Sailing / Topic 11

Sailing the course and finishing

World Sailing · 2025–2028
Last checked: 23 October 2026
Source: World Sailing Racing Rules of Sailing 2025–2028 (corrections 1 January 2025) + Equipment Rules of Sailing 2025–2028 · Source pages: RRS: 13–16, 29, 31–32
In short

Boats must start, leave every required mark on the correct side and in the correct order, pass through gates from the previous mark’s direction and finish. The course is tested by imagining the track as a taut string. A course error may be corrected before finishing; merely passing near a missed mark is insufficient.

On this pageThe ruleIn practice

The rule

Boats must start, leave every required mark on the correct side and in the correct order, pass through gates from the previous mark’s direction and finish. The course is tested by imagining the track as a taut string. A course error may be corrected before finishing; merely passing near a missed mark is insufficient.

In practice

The hull crossing the finish line from the course side normally determines finishing. Taking a penalty or correcting a line-related course error can mean the earlier crossing was not the finish. The race committee may shorten or change the course using the required signals. Read those signals rather than continuing automatically along a course remembered from an earlier race.

Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Based on the supplied official rulebook. References use PDF page numbers; topic numbers are editorial.
Sources & approach ↗