International Sailing Federation Racing Rules

SLSF venues, like their real-life counterparts, follow the International Sailing Federation's Racing Rules of Sailing. While the rules may appear intimidatingly expansive at first glance, a simple understanding of just one or two basic rules along with a willingness to learn is all that's required for new skippers to get out on the water and start having fun in Second Life's racing fleets. Even if you know absolutely nothing about racing rules, simply inquire with any SLSF venue host at the commencement of an event and they'll make sure you're taken care of in short order.

Each yacht club takes its own approach to implementing ISaF rules, but the discussion within this thread will serve you well anywhere you choose to sail, second or first life.

One fantastic resource for quickly learning all the basic right-of-way (ROW) rules is US Sailing's Basic Rules of Sailboat Racing flash course, also available in HTML format. Several SLSF venues have in-world rules references available for ready perusal, as well.

Often the best way to learn is from one's fellow skippers out on the water, or here in the forums. Don't be shy about asking questions; we all love to help out!

Hollywood April 2, 2006 – MarkTwain White has prepared a self-paced series of lessons introducing the ISF Racing Rules of Sailing. Now SL skippers can not only learn the Right of Way (ROW) rules in an easy to follow format at their own pace, they have an easy means to review a rule quickly.

Using the outline of US Sailing’s Rules Course, SYC provides the basics of each of the most important rules which is explained in a "slide" which can be clicked on to get a link to a video of the rule from the U.S. Sailing web site. These videos are an excellent tool which will help skippers QUICKLY learn the rule in question.

Come to Starboards Yacht Club in HOLLYWOOD and begin your own self-directed education in the rules that will be used in Hollywood and elsewhere in SL to conduct exciting and fun sailboat racing.

"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." -- Marie Curie

"Fear of the Rules is simply fear of the unknown." -- MarkTwain White

I've been in this situation, under a clear and preventable starboard rights (rule 10) foul on open water in which neither boat hailed and both held course until the actual collision occurred, anticipating that the other boat would break course at the last second. Upon filing formal protest, the committee ruled double-DSQ, mostly in the interest of diplomacy and sportsmanship, as the port-tack boat adamantly asserted a rule 14 violation by the starboard-tack boat.

I did not appeal the committee's decision, in like-minded interest of diplomacy and a learning experience regarding hails. Hails, especially when facilitated by F-key gestures, are a very important element of asserting one's ROW and sailing tactically. It's worth noting, however, that in the fast-paced environment of SL sailing, skippers often don't have opportunity to hail, either from limited situational awareness as boats close together faster than either skipper can react, or, in this case, because the opportunity cost of taking one's fingers off the controls to hail sometimes outweighs the reasonable expectation of an experienced skipper's ability to anticipate and avoid a clearly pending ROW violation.

I bring this up to note the exact text of rule 14:

A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room, and shall not be penalized under this rule unless there is contact that causes damage or injury.

Emphasis added. Regardless of hails, and especially where neither boat hails, when the circumstances of the collision are not in question, the non-ROW boat is clearly the solely burdened party, as damage or injury are not possible in SL sailing. To a certain extent in SL we all assert ROW by crowding and nudging at times, especially amongst mixed fleets in tight quarters.

It's always best to avoid collisions where feasible, and hailing is unquestionably good sportsmanship when asserting and negotiating ROW, but there are only a few limited situations where hailing is strictly prescribed under the ISaF Racing Rules of Sailing. In my example and most situtions, neither the absence of a hail nor a non-injurious collision absolve a non-ROW boat's burden to keep clear, give room, etcet: right of way is not forfeit.

While there is little chance of damage or injust in SL, two boats colliding can and often do lose physics, which could be construed as damage.

That aside, in real life sailing, the pilot has the opportunity and time to swivel his head at least and with the aid of other senses, like hearing, can maintina a good perspective of the position of all boats close to him.

