Preface
This is the seventh edition of the World Sailing Call Book for Team Racing. It has
been edited to reflect the changes in the Racing Rules of Sailing for 2021 – 2024 and
in particular the rules of Appendix D. Special thanks to members of the Team Racing
Rules Working Party: Chris Atkins (GBR), Martin Clasen (GER), Chris Lindsay (IRL),
Marta Lloret Llinares (DEN), Rob Overton (USA), Cxema Pico (IRL), Peter Wilson
(USA) and Diego Yubero (ESP) for their help in updating this book.
Whilst many of the changes are simply changes in references, there are some
significant game changes involved and sailors and umpires are well advised to study
the new call book in detail! All major changes are a result of a significant rule change
or of a submission to add, delete or change the call.
The following is an incomplete list of changes:
• Calls D2, J9, L5, M7 and M11 have significant changes.
• Calls H5, J9, J10 and G8 are new but have been previously published in the
annual supplement to the call book. Call J10 has significant edits during 2020.
• Call E11 (previously rapid response call 2018-001) and Call L2 are new.
• Call E8 is withdrawn for review
• 8 calls in the previous call book, considered to be duplicates or otherwise
redundant, are deleted. These are C5, E9, E14, H3, L6, L7, M6 and M9.
• Previous rules 14(b), 21 and 64.1(a) about exoneration are combined into a new
rule 43. Consequently all references to exoneration are updated.
• Significant changes to the umpire process in Appendix D have resulted in
changes to several calls.
• In addition, there are minor clarifications in many calls and changes to the rules
references that do not affect the substance of those calls.
The purpose of this call book is to define, for umpires, judges and competitors how
incidents will be called in Team Racing.
The calls are split into sections associated with progress around the course, citing
typical incidents in the order they are likely to occur and explaining the rules that are
applicable. As a result, some calls are simpler than others, and some include repetitions
from earlier explanations. While calls are printed in one section only, this does not
mean that they do not apply at other times. Many calls (e.g. those in the prestart section)
will apply at all times.
Diagrams are limited to 2-dimensional snapshots of each situation. They cannot show
wind strength, the waves, the heel and speed of boats and all the many other things that
contribute to a real-life scenario. They should therefore not be used too literally, but
rather as a tool to help recognise quickly and clearly the situation being addressed.
The calls in this book cannot cover every possible incident. As new tactics are
developed, new calls will be required. Should reading this call book, or an incident on
the water, stimulate you to comment or propose an additional call, please send an email
to World Sailing at office@sailing.org If there's an incident that you are unsure of,
then perhaps it should be written up and submitted as a new call.
The publishing of the Call Book is governed by World Sailing regulation 28. This
means that it is authoritative for team racing only.
World Sailing regulations provide for a system of Rapid Response Team Racing Calls.
Calls proposed under this system should be presented in a form similar to existing calls,
and sent to the World Sailing office. A call approved as a Rapid Response Call will be
immediately communicated to all IUs, and MNAs. In addition it will be posted on the
World Sailing website www.sailing.org .
The Team Racing Rules Working Party will make recommendations on submitted calls
and approved Rapid Response Calls to the Racing Rules Committee.
I welcome any comments for improvement of this Call Book.
Richard Thompson
Chair
Team Racing Rules Working Party
December 2020