OnC'Design Class Racing 53 



following all the rules, you'll stay out of serious trouble. Briefly stated 

 and with exceptions that are covered in the complete racing rules of the 

 N.A.Y.R.U., the following basic rules of right of way may be summarized 

 in this manner: 



1. Overtaking boat must keep clear 



2. A starboard tack has right of way over port tack 



3. On the same tack, the windward boat must keep clear 



4. Boats tacking or jibing must keep clear of those on a tack 



5. Rounding a mark, the outside boat must give room to boats that 

 have an overlap inside it 



6. A boat must give another room to clear obstructions 



The start is at a specific time. The race committee starts the boats by 

 visual signals, but calls attention to these by audible signals (horns, 

 whistles or guns). The starting signals (display of warning signal, white 

 shape; preparatory signal, starting signal for the first class to start, red 

 shape) are hoisted usually at five-minute intervals. Each signal is lowered 

 thirty seconds before the hoisting of the next. In starting boats by classes, 

 the start signal for each class is the preparatory signal for the next class. 

 The hoisting of a starting signal, even if improperly timed, controls the 

 start. 



The race committee on the committee boat judges the finish, particu- 

 larly when boats are fairly close at the end of the race. The committee 

 must also act as judges for any protests which may be filed. The only 

 requirements for finishing are that the boat must cross and clear the 

 finish line, and that the first boat must finish within a prescribed time 

 limit, usually designed to get boats home before sundown. 



SCORING ONE-DESIGN CLASS RACES 



There are several systems of scoring in use today. If every race were 

 a complete contest in itself, of course, there would-be no need for com- 

 plicated scoring systems (and some are really complicated). But because 

 every race isn't important enough to carry a prize, a system of scoring 

 must be devised by which the award goes to the boat with the best per- 

 formance over a series of races running perhaps over a weekend, or a 



