  (a) the protestor and protestee;  (b) the incident;  (c) where and when the incident occurred;  (d) any rule the protestor believes was broken; and  (e) the name of the protestor’s representative. 

However, if requirement (b) is met, requirement (a) may be met at any time before the hearing, and requirements (d) and (e) may be met before or during the hearing. Requirement (c) may also be met before or during the hearing, provided the protestee is allowed reasonable time to prepare for the hearing.” 

61.3 Protest Time Limit

“A protest by a boat, or by the race committee, technical committee or protest committee about an incident observed in the racing area, shall be delivered to the race office within the protest time limit stated in the sailing instructions. If none is stated, the time limit is two hours after the last boat in the race finishes . Other protests shall be delivered to the race office no later than two hours after the protestor receives the relevant information. The protest committee shall extend the time if there is good reason to do so.”

Rule 61 Key Points and Changes

• To protest another boat, you must hail “protest.”
• You must also display a red flag if your boat is longer than 6 meters (about 19-1/2 feet).
• Boat is too far away. If so let them as soon as possible after finishing.
• Other boat did not sail the course (no flag required in this case).
• Crew in danger, injury, or serious damage.
• Write down your protest deliver it to the race office within the time limits in the sailing instructions. If not stated, the time limit is two hours after the last boat finishes.
• Change for 2021: If the race committee protests a boat, the RC can simply post a notice on the official notice board. Make sure you check the notice board after racing.

R ule  6 1   Questions  

• Is it mean to protest someone? Is the protest process difficult?  Answer  
• Another boat fouls you but there is no damage or injury. You say “do your circles” and promptly fly your protest flag (if your boat is over 6 meters long). The other boat does not take any penalty, so you file a protest following the race. Is your protest likely to be successful?   Answer  

Appendix T – Arbitration    

You can choose arbitration if the Sailing Instructions or Notice of Race state that Appendix T is in effect. Arbitration allows for post-race scoring penalties instead of disqualification and can also simplify the resolution by avoiding a protest hearing.  

T1 Post-Race Penalties

“(a) Provided that rule 44.1(b) does not apply, a boat that may have broken one or more rules of Part 2 or rule 31 in an incident may take a Post-Race Penalty at any time after the race until the beginning of a protest hearing involving the incident. 

(b) A Post-Race Penalty is a 30% Scoring Penalty calculated as stated in rule 44.3(c). However, rule 44.1(a) applies. 

(c) A boat takes a Post-Race Penalty by delivering to the arbitrator or a member of the protest committee a written statement that she accepts the penalty and that identifies the race number and where and when the incident occurred.” 

T2 Arbitration Meeting  

“An arbitration meeting will be held prior to a protest hearing for each incident resulting in a protest by a boat involving one or more rules of Part 2 or rule 31, but only if each party is represented by a person who was on board at the time of the incident. No witnesses will be permitted. However, if the arbitrator decides that rule 44.1(b) may apply or that arbitration is not appropriate, the meeting will not be held, and if a meeting is in progress, it will be closed.” 

T3 Arbitrator’s Opinion

“Based on the evidence given by the representatives, the arbitrator will offer an opinion as to what the protest committee is likely to decide:  (a) the protest is invalid,  (b) no boat will be penalized for breaking a rule, or  (c) one or more boats will be penalized for breaking a rule, identifying the boats and the penalties.” 

T4 Arbitration Outcomes  

“After the arbitrator offers an opinion,   (a) a boat may take a Post-Race Penalty, and (b) a boat may ask to withdraw her protest. The arbitrator may then act on behalf of the protest committee in accordance with rule 63.1 to allow the withdrawal. 

Unless all protests involving the incident are withdrawn, a protest hearing will be held.” 

Appendix T Key Points  for Sailors

• Appendix T only applies if the sailing instructions or notice of race so state. 
• Can’t use arbitration if there was injury or serious damage.
• An arbitration hearing occurs before the protest hearing.
• A boat can withdraw the protest
• A boat can take a 30% post-race scoring penalty
• If neither occurs, the issue continues to the protest hearing

Appendix T – 2021 Changes

No changes for 2021-2024.

Rule 63 – Protest Hearings  

We’ll summarize this rule, rather than go through it in detail.

If the arbitration step did not resolve the issue, you will have a protest hearing. The organizing authority will assemble a protest committee (usually 3 people).   

