Duties & Procedures

Q&A Service

The purpose of the World Sailing Question & Answer service is to assist World Sailing Race Officials in applying the rules consistently.

How Does It Work?

Questions may be submitted to the Q&A Panel by any World Sailing Race Official, World Sailing Class or Member National Authority (preferably through a World Sailing Race Official) via the World Sailing Executive Office. The Panel may rephrase the question for clarity and may publish the answer online if the question is considered to be of general interest.

All Q&A’s are removed from the World Sailing website Q&A list at the end of the Racing Rules of Sailing cycle, however they are often being considered for submission as a Case, Call or Rule Change; for inclusion in an applicable World Sailing manual or other publication; or for retention in the next cycle’s Q&A booklet after being updated to be consistent with the current version of the Racing Rules of Sailing.

Unlike the World Sailing Cases, which are authoritative interpretations and explanations of the rules, these answers are solely to assist Race Officials in applying the rules consistently.

Questions should be submitted to the World Sailing Office by email.

The Q&A Panel is appointed by the Chair of the Race Officials Committee and the Racing Rules Committee. The current members of the Q&A Panel are:

• Chair – Tatiana Ermakova (RUS)
• Vice-Chair – Giorgio Davanzo (ITA)

 

Miguel Amaral (POR)	Luigi Bertini (ITA)
Bence Borocz (HUN)	David Brookes (AUS)
Leonard Chin (MAS)	Pinar Coskuner Genc (TUR)
Pauline Den Burger (NED)	Alexander Finsterbusch (ARG)
Pat Healy (USA)	Sungchul Jeong (KOR)
Michal Jodlowski (POL)	Stavros Kouris (GRE)
Chris Lindsay (IRL)	Trevor Lewis (GBR)
Selvam Mookken (SGP)	Con Murphy (IRL)
Manuel Santos E Silva (POR)	Steve Schupak (USA)
Mina Stanikic (SRB)	Santiago Villamil (ARG)

Rule 42

Rule 42 of the World Sailing Racing Rules of Sailing relates to “Propulsion”. The Basic Rule (RRS 42.1) states that:

Except when permitted in rule 42.3 or 45, a boat shall compete by using only the wind and water to increase, maintain or decrease her speed. Her crew may adjust the trim of sails and hull, and perform other acts of seamanship, but shall not otherwise move their bodies to propel the boat.

Additional Rule 42 documents include Interpretations of Rule 42, documents for officials and the Rule 42 Quiz.

Rapid Response Calls

The Rapid Response Calls for Match and Team Racing are designed to supplement the World Sailing Call system by meeting the short-term demands of event organisers and umpires. The Calls are not authorised interpretations – they are intended to provide consistency around the world and permit calls to be tested thoroughly before becoming authorised in accordance with World Sailing Regulations.

Match Racing and Team Racing Rapid Response Calls

The system permits a rapid response for Calls and respects the guidelines for publishing calls in the World Sailing Regulations. In addition, where the factual matter is the same or substantially similar to an existing authenticated call, a call under this system may only be included if there are factual circumstances which are sufficiently different from an existing authenticated call that a different call is warranted, or if the new call clearly adds clarity to an existng call.

The Rapid Response systems operates in the same way for match racing and team racing as follows:

• The Match Racing Rules Working Party and the Team Racing Rules Working Party act as the respective Rapid Response Call Panel for their discipline.
• All proposed new Calls under this programme are to be submitted to the Panel. The Panel has three options – they may support the Call as submitted, support the Call with editing or reject the Call. If rejected, they must state the reasons for rejection and return to the originator. This should be within four weeks of receipt.
• If supported, the Call will be given a reference number and labeled “Match Racing (or Team Racing) Rapid Response Call”, given an expiry date (1 January of the year following the next Racing Rules Committee meeting to which the Call can be submitted) and forwarded to the World Sailing Executive Office.
• The Match Racing (or Team Racing) Rapid Response Call will then be sent to all MNA’s and IU’s by email and it will be posted on the World Sailing website within a few working days.
• The Match Racing (or Team Racing) Rapid Response Calls will be automatically submitted to the next appropriate Racing Rules Committee meeting for adoption as full Calls and added to the World Sailing Match Racing (or Team Racing) Call Book, or rejected.
• If an existing Match Racing (or Team Racing) Rapid Response Call is found to be flawed, then a revised version may be submitted to the Panel as if this was a new Call. If the Panel decides to support the revised call it will be issued under the original reference but with the addition of “Revision 2”.

 

Match Racing Rapid Response Call Panel

 

• Chair – Richard Slater (AUS)

 

Gary Manuel (AUS)	Marc Bouet (FRA)
Flavio Naveira (ARG)	Craig Mitchell (GBR)
Sofia Truchanowicz (POL)	Dave Perry (USA)

 

Team Racing Rapid Response Call Panel

• Chair – Rob Overton (USA)

 

Chris Atkins (GBR)	Martin Clasen (GER)
Chris Lindsay (IRL)	Marta Lloret Llinares (DEN)
Cxema Pixo (IRL)	Peter Wilson (USA)
Diego Yubero (ESP)

Conflict of Interest

World Sailing Race Officials are ambassadors and role models guided by principles of fairness, impartiality and integrity. At all times we must avoid the appearance of conflicts.

Regulation 34 concerns Conflict of Interest and reads as folllows:

34 – Conflict of Interest

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• 34.1 – A conflict of interest exists when a Race Official has, or reasonably appears to have, a personal or financial interest which could affect the officials ability to be impartial.
• 34.2 – When a Race Official is aware of a conflict of interest, he/she shall decline an invitation to serve at a regatta at which an International Jury is appointed.
• 34.3 –  When the Race Official has any doubt whether or not there is a conflict of interest, the Race Official shall promptly consult World Sailing, prior to accepting the invitation and be bound by its decision.
• 34.4 – When, at an event, a Race Official becomes aware of a conflict of interest, the official shall disclose the potential conflict to the International Jury which shall take appropriate action.

 

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Other Regulations relating to conflict of interest are 25.8.5, 32 and 35 – Click here to read the World Sailing Regulations in full.

World Sailing Race Officials who have any concern about a particular circumstance are urged to submit a Request for Clarification by email before accepting an event appointment.

The documents in this section detail relevant decisions and guidance for World Sailing Race Officials.

Disciplinary

For more information about World Sailing’s Disciplinary Procedures and recent decisions, including Regulation 32 investigations, please visit the Disciplinary page.