Coles Notes on Starting Rules

1.     Stay out of starting area until your preparatory signal. A boat not racing shall not interfere with one that is. (22.1)

2.     Do your luffing before reaching the RC boat. Once a windward boat has an overlap on the RC boat, she must be given room to pass it. (16.1)

3.     Don't call for room at the pin, Rules for passing a mark do not apply to a starting mark. (18.1)

4.     Do a 360° if you touch the pin.

5.     Approaching the start on port, you must keep clear while tacking and once on starboard you must still initially give room. (13, 15)

6.     Keep clear of other boats if you're over early and returning to restart. (20)

7.     Don't come up too close to the stern of a windward boat. A boat gaining an overlap from clear astern shall initially give a windward boat room to keep clear. (15)

8.     A leeward boat can luff head to wind before the start, as there is no proper course at that point. (Definition)

January 2002