In SL this is not always possible. The mini-mao does not give you any idead of which direction a boat is heading or if it is closing, maintaining direction, or going away until it updates in its indominable SL lag manner. I ahve been blindsided deliberately many times by boats I was not aware of and, I have also hit other boats by accident because I did not see them or because of lag issues I was not aware of the close proximity. As a general rule I for one try to avoid collisions, not cause them by insisting on a ROW rule that is pretty well misused and abused now and will be more so if people do not continue to try and avoid collisions.

Not hitting another boat is good sportsmanship. Deliberately ramming another boat is cheating, whether you have row or not.

I am no real life sailor but I do not believe that real life sailing boats travel at the comparative speeds that the TACOs do in SL. Also real life does not suffer lag issues caused through the many different operating systems, computers and internet connections that we all have. Real life also does not have sim crossings and the blind spots that SL presents, and it does have voice hails. Text hails can and do get missed, if they are ever used, which is seldom.

Yhe avoid collisions at all cost rule should be ignored because no injury or damage is caused in SL and so the circumstances do not apply, yet the other rules are to be retained unmodified without making any allowancwe for the limitataions and restrictions of SL.

I for one would rather try to sail in good sprotsmanship and avoid collisions, pushing people across sim lines and "USING" the rules to win races. I win my races by practicing, planning and working my butt off. Maybe more should try it. It pays dividends.

Here's a nice story:



Heheh. I've been in both situations, and it's absolutely a good experience every time. To be petty is unsportsmanlike, but we should always hail when we believe we're in the right, and protest when our finish is likely to be affected by a foul.

Pay attention to other skippers' protests around you, call your own protests on the issues you think you know. If the skipper you protest doesn't accept, discuss the issue after the race, then file a formal protest if your interpretations are still at odds. Skippers, bystanders, even race organisers and protest committees, this is how we learn!

I am not against the rule of ROW. Rules are there to ensure everyone gets a fair go. I am totally against the rule of ROW being used and turned into the rule of POW.

As I siad, SL is not a level playing field for all. Some have idsticnt advantages over others and can misuse rules unless there is a balancing rule. That rule is AVOID COLLISIONS and add to that SPORTSMANSHIP.

I see no tactics involved in deliberating smashing into the side of another boat that cannot possibly get out of the way, or of forcing another boat into edge of world, or across sim boundaries knowing the the issues of doing so.

You people want to play by the rules of sailing, then apply then within the constraints of SL. Slow the boats down if need be so that there is time to look around and hail and take evasive action. My experience has been the rule of POW is predominant and ROW is used to excuse it.
The ignoring of the anti-colision rule simly because SL does not "allow" you to damage another boat or injure another person is rubbish. SL does not allow you the luxury of haling by voice, turning your head around to examine alkl the boats in te fleet wihtin race conditions, etc, yet you demand that those rules stay in play.

Got abck to the good sportsmanship rule.

If you want to ensure people have no right to hit you during sailing, then sail so that you have the right of way. Going on a port tack and being slammed by a starboard tack and saying it's the starboard tack boat's fault is similar to saying it's the other car's fault for hitting you when you were going the wrong way on the street. That's not to say you can't sail port tack, but you better be damn sure you're in a good situation not to meet another boat on that part of the course. For someone who practices the course a lot, knowing the potential tacks to any mark should be easy to imagine.

This is also why hailing is crucial, because situational awareness is limited in SL. In RL, to win a protest, the ROW boat actually isn't required to hail. However, the venue organizers believe this a necessary step to establish rights, particularly if a situation goes to protest. Yet if we have more people hailing and respecting ROW, the likelihood of a situation going to protest greatly decreases.

And again, I mention that the VYC was created because the original officers wanted to establish a full ROW venue where there was none at the time. While I'm sure a good argument on ROW in SL will have its place (this argument has been done before in the sailboat thread in events), it seems showing a little respect for the rules of the yacht club where you want to sail seems, well, common courtesy.

And also, absolutely nothing prevents someone to organize their own races with a different set of criteria. Given the many different views on how sailing should take place, a different kind of race will probably always be welcome.

