Getting Started with the Rules

At the NESSA annual meeting, we had a long discussion about how to best teach our sailors the rules. Particularly with team racing, this is a critical knowledge set - possibly even more so than understanding shifts, plays, and tactics. As you plan your first Rules lesson, here are a few resources that you should definitely check out.

1. ISAF: Racing Rules of Sailing - while it's great to have a complete rule book, sometimes its easier to keep a PDF on your computer or a few print outs in a zip lock bag. The ISAF site has the current edition as well as any changes.
2. ISAF: Call Book for Team Racing - in addition to knowing the basic rules, sailors who team race should also be familiar with significant judges calls. Many situations that appear fuzzy have actually been clearly defined. 
3. ISSA Procedural Rules - these are crucial for both coaches, sailors, and parents to understand, particularly with regard to how protests should be handled as well as items that differ from the standard racing rules.
4. Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing - Dave Perry's book is hands-down the easiest interpretation of the rules. If you or your team are just getting started, then this is a must-have book.

Once you have all of your resources, how do you start teaching? Last year, with our JV group, we did about a 2 hour chalk-talk on rules on a rainy, windy afternoon. We opened up Dave Perry's book and started with Part 2: When Boats Meet. One person read while another person drew on the white board. We didn't have any magnetic boats, so we used 2 different colored markers. It was probably the best rules lesson that I've ever taught at a beginner level.