2005-2008 Rules Being Prepared

Meeting this week, 16-18 March, at the ISAF Secretariat is the Racing Rules Committee working party, with the objective to finalise the text of the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) 2005-2008.

The working party meets at this time every four years, to finalise the changes made to the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) over the past years, including most recently the 2003 ISAF November Conference.

During the four year cycle of the RRS, the ISAF Racing Rules Committee and Council will have considered more than 500 submissions to amend the RRS, from small clarifications to significant changes. Whilst some of these changes have been introduced during the period 2001-2004, the majority will only be introduced from 1 January 2005.

In November 2001, ISAF approved a new streamlined process of making changes to the RRS, which not only clarified the process of making changes to the RRS but has also ensured that the RRS will be made available at least six months prior to their implementation date.

Over the coming three days, the Racing Rules Committee working party under the chairmanship of Bill BENTSEN (USA) with Bernard BONNEAU (FRA), Pertti LIPAS (FIN), Marianne MIDDELTHON (NOR), Tony MOONEY (AUS) and Dick ROSE (USA) will ensure that all the changes are introduced into the new rule book.

ISAF will make available the final text of the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing 2005-2008 by 30 June 2004, to enable the ISAF Member National Authorities due time to start the translation process.

In November 2001, the ISAF Council also reversed the current situation where the Racing Rules of Sailing come into effect at different times in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and approved that the Racing Rules of Sailing for 2005-2008 will come into effect globally on 1 January 2005.