A term used as stated below is shown in italic type or, in preambles, in bold italic type. The meaning of several other terms is given in Terminology in the Introduction.
Abandon
A race that a race committee or protest committee abandons is void
but may be resailed.
Clear Astern and Clear Ahead; Overlap
One boat is clear astern of another when her hull and equipment in normal position
are behind a line abeam from the aftermost point of the other boat’s hull
and equipment in normal position. The other boat is clear ahead. They overlap
when neither is clear astern. However, they also overlap when a boat between
them overlaps both. These terms always apply to boats on the same tack. They
apply to boats on opposite tacks only when rule 18 applies between them or when
both boats are sailing more than ninety degrees from the true wind.
Committee
The protest committee, the race committee or the technical committee.
Conflict of Interest
A conflict of interest exists if a person
(a) may gain or lose as a result of a decision to which that person contributes,
(b) may reasonably appear to have a personal or financial interest which could
affect that person’s ability to be impartial, or
(c) has a close personal interest in a decision.
Continuing Obstruction
An obstruction is a continuing obstruction when the boat with the shortest hull
referred to in the rule using the term will pass alongside it for at least three
of her hull lengths. However, the following are not a continuing obstruction:
a vessel under way, a boat racing, or a race committee vessel that is also a
mark.
Fetching
A boat is fetching a mark when she is in a position to pass to windward of it
and leave it on the required side without changing tack.
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.
Keep Clear
A boat keeps clear of a right-of-way boat
(a) if the right-of-way boat can sail her course with no need to take avoiding
action and,
(b) when the boats are overlapped, if the right-of-way boat can also change
course in both directions without immediately making contact.
Leeward and Windward
A boat’s leeward side is the side that is or, when she is head to wind,
was away from the wind. However, when sailing by the lee or directly downwind,
her leeward side is the side on which her mainsail lies. The other side is her
windward side. When two boats on the same tack overlap, the one on the leeward
side of the other is the leeward boat. The other is the windward boat.
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.
Mark-Room
Room for a boat
(a) to sail to the mark when her proper course is to sail close to it,
(b) to round or pass the mark on the required side, and
(c) to leave it astern.
Obstruction
An obstruction is
(a) an object that a boat could not pass without changing course substantially,
if she were sailing directly towards it and one of her hull lengths from it;
(b) an object that can be safely passed on only one side; or
(c) an object, area or line that is so designated in a rule
However, a boat racing is not an obstruction to other boats unless they are
required to keep clear of her or, if rule 22 applies, avoid her.
Overlap
See Clear Astern and Clear Ahead; Overlap.
Party
A party to a hearing is
(a) for a protest hearing: a protestor, a protestee;
(b) for a redress hearing: a boat requesting redress or for which redress is
requested; a boat for which a hearing is called to consider redress under rule
61.1; a committee acting under rule 61.1;
(c) for a redress hearing under rule 61.4(b)(1): the body alleged to have made
an improper action or improper omission;
(d) a person against whom an allegation of a breach of rule 69.1(a) is made;
a person presenting an allegation under rule 69.2(e)(1);
(e) a support person subject to a hearing under rule 62 or 69; any boat that
person supports; a person appointed to present an allegation under rule 62.2.
However, the protest committee is never a party.
Postpone
A postponed race is delayed before its scheduled start but may be started
or abandoned later.
Proper Course
A course a boat would choose in order to sail the course as soon as possible
in the absence of the other boats referred to in the rule using the term. A
boat has no proper course before her starting signal.
Protest
An allegation made under rule 60 by a boat or a committee that a boat has broken
a rule.
Racing
A boat is racing from her preparatory signal until she finishes and clears the
finishing line and marks or retires, or until the race committee signals a general
recall, postponement or abandonment.
Room The space a boat needs in the existing
conditions, including space to comply with her obligations under the rules of
Part 2 and rule 31, while manoeuvring promptly in a seamanlike way.
Rule
(a) The rules in this book, including the Definitions, Race Signals, Introduction,
preambles and the rules of relevant appendices, but not the Basic Principles
or titles;
(b) World Sailing Regulations that have been designated by World Sailing as
having the status of a rule and are published on the World Sailing website;
(c) the prescriptions of the national authority, unless they are changed by
the notice of race or sailing instructions in compliance with the national authority’s
prescription, if any, to rule 88.2;
(d) the class rules (for a boat racing under a handicap or rating system, the
rules of that system are ‘class rules’);
(e) the notice of race;
(f) the sailing instructions; and
(g) any other documents that govern the event.
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.
Support Person
Any person who
(a) provides, or may provide, physical or advisory support to a competitor,
including any coach, trainer, manager, team staff, medic, paramedic or any other
person working with, treating or assisting a competitor in or preparing for
the competition, or
(b) is the parent or guardian of a competitor.
Tack, Starboard or Port
A boat is on the tack, starboard or port, corresponding to her windward side.
Windward
See Leeward and Windward.
Zone
The area around a mark within a distance of three hull lengths of the boat nearer
to it. A boat is in the zone when any part of her hull is in the zone.