Page 43 - Race

If the boats need to be returned to the area of the
start for finishing or to have a second lap, a tidal
correction leg has to be used again. Rather than use
a white sail reach for the tidal correction leg as in 2
above, a downwind (shy spinnaker reach) can often
provide the competitors with more technical
challenges and exhilarating sailing (as well as simply
having to decide whether or not to fly the spinna ker).

8.12 Course Description

In keelboat racing the course is often announced on the VHF radio. Course boards are commonplace
in that type of racing and the norm in dinghy and board racing. It is important to describe courses in
SIs in the same way everywhere to avoid confusion.

The letter indicates the type of course - ‘I’ for trapezoid inner loop; ‘O’ for trapezoid outer loop; ‘L’ for
windward/leeward with the finish at the leeward end of the course.

If a suffix 'A' is used after the initial letter, then an offset mark (1A) is part of the course. So ‘LA’ is a
windward/leeward with an offset mark at mark 1 and a finish at the leeward end of the course.

If ‘S’ is the suffix then a slalom is used at the leeward end of the course prior to the finish. The figure
next to the letter indicates the total number of beats to complete.

The current convention is to number the marks in the same way whatever the course, as is the case
in a Trapezoid course. So on a W/L course the windward mark is '1' and the leeward mark is '4.

Type of Course Symbol Roundings
Windward/leeward, finish at L2 Start - 1p - 4s/4p - 1p - Finish
leeward end L3 Start - 1p - 4s/4p - 1p - 4s/4p - 1p - Finish
I2 Start - 1p - 4s/4p - 1p - 2p - 3p - Finish
Trapezoid, inner loop
I3 Start - 1p - 4s/4p - 1p - 4s/4p - 1p - 2p - 3p - Finish
O2 Start - 1p - 2p - 3p/3s - 2p - 3p - Finish
Trapezoid, outer loop
O3 Start - 1p - 2p - 3p/3s - 2p - 3p/3s - 2 - 3p - Finish
Trapezoid, outer loop, slalom finish OS2 Start - 1p - 2p - 3p/3s - 2p - 3p - S1s - S2p - S3s - Finish
Trapezoid, inner loop, slalom finish IS2 Start - 1p - 4s/4p - 1p - 2p - 3p - S1s - S2p - S3s - Finish
Windward/leeward, finish at
leeward end, offset mark LA2 Start - 1p - 1Ap - 4s/4p - 1p - IAp - Finish

8.13 The Start Line

Laying the Start Line
The RO needs to know the condition of the seabed (whether or not it is good ‘holding ground’) and
the depth of the water. This may place constraints upon where the committee vessel may be
anchored.

Version March 2018 41