Changes to the Racing Rules of Sailing 2021

Recently I've been studying the updates to the Racing Rules of Sailing. I've put together an explanation of the changes here: https://dinghyracingtips.com/blog/changes-to-racing-rules-of-sailing-2021-2024/

Thanks Graham that's very useful. I thought I'd get something out and adjust it based on other's knowledge/ reading the rest of the book. So your feedback is much appreciated. 

John Brooker

Thank you for your detailed work in identifying changes to the rules.

I haven't got my head around all the changes yet, but I think that your conclusion that 'most changes to Racing Rules of Sailing 2021 are slight' is correct, at least as far as the When Boats Meet Part 2 rules and the procedural effects on ordinary sailors.

There are some moderately significant changes that will affect race management and documentation and some protest an redress processes, which are probably of more concern to race officials than to competitors.

As Graham has said, I don't think you have fully grasped the interactions involved in some of the changes, particularly the replacement of rule 21 by rule 43.

You might be assisted by the discussions of the racingrulesofsailing.org forum https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/posts?forum_id=1.

Why did you post this general racing rules topic in Dinghy Technique instead of the Racing Rules forum?

Some comments on your three 'headline' changes.

'Hull of primary importance': I agree and well put. Note that this also affects trapezing crew on a boat reaching down the starting line.

'Infringing in the zone': As Graham has pointed out, you are off beam on this one: exoneration has not been removed, it is now consolidated into rule 43. There is no really significant change affecting the way competitors shoudl sail.    And by the way boat's don't 'infringe': they break the rules.

'More Power to SI writers': I would argue that the two matters you highlight are trifling: they were certainly not intended to give more 'power' to race committees. Of somewhat more interest to race document writers is the new requirements that certain rule changes and other matters be included in NOR, rather than SI.

Edited by Brass - 01 Aug 20 at 12:50am

Cheers Brass. Yes, I haven't got round to reading the full rule book yet but the changes do seem slight on the whole. I don't plan to include changes related to race management just because the post is meant for sailors who don't want to have to read the book with a fine tooth comb to find what's relevant to them.

They could I suppose use the old rules for the rescheduled games.