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**Sailboat Race Committee Signals**
Published 2023-09-07; Updated 2024-05-07This article describes the sound signals and flags used by a sailboat race committee under the 2021-2024 racing rules of sailing (RRS).
The official 5-minute starting sequence is:
| Time | All Flags Flying | Sound Signal | Notes |
|---|
| ![](start_flag.svg class="tinyflag")| •••••• (optional) | Orange flag already flying, start of racing for the day.5 min| ![](start_flag.svg class="tinyflag") ![](j24_flag.png class="tinyflag")| • | Class flag raised. Boats are not yet racing. 4 min| ![](start_flag.svg class="tinyflag") ![](j24_flag.png class="tinyflag") ![](../ICS/papa.svg class="tinyflag")| • | Preparatory flag raised, which is one of P, I, Z, Z over I, U, or black flag. Boats are now racing, but not fetching the start line. 1 min| ![](start_flag.svg class="tinyflag") ![](j24_flag.png class="tinyflag")| • | Preparatory flag lowered. Any rule 30 penalties will now be active. 0 min| ![](start_flag.svg class="tinyflag")| — | Class flag removed, start!
The class flag is a class-specific rectangular flag. The race committee may specify any unused flag instead.
The finish line is marked by a blue flag at one end, unless the course has been shortened. In that case, the finish line is marked by the S flag.
Dinghies often start under a shorter sequence, as allowed by Rule 26. I have observed two common variations. The first is US Sailing Appendix U, which is frequently used in school races and avoids the need for the racers to have a watch or the committee to have flags.
| Time | Sound Signal | Notes |
|---|
| •••••• (optional) | Optional: Orange flag flying3:00 | ——— | Boats are not yet racing. 2:00 | —— | Boats are now racing, but not fetching the start line. 1:30 | — ••• | 1:00 | — | Any rule 30 penalties will now be active. 0:30 | ••• | 0:20 | •• | 0:10 | • | 0:05 | • | 0:04 | • | 0:03 | • | 0:02 | • | 0:01 | • | 0:00 | — | Start!
Individual recalls are made by hailing the sail numbers of the boats OCS early, without a flag. A general recall is made by a series of three signals without a flag.
This Rule 26 permitted sequence is used by one of the clubs I race at. It is similar to the full 5-min sequence and includes flags, but is shorter to be more appropriate for small boats.
| Time | All Flags Flying | Sound Signal | Notes |
|---|
| ![](start_flag.svg class="tinyflag")| •••••• (optional) | Orange flag already flying, start of racing for the day.3 min| ![](start_flag.svg class="tinyflag") ![](j24_flag.png class="tinyflag")| • | Class flag raised. Boats are not yet racing. 2 min| ![](start_flag.svg class="tinyflag") ![](j24_flag.png class="tinyflag") ![](../ICS/papa.svg class="tinyflag")| • | Preparatory flag raised, which is one of P, I, Z, Z over I, U, or black flag. Boats are now racing, but not fetching the start line. 1 min| ![](start_flag.svg class="tinyflag") ![](j24_flag.png class="tinyflag")| • | Preparatory flag lowered. Any rule 30 penalties will now be active. 0 min| ![](start_flag.svg class="tinyflag")| — | Class flag removed, start!
<script>{ const AP = ['AP', '../ICS/code.svg']; const A = ['A', '../ICS/alfa.svg']; const C = ['C', '../ICS/charlie.svg']; const H = ['H', '../ICS/hotel.svg']; const I = ['I', '../ICS/india.svg']; const L = ['L', '../ICS/lima.svg']; const M = ['M', '../ICS/mike.svg']; const N = ['N', '../ICS/november.svg']; const P = ['P', '../ICS/papa.svg']; const S = ['S', '../ICS/sierra.svg']; const U = ['U', '../ICS/uniform.svg']; const V = ['V', '../ICS/victor.svg']; const X = ['X', '../ICS/xray.svg']; const Y = ['Y', '../ICS/yankee.svg']; const Z = ['Z', '../ICS/zulu.svg']; const ONE = ['1', '../ICS/1.svg']; const FIRST = ['First Sub', '../ICS/repeat_1.svg']; const BLACK = ['Black', 'black_flag.svg']; const BLUE = ['Blue', 'finish_flag.svg']; const ORANGE = ['Orange', 'start_flag.svg']; const sections = [ ["Special", [ORANGE], '', 'The staff displaying this flag is one end of the starting line.', [BLUE], '', 'The staff displaying this flag is one end of the finishing line.', [L], '^.', 'Ashore: A notice to competitors has been posted. Afloat: Come within hail or follow this vessel.', [Y], '^.', 'Wear a personal flotation device (see rule 40).' ], ["Postponement", [AP], '^..v.', 'Races not started are postponed. Abandonment, postponment, or warning will occur one minute