Racing Rules of Sailing

32.1

After the starting signal, the race committee may shorten the course or abandon the race: (a) because of foul weather, (b) because of insufficient wind making it unlikely that any boat will sail the course within the race time limit, (c) because a mark is missing or out of position, or (d) for any other reason directly affecting the safety or fairness of the competition. In addition, the race committee may shorten the course so that other scheduled races can be sailed, or abandon the race because of an error in the starting procedure. However, after one boat has sailed the course within the race time limit, if any, the race committee shall not abandon the race without considering the consequences for all boats in the race or series.

Definitions in Context

Abandon

A race that a race committee or protest committee abandons is void but may be resailed.

Committee

The protest committee, the race committee or the technical committee.

Mark

An object the sailing instructions require a boat to leave on a specified side, a race committee vessel surrounded by navigable water from which the starting or finishing line extends, and an object intentionally attached to the object or vessel. However, an anchor line is not part of the mark.

Sail the Course

A boat sails the course when

(a) she starts;
(b) a string representing her track until she finishes, when drawn taut,
- (1) passes each mark of the course for the race on the required side and in the correct order (including the starting marks),
- (2) touches each mark designated in the sailing instructions to be a rounding mark, and
- (3) passes between the marks of a gate from the direction of the course from the previous mark; and then
(c) she finishes.

A mark that does not begin, bound or end the leg the boat is sailing does not have a required side.

Start

A boat starts when, her hull having been entirely on the pre-start side of the starting line at or after her starting signal, and having complied with rule 30.1 if it applies, any part of her hull crosses the starting line from the pre-start side to the course side.

Related Cases

Case 28

When one boat breaks a rule and, as a result, causes another to touch a mark, the other boat is exonerated. The fact that a starting mark has moved, for whatever reason, does not relieve a boat of her obligation to start. A race committee may abandon under rule 32.1(c) only when the change in the mark’s position has directly affected the safety or fairness of the competition.

Case 37

Each race of an event is a separate race. In a multi-class event, abandonment may be suitable for some classes, but not for all.