• Did the protestor hail “protest?” When? 
• Did the protestor fly a red flag? When? 
• Was the protest form adequate? 
• Both parties will explain what happened. 
• The protest committee will ask questions. 
• The parties will ask each other questions. 
• Hear evidence from witnesses. 
• The parties and witnesses will leave and the protest committee will decide the outcome. 
• The protest committee will announce the decision to both parties. 

Rule 62 – Redress

“61.1 A request for redress or a protest committee’s decision to consider redress shall be based on a claim or possibility that a boat’s score or place in a race or series has been or may be, through no fault of her own, made significantly worse by

(a) an improper action or omission of the race committee, protest committee, organizing authority or technical committee for the event, but not by a protest committee decision when the boat was a party to the hearing;

(b) injury or physical damage because of the action of a boat that was breaking a rule of Part 2 and took an appropriate penalty or was penalized, or of a vessel not racing that was required to keep clear or is determined to be at fault under the IRPCAS or a government right-of-way rule;

(c) giving help (except to herself or her crew) in compliance with rule 1.1; or

(d) an action of another boat, or a crew member or support person of that boat, that resulted in a penalty under rule 2 or a penalty or warning under rule 69.”

62.2 “A request shall be in writing and identify the reason for making it. If the request is based on an incident in the racing area, it shall be delivered to the race office within the protest time limit or two hours after the incident, whichever is later. Other requests shall be delivered as soon as reasonably possible after learning of the reasons for making the request. The protest committee shall extend the time if there is good reason to do so. No red flag is required.

(a) However, on the last scheduled day of racing a request for redress based on a protest committee decision shall be delivered no later than 30 minutes after the decision was posted.”

Rule 62 Key Points and Changes

A boat can request redress if her score was made significantly worse for the following reasons:

• Action by the race committee, protest committee (unless the boat was apart of the protest), or the organizing authority.
• Another boat caused injury or damage and was breaking a rule of part 2. 2021 change: to get redress, the other boat must have taken a penalty or been penalized. Be sure to protest the boat if needed.
• You give help to another boat in danger under Rule 1.1.
• Action of another boat, crew, or support person that results in a penalty under Rule 2 (fair sailing) or a penalty or warning under rule 69 (misconduct).

To request redress, deliver a written notice to the race office within the protest time limit. 2021 change: On the last day of racing, the time limit for requesting redress is 30 minutes after the protest committee posts the decision.

SailZing Rules Category World Sailing – Racing Rules of Sailing

Related Posts

2017-2020 Racing Rules of Sailing: 8 Key Changes

ILYA #FairSailing Initiative Racing Rules Quiz – Level I

ILYA #FairSailing Initiative Racing Rules Quiz – Level II

Leave a comment cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

5 tips: when, why and how to take a penalty in a yacht race – advice from top match racer Ian Williams

• April 12, 2015

Knowing when and why to take a penalty can get lost in the heat of competition. Jonty Sherwill asked top match racer Ian Williams for his 5 tips

Consider whether it's better to tack first or gybe first when taking a penalty. Photo: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

“It’s close, but we are easily clearing them,” is the call from the tactician as you beat to windward on port tack. But the breeze is veering and the other boat is now lifted and hailing “starboard”. You press on, confident of still clearing them, but suddenly the other boat crash-tacks onto port and is now shouting “protest!” There’s been no contact, so what do you do now?

Avoidable or not, unexpected incidents like this can jeopardise your results and will need decisive action. Taking a penalty is the easiest solution – hoping for the best and doing nothing is a risky strategy and likely to see you in the protest room.

Acquiring a good knowledge of the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) will help you avoid infringements and, while protest meetings are not as daunting as some like to make out, avoiding the humiliation of being given a schoolboy’s guide to the rules is worth the extra homework.

Nowadays race officers and their assistants are discouraged from lodging protests against competitors for infringements seen while racing, even for sailing the wrong course. It is preferred to rely on other competitors to protest, the exception being during a start sequence.

This can add a moral dilemma that works two ways; if you think you see another boat hit a mark some way off, but near a committee member should you protest and risk being accused of gamesmanship, and if you touch a mark and no one sees or protests should you take a penalty?

Whether to own up or wait to be protested is a personal decision and different classes will have different cultures. In some fleets competitors take responsibility for the fairness of the racing, but the system has come under enough pressure to force some regattas to introduce umpiring, a costly and imperfect solution.

