GENERAL RULES

• When the wind blows, the competing boats in opposite sides, the boat with the wind on its left (port) gives priority to the boat with the wind on its right (starboard).

• When the wind blows on the same side of the boats, provided there is no overlapping, the boat at the back (astern) must remain at a distance.

• When the wind blows on the same side of the boats, and there is overlapping, the boat at the leeward side has priority.

• The umpires follow each match (race) and make instant decisions about penalties and infringements. To the boat, which has been given/attributed a penalty must affect a 360º turn before the end of the race.
The crew of the penalized boat will have to raise a flag with the same colour as the ball showed on the umpires boat.

• In the event of a tie, the following tie break procedures will take place:

    1. The skipper with the greatest number of 1st places will be declared the winner,
     if the tie is unresolved, then the winner will be
     the skipper with the greatest number of 2nd or 3rd places.

    2. If there is a further tie amongst two competitors, the winner is the
    skipper who had the best result in the last two races.

ROUND ROBIN

It is an eliminatory process, where each participating team encounters all the opponents just once.

Strategy:

• A critical start: a gunshot, pre-empting a warning of 5 minutes , gives rises to a pre-match duel where the participating teams engage aggressively to place themselves in the best possible starting position.

• Upwind Beat Bowline - During this course, where boats sail against the wind. The boat behind the leader faces turbulence, reducing his speed. Sailing tactics are used to avoid turbulence, and force the leading boat to make mistakes, thereby reducing the distance and advantage.
The end of this course provides the 2nd placed boat with an opportunity to gain advantage against its competitor. The trailing boat normally at a short angle (length of 2 buoys) forces the leader to give way and often the leading position.

• Coming Downwind Astern – During this course, by astern, the trailing boat is given the opportunity to attack from behind by positioning itself in a way that his spinnaker blocks the wind of his opponent. To defend, the leader crew will have to aggressively maneuver the spinnaker in search of fresh wind. However the trailing boat will counter these steps by performing the same movements;

• Set the Spinnaker – When competitors approach the leeward buoy, the same overlapping rules are applied. Spinnakers are dropped and skippers again fight for the best position in order to start the next course.

• To the Finish – Once competitors are about to complete the 4th leg of the course and, as the boats approach the end of the race, it is time for a boat with a penalty to affect a 360º turn.

The race is accomplished with the winner normally decided in the last few meters.