Penalty System
Penalties and Points
Contemporary Team Racing incorporates a simplified penalty system for rule violations. If a boat violates a rule, she may do a 360 degree turn to exonerate herself. If the boats cannot agree and a protest is initiated, the boat found at fault will receive 6 additional points to their team’s combined score. However, boats in violation of ‘Avoiding Contact’ (Rule 14), will receive 10 additional points instead of 6. Furthermore, a 360 turn is not allowed to clear a boat from a Rule 14 violation. Boats which start On Course Side (OCS) early or fail to pass all marks correctly, will also receive 10 additional points. 10 additional points makes it very difficult for a team to win a race… AVOID CONTACT and SAIL THE COURSE CORRECTLY!
In self governed team races (no on-the-water umpires), the 360 turn and protest are the two ways a rule violation may be handled. When team races are judged by On-The-Water Umpires, rule violations are decided instantly by one of the competitors doing a 360 turn or by the umpire Red Flagging the boat at fault, indicating that boat must execute a 720 turn to exonerate herself. If the umpire sees no violation, the umpire will indicate such with a Green Flag. With on-the-water umpiring, the outcome of the race is final when the boats cross the finish line.
With or without umpires, it is up to the team racers themselves to use tactics and strategy to play by the rules and cross the finish line in a winning combination.