 1 . When to take a penalty

When another boat protests, you have to make an instant decision whether to take a penalty or not. Of course, your first thought will be whether you think you have infringed or not but, if you believe you have not, you also need to consider the likelihood of the protestor going ahead with the protest and the chances of winning. Most likely they have seen the incident differently from you. Important factors are whether either has a witness, who had the best view of the incident and whether there are any onuses in play (see, for example, RRS 18.2(d)).

 2. How long do you have to take your penalty?

If the Sailing Instructions say nothing about penalties, the default is RRS 44, and 44.2 states that penalty turns should be taken ‘as soon after the incident as possible’. In practice, many boats push the definition of this, but rarely get punished for it, so each class tends to find its own understanding of what is acceptable. Getting well clear to avoid impeding other boats is important, especially at busy mark roundings.

 3. Types of penalty – read the Sailing Instructions

There are few things worse than infringing a rule and then realising you do not know what penalty you have to take. Is it one turn, two turns, or a scoring penalty? There’s no time to read the Sailing Instructions (SIs) at that point so make sure you know what is required in advance, which may include having a yellow flag ready to display if it’s scoring penalties (RRS 44.3). Unless otherwise specified in the SIs, the penalty for touching a mark (RRS 31) is a one-turn penalty.

4. How to do the penalty

It is worth spending time practising penalties as we do not (hopefully) get much experience of it during racing. Although it must be done immediately, that does not mean it needs to be taken in a blind panic. Keep the turns smooth and use the bottom part of the turn, as you start to wind back into the breeze, to slow the turn slightly and allow the boat to accelerate.

Think in advance about whether it is better to tack first or gybe first – in most instances the tack first is the better option, but there are situations where gybing first will put you in a better position on the fleet.

5. Preparation

Use the time while sailing clear to prepare the boat for the manouevre, ensuring sheets are clear to run and somebody is ready to ease the vang if the breeze is up. If you are on a downwind leg, you should also consider how you want to exit the penalty and ensure the spinnaker and pole are set up ready.

On some boats you may be able to leave the pole on by executing a leeward drop, then you are ready to hoist immediately after the penalty. Or it may be better to do a windward drop so you can hoist out of the last tack without the pole and do the last gybe with the spinnaker drawing.

• RRS 18.2(d) – ‘If there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, it shall be presumed that she did not.’
• RRS 44.2 – ‘After getting well clear of other boats as soon after the incident as possible . . .’ etc.
• Scoring penalties (RRS 44.3(a)) – ‘A boat takes a Scoring Penalty by displaying a yellow flag at the first reasonable opportunity after the incident.’
• (RRS 31) – ‘While racing, a boat shall not touch a starting mark before starting, a mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg of the course on which she is sailing, or a finishing mark after finishing.’

Ian Williams is a four-times ISAF Match Racing World Champion and the only European to hold multiple match racing world titles. He has won the World Match Racing Tour ten times. Williams is also well-known on the professional big boat circuit as a tactician and has been shortlisted twice for the ISAF World Sailor of the Year Award

This is an extract from a feature in Yachting World March 2015 issue

Published on March 25th, 2020 | by Editor

Properly informing the Protestee

Published on March 25th, 2020 by Editor -->

The Racing Rules of Sailing provides for appeals as a mechanism to correct possible protest committee errors in interpreting the rules. In his role as Chair of the US Sailing Appeals Committee , Dave Perry is eager to bring these appeal decisions out of the back room and into the light.

In Appeal 124 , it focuses on the amount of time to display a protest flag to fulfill the requirements of rule 61.1(a) (Protest Requirements: Informing the Protestee).

Ready to learn something? Here we go:

Facts and Decision of the Protest Committee: Mofongo (S) and Fuzzy Logic (P), two 20-foot keelboats, were sailing upwind in light air with no other boats nearby and were approaching each other on opposite tacks. S bore away to avoid contact with P. S immediately hailed “Protest” and the crew promptly acted to retrieve the protest flag and display it. The flag was displayed 10–15 seconds after the incident.

The protest committee decided that the flag was displayed at the first reasonable opportunity after the incident as required by rule 61.1(a). P appealed that decision claiming that the “first reasonable opportunity” to display a protest flag on boats sailing in open water in light wind should be interpreted as “immediate,” within three to five seconds.

P further claimed that when an on-the-water alternative penalty is available, protested boats should have immediate and complete notification of a boat’s intention to protest, and that 10–15 seconds is too much time and distance sailed to be considered the “first reasonable opportunity” to display the flag. Decision of the Appeals Committee: Rule 61.1(a) uses the phrase “first reasonable opportunity.” The word “immediate” does not occur in that rule. Whereas it may be reasonable for a boat to hail “Protest” immediately after an incident (see Appeal 122 ), it is just as reasonable for it to take a little time for a crew to retrieve and then display a protest flag.

