Changes in The Racing Rules of Sailing ISAF has announced that several changes in The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2009-2012 will take effect on 1 January 2010.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has stated that rule 18.2(c) will be changed to prohibit a newly discovered and potentially dangerous tactic that was an unintended consequence of the current wording of this rule.The revised rule will no longer permit a boat to tack just before she reaches a mark and, as a result of her tack, become entitled to mark-room from boats that had been clear ahead of her when they reached the zone.

A parallel change in rule B3.1(c) outlaws a similar tactic in a sailboard race.
The definition of an 'obstruction' will be changed so that a boat racing will no longer be an obstruction to other boats that are required to give her room or mark-room.

This change will simplify the analysis of some situations near a mark in which both rules 18 and 19 apply, and it will not otherwise change the 'game'.


Additions will be made to the definition of 'party' to correct unintended omissions. The revised definition will mean that, whenever redress is requested for a boat by the race committee or considered for a boat by the protest committee, that boat will be a party to the resulting hearing. Also, a race committee that requests redress for a boat will also become a party when its request is heard.Details from the ISAF site here