STARTING RACES

Races shall be started by using the following signals. Times shall be taken from the visual signals; the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded.

SAILING THE COURSE

A boat shall start, leave each mark on the required side in the correct order, and finish, so that a string representing her wake after starting and until finishing would when drawn taut pass each mark on the required side and touch each rounding mark. She may correct any errors to comply with this rule. After finishing she need not cross the finishing line completely.

A boat may leave on either side a mark that does not begin, bound or end the leg she is on. However, she shall leave a starting mark on the required side when she is approaching the starting line from its prestart side to start.

RECALLS

When at a boat's starting signal any part of her hull, crew or equipment is on the course side of the starting line or she must comply with rule 30.1, the race committee shall promptly display flag X with one sound. The flag shall be displayed until all such boats are completely on the pre-start side of the starting line or its extensions and have complied with rule 30.1 if it applies, but not later than four minutes after the starting signal or one minute before any later starting signal, whichever is earlier.

When at the starting signal the race committee is unable to identify boats that are on the course side of the starting line or to which rule 30 applies, or there has been an error in the starting procedure, the race committee may signal a general recall (display the First Substitute with two sounds). The warning signal for a new start for the recalled class shall be made one minute after the First Substitute is removed (one sound), and the starts for any succeeding classes shall follow the new start.

TOUCHING A MARK

While racing, a boat shall not touch a starting mark before starting, a mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg of the course on which she is sailing, or a finishing mark after finishing.

A boat that has broken rule 31.1 may, after getting well clear of other boats as soon as possible, take a penalty by promptly making one turn including one tack and one gybe. When a boat takes the penalty after touching a finishing mark, she shall sail completely to the course side of the line before finishing. However, if a boat has gained a significant advantage in the race or series by touching the mark her penalty shall be to retire.

TIME LIMIT AND SCORES

If one boat sails the course as required by rule 28.1 and finishes within the time limit, if any, all boats that finish shall be scored according to their finishing places unless the race is abandoned. If no boat finishes within the time limit, the race committee shall abandon the race.

OUTSIDE HELP

A boat shall not receive help from any outside source, except

(a) help as provided for in rule 1;

(b) help for an ill or injured crew member;

(c) after a collision, help from the crew of the other boat to get clear;

(d) help in the form of information freely available to all boats;

(e) unsolicited information from a disinterested source, which may be another boat in the same race.

(BOCOG)