Brush up on your rules knowledge

[Mark Aldridge]

Have a go at this!!

http://game.finckh.net/indexe.htm

[WaveyDavey]

Fascinating stuff. I certainly didn't get full marks, even on beginner (oops). I think that reveals my background in relaxed (ish) club racing where the key rules of port/starboard, windward/leeward and basic mark rounding are strictly observed, whilst in more complicated situations a little give and take on all sides avoids damage or bad feeling. That said, I do have a copy of the "The Rules in Practice 2009-2012" in my sailing bag and have read it several times. I refer back to it when I get ashore if a situation has occurred where I wasn't clear who had rights. Then I'll know for next time.

Rules knowledge and rules adherence occasionally crops up as a subject at 15 events. The more rules we can put into practice on the course the fairer and more tactical/interesting the racing will become. On the other hand I don't tend to press the more subtle or complex rules too hard (the few I know, that is). Being in the right is no consolation when you're tangled up with other boats who don't know the same rules, or who disagree as to when an overlap occurred, when a tack completed or what the proper course is.