Section 7: Violations & Penalties
7.1 Starting Penalties
- Flag P (Preparatory): Premature starters (OCS) must return to the pre-start side of the line and restart. Failure to return results in DSQ.
- Flag I (Round-an-End Rule): OCS boats must return around one end of the starting line before starting. More time-consuming and punitive than Flag P.
- Flag Z (20% Penalty): OCS boats receive a 20% scoring penalty (20% of entries, rounded up, added to their race score). Applies even if the race is restarted (general recall).
- Black Flag: The most severe starting penalty. Any boat identified as OCS during a black flag start is immediately disqualified from that race without the opportunity to restart. The disqualification stands even if a general recall is signaled.
7.2 On-Water Penalties
- Two-Turns Penalty: A boat that acknowledges breaking a Part 2 right-of-way rule may exonerate herself by promptly performing a Two-Turns Penalty (two complete 360° turns, including two tacks and two gybes).
- One-Turn Penalty (touching a mark): A boat that touches a mark must perform a One-Turn Penalty (one 360° turn) as soon as possible after the incident.
- Rule 42 — Propulsion: Propelling the boat by any means other than wind and water action (pumping sails, rocking the hull, ooching, sculling the rudder) is prohibited except when specifically permitted (e.g., surfing/planing conditions). On-water judges enforce Rule 42 by displaying a yellow flag; the penalized boat must perform a Two-Turns Penalty immediately. A second Rule 42 penalty in the same race results in DSQ.
7.3 Post-Race Penalties
- Protest hearing DSQ: If a boat is found to have broken a rule by the Protest Committee, the typical penalty is DSQ for that race. The boat scores "entries + 1" for the race.
- Scoring penalty (Advisory): In some cases, the Protest Committee may impose a scoring penalty rather than DSQ, adding a set number of positions to the boat's finishing position.
- DNE (Disqualification Not Excludable): For serious breaches (e.g., Rule 2 — Fair Sailing, or gross misconduct), the disqualification cannot be discarded and remains in the boat's series score.
7.4 Redress
A boat whose finishing position was significantly worsened through no fault of her own (e.g., giving assistance to a boat in danger, being impeded by a boat that was penalized, or race committee error) may request redress. If granted, the Protest Committee adjusts the boat's score to reflect what it would have been without the incident.