Protests, Hearings and Redress: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028

This post has been updated for the 2025-2028 Racing Rules of Sailing.

Protesting isn’t mean. It’s how the sport keeps everyone playing by the same rules. Here’s how to do it right, and how to ask for redress when your score was hurt through no fault of your own.

This article covers protests, hearings and redress from a sailor’s point of view. These rules are in Part 5 of the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), which was completely rewritten and renumbered for 2025-2028.

In 2018, the Inland Lake Yachting Association (ILYA) and SailZing, LLC partnered on a Fair Sailing initiative. As part of this initiative, SailZing worked with the ILYA and UK Sailmakers to develop a series of articles on the rules. With the rules changes in 2025, SailZing is updating these articles for the 2025-2028 Racing Rules of Sailing.

Rule 60 – Protests

60.2 – Intention to Protest

60.2 Intention to Protest
(a) If a protest concerns an incident observed by the protestor in the racing area:
(1) If the protestor is a boat, she shall hail ‘Protest’ and, if her hull length is longer than 6 metres, conspicuously display a red flag, at the first reasonable opportunity for each. She shall display the flag until she is no longer racing.
(2) If the protestor is a committee, it shall inform the boat after the race within the protest time limit of its intention to protest her.
(b) However, if
(1) the protestee is not within hailing distance at the time of the incident,
(2) the incident was an error in sailing the course,
(3) the incident was not observed by the protestor in the racing area, or
(4) a protest committee decides to protest a boat under rule 60.4(c),
then the only requirement for the protestor is to inform the protestee of its intention to protest at the first reasonable opportunity.
(c) If at the time of the incident it is obvious to a protesting boat that a member of either crew is in danger, or that injury or serious damage has resulted, rules 60.2(a) and 60.2(b) do not apply to her, but she shall attempt to inform the other boat within the protest time limit of her intention to protest.
(d) A committee may inform a boat of its intention to protest by posting a notice on the official notice board.

World Sailing, Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 (Study Version), rule 60.2. Read it online at racingrulesofsailing.org.

60.3 – Delivering a Protest

60.3 Delivering a Protest
(a) When delivered, a protest shall be in writing and identify the protestor, the protestee, and the incident.
(b) A protest shall be delivered to the race office (or by such other method as stated in the sailing instructions) within the protest time limit unless the protest committee decides there is good reason to extend the time. The protest time limit is
(1) for protests about an incident observed in the racing area, two hours after the last boat in the race finishes, or
(2) for other protests, two hours after the relevant information is available to the protestor.
However, if the sailing instructions state a different protest time limit, then that time limit applies instead.

World Sailing, Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 (Study Version), rule 60.3. Read it online at racingrulesofsailing.org.

Protest Key Points

• To protest another boat for an incident you saw on the water, hail “Protest.” Other words, like “Do your circles,” don’t count.
• Also display a red flag if your boat’s hull is longer than 6 metres (about 19½ feet).
• Hail (and fly the flag) at the first reasonable opportunity, which usually means immediately.
• If the other boat isn’t within hailing distance at the time of the incident, or the incident was an error in sailing the course, you only need to inform her of your intention to protest at the first reasonable opportunity (rule 60.2(b)).
• If it’s obvious that a crew member is in danger, or there is injury or serious damage, you don’t need to hail or fly a flag, but you must try to tell the other boat within the protest time limit (rule 60.2(c)).
• Write your protest (protestor, protestee, incident) and deliver it within the protest time limit: two hours after the last boat finishes, unless the SIs say otherwise.
• A committee can inform you of its protest by posting a notice on the official notice board. Check the board after racing.

Protest Questions

Read each question and decide your answer. Then reveal the answer to check your thinking.

#1 – Is It Mean to Protest?

#2 – “Do Your Circles”

Appendix T – Arbitration

Arbitration applies only if the notice of race or sailing instructions say Appendix T is in effect. It allows post-race scoring penalties instead of disqualification, and can resolve a protest without a full hearing.

T1 Post-Race Penalties
(a) Provided that rule 44.1(b) does not apply, a boat that may have broken one or more rules of Part 2 or rule 31 in an incident may take a Post-Race Penalty at any time after the race until the beginning of a protest hearing involving the incident.
(b) A Post-Race Penalty is a 30% Scoring Penalty calculated as stated in rule 44.3(c). However, rule 44.1(a) applies.
(c) A boat takes a Post-Race Penalty by delivering to the arbitrator or a member of the protest committee a written statement that she accepts the penalty and that identifies the race number and where and when the incident occurred.

T2 Arbitration Meeting
An arbitration meeting will be held prior to a protest hearing for each incident resulting in a protest by a boat involving one or more rules of Part 2 or rule 31, but only if each party is represented by a person who was on board at the time of the incident. No witnesses will be permitted. However, if the arbitrator decides that rule 44.1(b) may apply or that arbitration is not appropriate, the meeting will not be held, and if a meeting is in progress, it will be closed.

T3 Arbitrator’s Opinion
Based on the evidence given by the representatives, the arbitrator will offer an opinion as to what the protest committee is likely to decide:
(a) the protest is invalid,
(b) no boat will be penalized for breaking a rule, or
(c) one or more boats will be penalized for breaking a rule, identifying the boats and the penalties.