From ISaF Racing Rules of Sailing, 2005-2008:

Rule 11 - ON THE SAME TACK, OVERLAPPED
When boats are on the same tack and overlapped, a windward boat shall KEEP CLEAR of a leeward boat.

This is pretty straightforward. If you're the windward boat and overlapped, it's your responsibility to KEEP CLEAR of the leeward boat, that is, at all times to give the leeward boat sufficient ROOM to change her course. If the leeward boat does not have sufficient ROOM to to maneuver or a collision occurs under this rule, the windward boat is at fault.

The leeward boat's ROW is not without bounds, however:
Rule 13 - WHILE TACKING
After a boat passes head to wind, she shall keep clear of other boats until she is on a close-hauled course. During that time rules 10, 11 and 12 do not apply. If two boats are subject to this rule at the same time, the one on the other’s port side or the one astern shall keep clear.

This rule has significant strategic implication regarding Rule 11 on an close-hauled course. Basically, the leeward boat can only assert her ROW until she is head-to-wind, that is, until the foot of her mainsail crosses her centerline (also called 'luffing'). If you're the windward boat and overlapped, you have to KEEP CLEAR until the leeward boat passes head-to-wind, at which point, provided you've not done likewise, you can assert your own ROW to hold her in irons or even force her back downwind toward her previous tack. A boat subject to this rule has no rights until she's on a close-hauled course and her mainsail has filled again, and must KEEP CLEAR of all other boats.

What constitutes keeping clear? Again, per the ISaF Racing Rules of Sailing, 2005-2008:
KEEP CLEAR
One boat keeps clear of another if the other can sail her course with no need to take avoiding action and, when the boats are overlapped on the same tack, if the leeward boat can change course in both directions without immediately making contact with the windward boat.

This is also pretty straightforward. If another boat has ROW and you're required to KEEP CLEAR, that means it's your burden to ensure that she has room to change course and that your boats don't contact.

There are general limitations to these rules. Let's look at one which bears on our scenario:
Rule 16 - CHANGING COURSE
When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat ROOM to KEEP CLEAR.

How does this affect a leeward boat asserting her ROW by tacking toward a windward boat? Per Rule 11, the it's the windward boat's burden to KEEP CLEAR, to allow the leeward boat liberty to change course without immediately making contact, but the leeward boat is still required to give the windward boat ROOM to do so:

ROOM
The space a boat needs in the existing conditions while manoeuvring promptly in a seamanlike way.

Basically, Rule 16 says that you can't change course faster than another boat is able to manoeuvre out of your way, and then use her failure to KEEP CLEAR as grounds for protest.

So what happens when two boats do collide in an overlapped situation? If either boat feels their finish was sufficiently affected to protest the collision, who is at fault? Really it boils down to whether the windward boat did her part to KEEP CLEAR or the leeward boat allowed sufficient ROOM for the windward boat to do so. The collision provides no clear evidence either way; unless both skippers' accounts are in agreement, chat logs of either boat hailing are the best way to corroborate ROW.

Often SL racing happens faster than skippers can hail, though; in the case of a collision without corroborating accounts or evidence, who is at fault? First it's important to note that the collision in itself, outside the context of a moderating claim, is insufficient ground for protest:

Rule 14 - AVOIDING CONTACT
A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room
(a) need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room, and
(b) shall not be penalized under this rule unless there is contact that causes damage or injury.

Barring accounts or evidence contradicting ROW for one boat or the other, neither boat can penalised for the collision. Left with only an empty protest, lacking sufficient evidence to support it, the finishes stand.

Lesson learned? If you want to ensure your protests are successful, hail first to establish ROW.

US Sailing has a really great primer on right-of-way, distilled to the essentials and readily digestible.

FLASH: http://www.sailingcourse.com/Flash-RacingRules-Slides.swf
HTML: http://www.sailingcourse.com/racing_rules.htm




(Just bumping a reference from earlier in this thread. I know a lot of people see all the words and words and words typed about ROW and their eyes just glaze over...)