This is the first in a series of articles describing the changes in the rules for 2025. The new rules take effect on January 1st. They can be found here.
The first rule that I want to look at is Rule 14, Avoiding Contact. All of Part 2 of the Racing Rules of Sailing are designed to avoid contact. Most of the rules in this section specify which boats have to keep clear and which have right-of-way. They also require boats to give room to others. If these rules are followed there should be no contact. Rule 14 requires all boats, even those with right-of-way or entitled to room, to avoid contact.
In the very simple case shown in the first diagram, Green and Red are sailing upwind with Green on starboard tack and Red on port tack. Red has misjudged that she can cross Green. Green bears off to avoid Red. If Green holds her course, she will collide with Red. Red has broken rule 10. Since it was possible for Red to avoid this collision either by tacking or by ducking then Red has also broken rule 14. If Green had held her course and the boats made contact, then Green would have also broken rule 14. None of this has changed in 2025.
In the second diagram we see three boats approaching the signal boat to start. Yellow is to leeward and holds a straight close-hauled course. Purple is to windward of Yellow and sailing a straight course on a slightly lower angle. Blue is to windward of both and trying to fit in between the signal boat and Purple. We often call with barging. We can discuss the right-of-way rules in another article but for now let’s accept that Yellow has right-of-way. Under the 2021-2024, rules as long as there is no contact in between Yellow and Purple, Yellow has not broken rule 14. Under the 2025-2028 rules if there is contact in between Purple and Blue then Yellow has probably broken rule 14.2(b) by causing the contact between boats. If somehow there is no contact between Purple and Blue, but Blue is forced to hit the signal boat, then Yellow has probably broken rule 14.2(c) by causing contact between Blue and an object that should be avoided.
We will have to see exactly how “cause contact” is interpreted in protests going forward but I think it is safest to assume that, if reasonably possible, you need to not only avoid contact with other boats, but not cause other boats to hit each other or hit other things, even if you have right-of-way. It is important to remember that none of this exonerates the keep clear boat. In the diagrams above Red and Blue have still broken the rules and need to take a penalty or be disqualified.
RRS 2025-2028 (blue shows additions from 2021-2024 rules)
14 AVOIDING CONTACT
If reasonably possible, a boat shall
(a) avoid contact with another boat,
(b) not cause contact between boats, and
(c) not cause contact between a boat and an object that should be avoided.
However, a right‑of‑way boat, or one sailing within the room or mark‑room to which she is entitled, need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark‑room.
RRS 2021-2024
14 AVOIDING CONTACT
A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. However, a right‑of‑way boat, or one sailing within the room or mark‑room to which she is entitled, need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark‑room.
Copies of these rules articles along with animated diagrams can be found at
www.rcyc.ca > sailing > racing > know your rules
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