Propulsion: wind, water and exceptions
World Sailing · 2025–2028The basic rule is to use wind and water to change or maintain speed. Crew may trim sails and the hull and perform seamanship, but may not otherwise move their bodies to propel the boat. Repeated pumping, rocking, ooching, prohibited sculling and repeated tacks unrelated to wind or tactics are restricted.
The rule
The basic rule is to use wind and water to change or maintain speed. Crew may trim sails and the hull and perform seamanship, but may not otherwise move their bodies to propel the boat. Repeated pumping, rocking, ooching, prohibited sculling and repeated tacks unrelated to wind or tactics are restricted.
In practice
There are specific exceptions for steering, permitted roll tacks or gybes, initiating surfing, planing or foiling, and helping people or vessels in danger. These exceptions have conditions and are not a general licence to pump whenever moving slowly. Class rules or event provisions can change permitted propulsion where authorised; check the applicable version before copying another class’s technique.
Sources & approach ↗