US Sailing releases Sailboat Racing|s Ten Commandements, the revised rules in brief

US SAILING announced today that the latest edition of the Rules in Brief is now available for sale to individuals, clubs and community sailing programs.

The Rules in Brief is a summary of the ten most important racing rules that apply when boats meet.

These ten “commandments” are not on a stone tablet. Instead they are on a 4″ x 9″ plastic card, and the text has been revised to make it consistent with the current edition of The Racing Rules of Sailing. This card provides an easy and inexpensive way to introduce a new sailor to the sport of racing sailboats.

The Rules in Brief cards are available at US SAILING’s web site (www.ussailing.org) at its e-store. The price for members of US SAILING is $ 2.50 per card, for up to 10 cards; $ 2 each for from 11 to 49 cards; and $ 1.50 each for 50 or more.

This is the sixth edition of the Rules in Brief, which made its debut over 20 years ago. It has been most popular with junior sailing classes where it is often used as a gentle introduction to the racing rules. It is also a great item for PHRF skippers to give to new crew members who have just started racing.

Dick Rose, Chair of US SAILING’s Racing Rules Committee, called the Rules in Brief “a quick, easy-to-digest version of the right-of-way rules for newcomers to our to sport.” He cautioned that the condensed and simplified rules on the Rules in Brief card are not a substitute for the actual racing rules. However, he added that they cover well over 90% of the situations where right-of way rules are needed, and they quickly enable newcomers to start racing with confidence.

Rob Overton, a member and former chairman of the Racing Rules Committee, noted that over the past few months there have been several calls in sailing magazines and on the Internet for a simplified set of racing rules, and some writers have even recommended sets of rules. He said, “Some of the simple
sets of rules that have been suggested are too simple. If used, they would have serious fiberglass-splintering problems. The ten rules on the Rules in Brief card do not have these problems. The Rules in Brief is apparently one of US SAILING’s best-kept secrets!”

The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for the sport of sailing. The mission of this volunteer organization is to encourage participation and promote excellence in sailing and racing in the United States.