A description of the correct penalty to take in each scenario
The previous page describes 12 scenarios in which you (the Red boat) broke a rule.
Here are explanations of the appropriate penalty, if any, that you must take in each case.
Scenario 1 A) No penalty. The racing rules apply when you are sailing in the race area, but you can’t be
penalized (in most cases) unless you are actually ‘racing,’ which begins at your preparatory signal. This is true
even if you break a rule and cause damage to the other boat (though you could be liable for this damage). The
other boat may request redress (see rule 62.1b), but it would be sportsmanlike of you to offer them your hiking
stick to use for the race. They can accept your help until the prep signal (see rule 41).
Scenario 1a C) Two-Turns Penalty (but if the broken hiking stick is considered ‘serious damage’ you would
have to Retire). Since your foul occurred after the preparatory signal (i.e. while you were ‘racing’), you have to
take a penalty. You are permitted (and, in fact, required) to take your penalty promptly, before the start.
Scenario 2 C) Two-Turns Penalty. A boat that was OCS maintains all her rights until she turns back and
sails toward the pre-start side of the starting line. Until then you have to treat her like any other boat. It does
not matter if another boat hails ‘Protest’ or not – when you know you broke a rule, you must take a penalty as
stipulated in the Basic Principle (Sportsmanship and the Rules).
Scenario 3 A) No penalty. You did break rule 14 (Avoiding Contact) because you failed to avoid contact
when doing so was ‘reasonably possible’ (all you had to do was keep a good lookout and bear off behind P).
However, rule 14(b) says that a right-of-way boat ‘shall be exonerated if she breaks this rule and the contact
does not cause damage or injury.’
Scenario 4 C) Two-Turns Penalty. You broke rule 14 (Avoiding Contact) because you failed to avoid
contact when it was ‘reasonably possible.’ Even though you were the right-of-way boat, you must take a penalty
because you caused damage. Since rule 14 is in Part 2 of the rulebook, you are allowed to exonerate yourself by
taking a Two-Turns Penalty.
Scenario 5 E) Retire from the race. The answer is similar to Scenario 4 above, except the damage you
caused was ‘serious.’ Rule 44.1 (Taking a Penalty) does not allow you to take a Two-Turns Penalty when you
cause serious damage, so your only option is to retire. This is true no matter which boat was damaged.
Scenario 6 E) Retire from the race. The Propulsion rule (42) specifically prohibits ooching. If you realize
that you broke this rule, you must take a penalty, even if the other boat did not say they were going to protest
you. Since rule 42 is not in Part 2 of the rulebook, you cannot take a Two-Turns Penalty for your infraction,
so your only option is to retire.
Scenario 7 B) One-Turn Penalty. You broke rule 31 (Touching a Mark), which says you shall not touch a
mark while racing. Rule 44.1 (Taking a Penalty) says that when you touch a mark you may exonerate yourself
by taking a One-Turn Penalty.
Scenario 8 C) Two-Turns Penalty. In this incident, you broke two rules – one for hitting the mark and
another for breaking rule 10 (Port-Starboard). However, rule 44.1b says, “when a boat may have broken a rule
of Part 2 and rule 31 in the same incident she need not take the penalty for breaking rule 31.” In other words,
you only have to take the penalty for breaking the right-of-way rule, which is a Two-Turns Penalty.
Scenario 9 E) Retire from the race. Though you didn’t foul any boats, by hitting the mark you were able
to round ahead of 10 boats that you would otherwise have had to duck. Since you were still ahead of some of
these boats after taking your penalty, you gained a ‘significant advantage’ in the race, so you must retire.
Scenario 10 B) One-Turn Penalty. It doesn’t matter whether anyone else saw this or hailed ‘Protest’ –
when you know you broke a rule you must take the appropriate penalty.
Scenario 11 A) No penalty. Since you failed to provide mark-room to A, you broke rule 18.2a (Giving
Mark-Room). However, the reason you broke this rule was because C failed to give you mark-room as
required. Therefore, you will be exonerated for your breach (rule 64.1a), so you don’t have to take a penalty.
Scenario 12 E) Retire from the most recent race. If you are not racing and you interfere with a boat that
is racing, you break rule 24.1 (Interfering with Another Boat). Though this rule is in Part 2, you can’t take a
Two-Turns Penalty (rule 44) because that applies only to incidents while you are racing. So you must retire.
