ANSWER OF THE WEEK

The first edition of The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) was published in 1961. It is revised every four years to go into effect the year following the Olympic Regatta.

Throughout the four year period between revisions, the racing rules committees (RRC) of the member national authorities (MNAs) around the world study the rules for areas of improvement and draft possible rule changes for review. Sailors in each country are welcomed to communicate their ideas to their RRC. The RRCs then submit their suggestions for changes to the World Sailing Racing Rules Committee (WS RRC) for their consideration. Each member national authority RRC has the opportunity to review the submissions from the other member national authorities.

In the final year of the rule book quad, World Sailing adopts a new edition of the RRS. Each member national authority then adds its prescriptions to the RRS, and the new edition typically goes into effect on January 1 of the following year.

Answers to Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes are based on The Race Rules of Sailing for 2025-2028. For a comprehensive explanation of the rules, read Dave Perry’s Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing through 2028, which is available from US Sailing: 1 (800) 877-2451 or ussailing.org. Permission to reprint this quiz for non-commercial use is granted by the author.

Perry, D. Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes. 8th ed. United States Sailing Association. 2024.

Quiz Diagrams: Joy Shipman