INTRODUCTION

The rules that govern match racing in the America’s Cup are the Racing Rules of Sailing (in addition to all of the official documents – The Protocol, the Class Rule, the Sailing Instructions, etc.) While the subtleties of these Rules can be difficult for a newcomer to understand, many of the general concepts are much easier.

In this section we will give explanations of the critical stages of a typical race, and talk about the Rules that apply in common situations. This will be an on-going development, so check back often as more situations are added, and more aspects of Match Racing are dissected.