Racing Rules of Sailing 2017-2020
World Sailing has published the Study Version of the Racing Rules for 2017-2020.
"This document is a ‘Study Version of the Racing Rules for 2017-2020.’ This is a special document designed to provide you with the reasons for each change in the Definitions and in the rules of Parts 1 – 7 in the 2017 rulebook.
This document contains two sections. The first is the World Sailing edition of The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2017-2020 with each new word shown in red font. Also, in the right margin are comments that show the basis for each rule that has different wording in the 2017-2020 RRS from its wording in the 2013-2016 RRS.
Changes in the racing rules are the result of Submissions made to World Sailing (formerly ISAF) from Member National Authorities, Class Associations and World Sailing Committee Chairmen. Each Submission to change a racing rule contains four sections: a statement of Purpose or Objective; a Proposal, showing exactly how the author would like to change a particular racing rule; the Current Position, which is the current wording of the rule; and the Reasons for proposing the change. In the Proposal, new wording is shown in bold and underlined and deleted words are shown struck through. Studying the Reasons for the Proposal in the original Submission that led to a rule change should help you understand why that rule change was made.
Please note that some new rules in the 2017 rulebook are not worded exactly as they were worded in the original Proposal. These changes in wording were made, usually by the World Sailing Racing Rules Working Party, for clarity, for ease of translation, or to make the new rule consistent with other rules in the rulebook."