CC MEMO -- Racing Rules Seminar

The Deed of Gift provides for the Challenger (of Record) and Defender to mutually consent to various rules and conditions, including a set of racing rules or "rules of the road" which govern the maneuvers of the yachts, hence tactics, while racing.

The Racing Rules of Sailing ("RRS") published by the International Sailing Federation ("ISAF") are used for virtually all yacht racing in the world. The notable exception is when yachts venture offshore, in which case international regulations governing all vessels override the RRS.

For AC 32, as in all Cups since at least 1958, the RRS have been adopted nearly in full with certain modifications agreed by the Jury, Regatta Director and Competitors.

The RRS are updated by ISAF every four years following the Olympics. A new edition for 2005-2008 took effect in most parts of the world on 1 January. So this year the teams have to contend with both a new AC Class Rule ("Version 5") and a revised set of racing rules.

While changes to the new edition of the RRS are minor, the subtle differences can win or lose races. Therefore it is critical for the afterguards of each team to understand them before Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 4 commences next month (Acts 4-5 are 16-26 June).

In Valencia Monday evening, the Jury and ACM conducted a seminar to brief all Competitors (Challengers and the Defender) on the new edition of the RRS, and how the umpires intend to apply them for AC racing, especially the subset of the RRS which govern match racing and umpiring.

Each team was invited to send up to 5 representatives, and most did. A meeting of the top sailors in the world, to say nothing of the top match racing and AC sailors, is usually a lively affair. The skippers, tacticians, rules advisors, umpires and other officials discuss and debate the nuances of the right-of-way rules, how and when the umpires should make their "calls", and, indeed, whether any of the rules or interpretations ("Call Book for Match Racing") should be modified for Cup racing.

Changes to the rules and interpretations are not made lightly -- with representatives of almost all of the Cup teams racing in the various non-AC match regattas, including the Swedish Match tour, the AC community, ISAF and umpires strive to keep the rules for all match racing events as identical as possible.

Of particular interest has been how to apply and signal RRS 17 for AC 32. Indeed, some would like to delete the rule. However, others argue that would affect not only racing tactics but design of the yachts. [At the Challenger Commission meetings earlier this week, the CC declined to support the Defender's proposal to delete RRS 17].

The presentations made at Monday's night seminar by AC umpires Brad Dellenbaugh (USA) and John Standley (AUS) are available by clicking on the respective document names below (please note: these are large files, so you may wish to skip them unless you are really into this stuff):

Changes to the RRS

Delete or Modify Rule 17?

Draft AC Umpire Call 11

Draft AC Umpire Call 12

Senior AC Umpires Brad Dellenbaugh and John Standley making last-minute
checks to their presentations Monday night.