Furthermore, while it is possible to store a flag such that it could be displayed immediately, rule 61.1(a) does not require it. On the other hand, it is also possible to store a flag in such a way that the delay required in retrieving it would not be reasonable.

A protest flag flown 10–15 seconds after an incident when a member of the crew is able to retrieve and display the flag in that time and acts to do so is consistent with displaying the flag at the “first reasonable opportunity.” See also US Sailing Appeals 46, 67 and 82.

P claims that when an on-the-water alternative penalty is available, protested boats should have immediate and complete notification of a boat’s intention to protest. We note that rule 44.2, One-Turn and Two-Turns Penalties, requires a boat intending to take a penalty to get well clear of other boats “as soon after the incident as possible” and then promptly make her turns, and that rule 44.3, Scoring Penalty, requires a boat to display a yellow flag “at the first reasonable opportunity after the incident.”

These rules do not provide time for a boat to wait until she hears the word “Protest” and/or sees a red flag displayed before taking her penalty.

A boat that does not take her penalty in accordance with rules 44.2 or 44.3 risks having her penalty found to be invalid. Furthermore, a boat that realizes at the time of an incident that she broke a rule and does not take her penalty not only risks having her penalty found to be invalid, she also breaks a recognized principle of sportsmanship that requires a boat that realizes she has broken a rule to promptly take a penalty (see Basic Principles, Sportsmanship and the Rules; rule 2, Fair Sailing; and World Sailing Case 138, Answer 3).

P’s appeal is denied. The protest committee’s decision is upheld.

To learn about the Appeals process, click here .

Tags: appeal , Dave Perry , education , Racing Rules of Sailing , US Sailing

Related Posts

Even Moses needed a cheat sheet →

2024 U.S. Singlehanded Championship →

How to build a great sailing crew →

Lessons learned from sinking →

© 2024 Scuttlebutt Sailing News. Inbox Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. made by VSSL Agency .

• Privacy Statement
• Advertise With Us

Get Your Sailing News Fix!

Your download by email.

• Your Name...
• Your Email... *
• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Deep Water Happy

Protests in sailboat racing // racing rules of sailing.

• On April 20, 2020
• By Kimberly

How to initiate a protest while racing is important to know if you plan to do any sailboat racing. There’s more to it than just hoisting a red flag. You must know what to do when, and how long you have to do it. Plus, there’s usually not enough time to look up the rules while racing, so it’ best to learn them in advance.

World Sailing is the the international authority for the sport of sailboat racing. They revise and publish the racing rules every four years. The current Racing Rules of Sailing became effective January 1, 2018 and are in effect until 2021.

First, the vessels must sail the course. This is an easy place to begin in order to start to understand the language of the Racing Rules of Sailing. Next, we’ll tackle protests.

28           SAILING THE COURSE

28.1        A boat shall start, sail the course described in the sailing instructions and finish. While doing so, she may leave on either side a mark that does not begin, bound or end the leg she is sailing. After finishing she need not cross the finishing line completely.

28.2        A  string representing a boat’s track from the time she begins to approach the starting line from its pre-start side to start until  she finishes shall, when drawn taut,

(a) pass each mark on the required side and in the correct order,

(b) touch each rounding mark, and

(c) pass between the marks of a gate from the direction of the previous mark. She may correct any errors to comply with this rule, provided she has not finished.

Where to Find The Course

Rule 28 Sailing the Course is pretty easy to understand. Read the “NOR” or Notice of Race in advance. It will contain the who-what-where-when-why of the sailing instructions.

Next, read the Sailing Instructions. This will have a more in-depth description of the start, racing area, marks and other details. A chart of the race course probably will be an additional item.

61           PROTEST REQUIREMENTS

61.1        informing the protestee.

(a) A boat intending to protest shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity. When her protest will concern an incident in the racing area that she was involved in or saw, she shall hail ‘Protest’ and conspicuously display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity for each. She shall display the flag until she is no longer racing. However,

(1) if the other boat is beyond hailing distance, the protesting boat need not hail but she shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity;

(2) if the hull length of the protesting boat is less than 6 meters, she need not display a red flag;

(3) if the incident was an error by the other boat in sailing the course, she need not hail or display a red flag but she shall inform the other boat before or at the first reasonable opportunity after the other boat finishes;

(4) if as a result of the incident a member of either crew is in danger, or there is injury or serious damage that is obvious to the boat intending to protest, the requirements of this rule do not apply to her, but she shall attempt to inform the other boat within the time limit of rule 61.3.