after removal.', [AP, H], '^..', 'Races not started are postponed. Further signals ashore.', [AP, A], '^..', 'Races not started are postponed. No more racing today.', [AP, ONE], '^..', 'Postponement of 1 hour from the scheduled starting time. AP over other numbers indicate that many hours instead.' ], ["Abandonment", [N], '^...v.', 'All races that have started are abandoned. Return to the starting area. Abandonment, postponment, or warning will occur one minute after removal.', [N, H], '^...', 'All races are abandoned. Further signals ashore.', [N, A], '^...', 'All races are abandoned. No more racing today.', [V], '^-', 'Monitor communication channel for safety instructions (rule 37).' ], ["Preparatory", [P], '^.v-', 'Normal preparatory (4 min to start). This marks the start of *racing* in the rules.', [I], '^.v-', 'Rule 30.1 in effect. Any boat over the line within one minute of the start must sail across an extension.', [Z], '^.v-', 'Rule 30.2 in effect. Any boat over the line within one minute of the start 20% scoring penalty unless restarted or abandoned _before_ the start.', [Z, I], '^.v-', 'Rules 30.1 and 30.2 in effect.', [U], '^.v-', 'Rule 30.3 in effect. Any boat over the line within one minute of the start is disqualified unless the race is postponed or abandoned.', [BLACK], '^.v-', 'Rule 30.4 in effect. Any boat over the line within one minue of the start is disqualified unless the race is postponed or abandoned _before_ the starting signal.' ], ["Recall", [X], '^.', 'Individual recall', [FIRST], '^..v.', 'General recall. The warning signal will be made 1 minute after removal.', ], ["Change on Course", [S], '^..', 'The course has been shortened. Rule 32.2 is in effect. The new finish line is between the S flag and a mark, between the two marks of a gate, or on a line that boats are required to cross.', [M], '', 'The object flying this flag replaces a missing mark.', [C], '', 'The position of the next mark has been changed. The other flags indicate how. Green triangle: to starboard; Red square: to port; Minus: shorter; Plus: longer.' ], ] let s = ''; for (section of sections) { s += ` ${'#'} ${section[0]} Flag | Sound | Meaning -----|-------|-------- `; for (let i = 1; i < section.length; i += 3) { const flagArray = section[i]; const sound = section[i + 1]; const meaning = section[i + 2]; for (let j = 0; j < flagArray.length; ++j) { const flag = flagArray[j]; s += `*${flag[0]}*`; if (j !== flagArray.length - 1) { s += ' over '; } } s += ''; for (let j = 0; j < flagArray.length; ++j) { const flag = flagArray[j]; s += `![](${flag[1]} class="flag")`; if (j !== flagArray.length - 1) { s += '
'; } } s += `|${sound.replace(/\^/, '↑').replace(/\./g, ' •').replace(/v/, ', ↓').replace(/\-/g, ' —')}|${meaning}\n`; } } document.write(s); }</script>
The flags for signaling during racing are the standard international maritime signal flags under the International Code of Signals (ICS)/INTERCO, plus an orange and a blue flag. However, the flag interpretation differs from the ICS, and the sound signals do not match the Morse code for the flags from ICS.
In racing, the Code/Answer flag is referred to as the "Answering Pennant" and abbreviated "AP". The first repeater/Repeat 1 flag is referred to as the "General Recall" flag.
<script> { const flag_array = [ 'alfa', 'bravo', 'charlie', 'delta', 'echo', 'foxtrot', 'golf', 'hotel', 'india', 'juliett', 'kilo', 'lima', 'mike', 'november', 'oscar', 'papa', 'quebec', 'romeo', 'sierra', 'tango', 'uniform', 'victor', 'xray', 'whiskey', 'zulu', 'start_flag', 'finish_flag', 'repeat_1', 'repeat_2', 'repeat_3', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', 'code' ]; let s = '\n'; for (let i = 0; i < flag_array.length; ++i) { let flag = flag_array[i]; let path = '../ICS/'; let caption = flag.replace('_', ' ') if (flag.indexOf('flag') !== -1) { // Orange and blue specific to racing path = ''; if (flag === 'start_flag') { caption = "Orange/Start"; } else { caption = "Blue/Finish"; } } else if (flag === 'code') { caption += ' ("AP")'; } caption = caption.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + caption.slice(1); s += `![${caption}](${path}${flag}.svg class="flag") `; if (i % 6 == 5) { s += '\n'; } } document.write(s); } </script> <style> .flag {width:80px} .tinyflag{height:20px} </style> <script>markdeepOptions = {tocStyle: 'short'};</script> <script src="../sailing.js"> </script>