APPENDIX E -- RADIO-CONTROLLED BOAT RACING RULES

Races for radio-controlled boats shall be sailed under The Racing Rules of Sailing as changed by this appendix.

E1 TERMINOLOGY
'Boat' means a boat that is radio-controlled by a competitor who is not on board. For 'race' used as a noun outside this appendix read 'heat'. Within this appendix, a race consists of one or more heats, and is completed when the last heat in the race is finished. 'Event' means one or more races. 'Series' means a specified number of races or events.

E2 PART 1 ­ FUNDAMENTAL RULES
E2.1 Personal Buoyancy
Add to rule 1.2: 'When on board a rescue vessel, each competitor shall be responsible for wearing personal buoyancy adequate for the conditions.'

E2.2 Aerials
Transmitter aerial extremities shall be adequately protected.

E3 PART 2 ­ WHEN BOATS MEET
In rule 18, change 'two-length zone' to 'four-length zone' and in the definition Two-Length Zone change 'two' to 'four'.

E4 PART 3 ­ CONDUCT OF A RACE
E4.1 Race Observers
The race committee may appoint race observers, who may be competitors. They shall hail and repeat the identity of the boats in an incident involving contact between boats or between a boat and a mark. Observers shall report all unresolved incidents to the race committee at the end of the heat.

E4.2 Course Board
Rule M2.1(3) is deleted. A course board showing the course and the limits of the control area shall be located next to or within the control area so as to be clearly visible to competitors racing.

E4.3 Control Area
Competitors racing and race observers shall remain in the designated control area while a heat is in progress, except that competitors may be briefly absent to perform functions permitted in rule E4.4. Competitors not racing shall remain outside the control area except when offering assistance under rule E5.2 or when acting as race observers.

E4.4 Launching and Re-launching
Rule 45 is changed to (a) Boats scheduled to race in a heat may be launched, taken ashore or re-launched at any time during the heat except between the preparatory and starting signals. (b) While ashore or at the water's edge, boats may be adjusted, drained of water or repaired; have their sails changed or reefed; have entangled objects removed; or have batteries changed.

E4.5 Non-applicable Rules
Rules 25, 26, 30 and 33 do not apply.

E4.6 Audible Starting Signals
Audible signals for starting a heat shall be at one-minute intervals and shall be a warning signal, a preparatory signal and a starting signal. During the minute before the starting signal, verbal signals shall be made at ten-second intervals, and during the final ten seconds at one-second intervals. The start shall be at the beginning of the starting signal.

E4.7 Other Race Committee Actions
Rules 27 and 32 are changed in that the race committee shall not postpone or abandon a race before or after the start because of
(a) foul weather, except for thunderstorms, or
(b) insufficient wind.

E4.8 Starting and Finishing Lines
The starting and finishing lines shall be tangential to, and on the course side of, the starting and finishing marks.

E4.9 Individual Recall
Rule 29.2 is changed. Delete all after 'the race committee shall promptly' and insert 'twice hail ³Recall, boat numbers . . .².'

E4.10 General Recall
Rule 29.3 is changed. Delete all after 'the race committee may' and substitute: 'twice hail ³General recall².' The preparatory signal for a new start shall be made at least one minute after the recalled start.

E4.11 Time to Repair
Unless she has been disqualified under rule 14, a boat that has sustained damage while having right of way shall be given reasonable time, but not more than 30 minutes, to effect repairs before her next heat.

E5 PART 4 ­ OTHER REQUIREMENTS WHEN RACING
E5.1 Rules 43, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52 and 54 do not apply.

E5.2 Outside Help
Rule 41 is changed to:
(a) A boat that has gone ashore or aground or become entangled with another boat or object may be freed and relaunched with outside help to the extent permitted in rule E4.4.
(b) Other actions permitted in rule E4.4 may be performed by outside help.
(c) A competitor shall not give tactical or strategic advice to a competitor who is racing.

E5.3 Penalties for Breaking a Rule of Part 2, E4 or E5
(a) Throughout rule 44 the penalty shall be one 360° turn, including one tack and one gybe, and rule 44.3 is deleted.
(b) The race committee or protest committee may protest a boat whose competitor breaks rule E4.3, E4.4 or E5.2(c). If the protest committee decides that a rule was broken, it may either exclude the boat from the next race or disqualify her from the previous race.

E5.4 Ballast
Rule 51 is changed to:
During an event and unless class rules conflict,
(a) ballast shall not be shifted, shipped, or un-shipped;
(b) except for replacements of similar weight and position, no control equipment shall be shifted, shipped or un-shipped;
(c) the position of counterweights may be adjusted;
(d) bilge water shall not be used to trim the boat and may be removed at any time.

E5.5 Radio
Competitors' radio transmissions shall not interfere with the radio reception of other boats.

E5.6 Boat out of Radio Control
A competitor who loses radio control of a boat shall promptly hail and repeat 'Out of control' and the boat's sail number. A boat out of control shall retire and shall be considered an obstruction.

E6 PROTESTS, HEARINGS, MISCONDUCT AND APPEALS
E6.1 Protests
Add to rule 60.1: 'except that a protest shall be made only by a boat scheduled to race in the heat in which the incident occurred.' Add to rules 60.2(a) and 60.3(a): 'provided that during a heat, the incident is observed by a member of the race committee or protest committee within the control area.'

E6.2 Protest Requirements
Rule 61.1(a) is changed to: 'A boat intending to protest another boat because of an incident that occurs in the racing area shall twice hail ³Protest² and the other boat's sail number.'

E6.3 Protest Time Limit
Rule 61.3 is changed. For 'two hours' read '15 minutes.' Add: 'A protestor intending to submit a protest shall inform the race committee within five minutes of the end of the relevant heat.'

E6.4 Accepting Responsibility
A boat that acknowledges breaking a rule of Part 2, 3 or 4 before a hearing may retire from the relevant heat without further penalty.

E6.5 Redress
(a) Add to rule 62.1:
(e) radio interference, or
(f) an entanglement with a boat required to keep clear or give room.
(b) Rule 62.2 is changed to: 'The request shall be made in writing within the time limit of rule E6.3. No protest flag is required.'

E6.6 Rule 63.3 is changed. Delete 'on board' and substitute 'within the control area'.

E6.7 Taking Evidence and Finding Facts
Add to rule 63.6: 'Evidence about an alleged breach of a rule of Part 2, 3 or 4 shall be accepted only from a witness who was within the control area at the time of the alleged incident.'

E6.8 Reopening a Hearing
Rule 66 is changed; for '24 hours' read 'five minutes'.

E6.9 Identification on Sails
Rule 77 is changed to: 'An International Class boat shall comply with the requirements of the Sail Identification Mark Rules of the Radio Sailing Division of the ISAF.'


Racing Rules of Sailing 1997-2000