(b) If the race committee, technical committee or protest committee intends to protest a boat concerning an incident the committee observed in the racing area, it shall inform her after the race within the time limit of rule  61.3. In other cases the committee shall inform the boat of its intention to  protest as soon as reasonably possible.

(c) If the protest committee decides to protest a boat under rule 60.3(a)(2),  it shall inform her as soon as reasonably possible, close the current hearing, proceed as required by rules 61.2 and 63, and hear the original and the new protests together.

61.2 Protest Contents

A protest shall be in writing and identify

(a) the protestor and protestee;

(b) the incident;

(c) where and when the incident occurred;

(d) any rule the protestor believes was broken; and

(e) the name of the protestor’s representative.

However, if requirement (b) is met, requirement (a) may be met at any time before the hearing, and requirements (d) and (e) may be met before or during the hearing. Requirement (c) may also be met before or during the  hearing, provided the protestee is allowed reasonable time to prepare for the hearing.

61.3        Protest Time Limit

A protest by a boat, or by the race committee, technical committee or protest committee about an incident the committee observed in the racing  area, shall be delivered to the race office within the protest time limit stated in the sailing instructions. If none is stated, the time limit is two hours after  the last boat in the race finishes. Other race committee, technical committee or protest committee protests shall be delivered to the race office no later  than two hours after the committee receives the relevant information. The  protest committee shall extend the time if there is good reason to do so.

US Sailing Protest Form

This form probably will make the rules written above even easier to understand. Item number five is the important part. How did you inform the protestee of your intention to protest. With what method, when, and how and even what words you used.

More Resources

Forum: The Racing Rules of Sailing have some awesome in-depth scrutiny of the rules. The Racing Rules of Sailing have all the rules presented in an easy-to-access format.

For a pdf of the World Sailing Rules that includes the race signal flags, SailJax.com has an even easier-to-read version that you can download or print.

If you’d like to see an example of Sailing Instructions , here’s a general one from the St. Augustine Yacht Club with a basic race course chart.

A Notice of Race for our recent St. Augustine Sailing Sisters ‘ Spring Foward Race will give you an idea of what to expect from that publication. (sic)

For the US Sailing Protest form including the second page for the use of the protest committee, this link takes you to the pdf version.

If you want to get out on the water in Northeast Florida, St. Augustine Sailing offers classes, sailing club memberships. fractional ownership, and captained charters. You can comply with guidelines and social distance!

What to Read Next

Spring Foward Womans Sailing Race 2020 // St. Augustine Sailing Sisters // St. Augustine, Florida

Making Money By Renting Your Dock to Boaters // Airbnb Your Dock // Passive Income Wins

How To Choose a Good Sailing School

Sunscreen and Reef-Safe Toiletries

When you sail, don’t forget to bring a small backpack or bag for carrying a few items to the boat with you. A dry bag gives you even more flexibility and security.

My  Stream2Sea  dry bag is the perfect size for all my sunscreen, bathing suit or foundation garments, sunglasses case, a book, and a few other items for excursions to the boat or yacht club. My discount code “DeepWH” gets you 10% off everything except hand sanitizer – it’s paying the bills for them right now.  

Stream2Sea  have hand sanitizer, reef-safe sunscreen, leave-in conditioner, lip balm, shampoo, body wash, and even mask defog! Using my link won’t increase you price, and I might receive a small incentive for introducing you to reef-safe sunscreens and more.

Great Training Resource

My First Aid and CPR annual course simply did not have enough depth and breadth for the possibilities of a boat event. So, I highly recommend the Tactical Casualty Care online course from  Crisis Medicine .

In fact, I learned so much from the training, that I have been writing a lot about the topics and the training, hoping anyone active outdoors will take responsibility and seek out bleeding control training..

For courses through Crisis Medicine, I’m able to offer you a 20% discount; just use my code, “DeepWH” at checkout for the TC2 course.

About Kimberly

You may also like.

St. Augustine Local Knowledge Sailboat Run

My First Published Sailing Article // Kim Goes Foreign // 1975 Bahamas Trip

Things New Sailors Need to Know

Leave a comment cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.