Source: R R S

Sail the Course

Updated: 2026-02-21

Definition

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.

Definitions

Finish

A boat finishes when, after her starting signal, any part of her hull crosses the finishing line from the course side. However, she has not finished if after crossing the finishing line she

(a) takes a penalty under rule 44.2,
(b) corrects an error in sailing the course made at the line, or
(c) continues to sail the course.

After finishing she need not cross the finishing line completely. The sailing instructions may change the direction in which boats are required to cross the finishing line to finish.

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.

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.