T4 Arbitration Meeting Outcomes
After the arbitrator offers an opinion,
(a) a boat may take a Post-Race Penalty, and
(b) a boat may ask to withdraw her protest. The arbitrator may then act on behalf of the protest committee in accordance with rule 63.2(a) to allow the withdrawal.
Unless all protests involving the incident are withdrawn, a protest hearing will be held.

World Sailing, Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 (Study Version), Appendix T. Read it online at racingrulesofsailing.org.

Appendix T Key Points for Sailors

• Appendix T applies only if the notice of race or sailing instructions say so.
• Arbitration can’t be used if there was injury or serious damage, or a significant advantage gained (rule 44.1(b)).
• The arbitration meeting happens before the protest hearing.
• After the arbitrator’s opinion, a boat can withdraw her protest or take a 30% Post-Race Penalty. If neither resolves the incident, it goes to a protest hearing.

Rule 63 – Hearings

Here is a summary of how a hearing works, rather than the full text of rule 63. If arbitration didn’t resolve the incident, there will be a protest hearing in front of a protest committee (usually three people).

• Validity. rule 63.4(a): “The protest committee shall first consider validity.” The requirements are in rule 60.4. For example: did the protestor hail “Protest,” and when? Did she display a red flag (if required), and when? Does the written protest identify the protestor, the protestee and the incident?
• The hearing. Rule 63.4(b): “The protest committee shall take the evidence of the parties present at the hearing, their witnesses, and any other evidence it considers necessary.” Rule 63.4(c): “A party present at the hearing may question any person who gives evidence.” Witnesses leave the room when they aren’t giving evidence (rule 63.4(e)).
• The decision. Rule 63.5(a): the committee shall “find the facts based on the balance of probabilities (unless an applicable rule requires otherwise), and then apply the rules to those facts to make its conclusions and a decision.” Rule 63.6(a): it “shall promptly inform the parties to the hearing of the facts found, the applicable rules, the decision, the reasons for it, any penalties imposed, and any redress given.”

Rule 61 – Redress

Redress is a way to fix a score that was made worse through no fault of your own.

61.4(b) A boat is entitled to redress if her score or place in a race or series has been made, or may be made, significantly worse through no fault of her own by
(1) an improper action or improper omission of a committee or the organizing authority, but not by a protest committee decision when the boat was a party to the hearing,
(2) injury or physical damage because of the action of a boat that was breaking a rule of Part 2 and took an appropriate penalty or was penalized,
(3) injury or physical damage because of the action of a vessel not racing that was required to keep clear or is determined to be at fault under the IRPCAS or a government right-of-way rule,
(4) giving help (except to herself or her crew) in compliance with rule 1.1, or
(5) an action of another boat, or a crew member or support person of that boat, that resulted in a penalty under rule 2 or a penalty or warning under rule 69.

World Sailing, Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 (Study Version), rule 61.4(b). Read it online at racingrulesofsailing.org.

61.2 Requests for Redress
(a) A request for redress shall be in writing and identify the reason for making it.
(b) A request shall be delivered to the race office (or by such other method as stated in the sailing instructions):
(1) if it is based on an incident in the racing area, within the protest time limit or two hours after the incident (whichever is later),
(2) if it is based on a protest committee decision on the last scheduled day of racing, no later than 30 minutes after the decision was posted, or
(3) for all other requests, as soon as reasonably possible after the relevant information is available.
However, the protest committee shall extend the time if there is good reason to do so.

World Sailing, Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 (Study Version), rule 61.2. Read it online at racingrulesofsailing.org.

Redress Key Points

• You may request redress if your score was made significantly worse, through no fault of your own, by: an improper action or omission of a committee or the organizing authority (but not a protest committee decision in a hearing you were a party to); injury or damage caused by a boat breaking a Part 2 rule that took a penalty or was penalized; injury or damage caused by a vessel not racing; giving help under Rule 1.1; or another boat’s action that led to a penalty under Rule 2 or a penalty or warning under Rule 69.
• If another boat damaged you while breaking a Part 2 rule, she must have taken a penalty or been penalized for you to get redress, so protest her if needed.
• Deliver a written request. For an incident on the water, the time limit is the protest time limit or two hours after the incident, whichever is later (61.2(b)(1)). On the last scheduled day, a request based on a protest committee decision is due within 30 minutes of the decision being posted.
• No red flag is needed to request redress.

Part 5 Changes

For 2025-2028, Part 5 was completely rewritten and renumbered. Protests are now rule 60 (intention to protest 60.2, delivering 60.3, validity 60.4), and redress is rule 61. A written protest now only needs to identify the protestor, the protestee and the incident.

Summary

If you remember one thing, make it this: hail “Protest” (and fly a red flag if you’re over 6 metres) right away, then deliver a written protest within the time limit. If your score was hurt through no fault of your own, ask for redress in writing.

Protest, party and other terms are defined in the RRS 2025-2028 Definitions.

Related Content

• Racing Terms: Glossary for Newer Sailors
• ILYA #FairSailing Initiative
• Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028, Part 5, Section A – Protests; Redress – World Sailing (official rule text)
• Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028, Appendix T – Arbitration – World Sailing
• World Sailing Racing Rules of Sailing – World Sailing