Who keeps clear when two boats meet, who is owed room at a mark, and what happens when you are over early or touch one. These are the rules SailMOB enforces in a race, each in plain English, with a glossary link for every term it uses and a way into the Rules Lab to sail it.
Who keeps clear when two boats meet.
Port keeps clear of starboard.
Windward keeps clear of leeward.
The boat behind keeps clear of the boat ahead.
A boat in the middle of a tack has no rights.
What the boat with rights still owes the other.
Every boat avoids contact if she reasonably can.
New rights start with room for the other boat.
A right-of-way boat that turns leaves room to keep clear.
Overlap to leeward from astern and you sail your proper course.
Who is owed room at a mark, and from when.
The inside boat at the zone is owed room to round.
Losing your rights while you fix a mistake.
Going back to start, or doing turns, you keep clear.
Being over early, and touching a mark.
Over the line at the gun, you go back and start again.
Touch a mark and you owe a One-Turn Penalty.
Every page paraphrases the Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 and cites it by rule number. The rule text is World Sailing's. For the tactics around a rule, read the guides.
A Quick Race puts you on a start line in a shifty breeze, against a fleet that follows the racing rules and protests you when you break one.
Start a Quick Race