Quick Guide to Match Racing

Match race sailing is easy to follow. A match race consists of two identical boats racing against each other at one time. This one-on-one duel is a game of strategy and tactics; there is no second place.

The Start: The race begins with a warning shot fired by the Race Committee Boat seven minutes prior to the official start of the race. Another shot is fired at five minutes prior. The two boats (each flying either a blue or yellow flag) enter the start area from opposite ends of the starting line four minutes prior to the actual start.

During the next four minutes, the boats will engage in a furious pre-start battle, in which each will try to gain an advantage over the other. Using the rules of sailing and superior boat handling each team will try and gain control over the other. 'Control' refers to the relationship between the boats regarding the influence on each other's potential sailing direction and options available to the crews, e.g. one boat could prevent the other from changing direction.

An infringement by a boat during the pre-start and indeed around the course will result in a penalty awarded against them. Teams wave a red and yellow flag to request an umpire ruling on an incident. At the end of the countdown the race will begin.

The course is sailed around two marks, one upwind called the windward mark and one downwind called the leeward mark. The boats will sail upwind, on a beat, to the windward mark, where they shall round the mark to starboard (all mark roundings are to starboard). Then they hoist their spinnakers and sail downwind to the leeward mark. The spinnakers are taken down by the crews at the leeward mark before the boats round the buoy and head back up wind to the windward mark, which they round for their final time. Once completed they head back downwind and through the finish line.

Umpiring: Each race is officiated by two umpires in a small power boat who follow each pair of boats and make on-course penalty decisions. When a foul is allegedly committed, the umpire boat will fly one of the following flags: blue the blue boat is penalised, yellow the yellow boat is penalised, or green there is no penalty. When a boat is penalised, it must complete a 270° turn called a penalty turn.

The penalised boat may complete its penalty turn at any time during the race prior to the finish line. If penalties are offset, penalty turns need not be completed. Cumulative penalties are indicated by blue and yellow flags displayed on the umpires' boat. If one boat receives three penalties, it is disqualified and the race is awarded to the other team.

Rules: There are two basic right-of-way rules. The boat with the wind coming across its right, or starboard, side has the right of way and the other boat must stay clear. Within two boat lengths of a mark, the inside boat has the right to pass inside and ahead. The races are typically very close. Often, the winner is determined within several boat lengths of the finish line.

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The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the world's leading match racing series featuring World-Class Championship events across the globe. The series is sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with "Special Event" status. The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is currently sponsored by Alpari and thus officially known as the Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT). In the world of sailing it is now widely referred to as the Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT).

Follow all the action on www.wmrt.com - 2013 © Alpari World Match Racing Tour

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