Not sure if i can put links up, but there are youtube videos on race rules and a lot of sites with the rules, they are not hard to find, the rules are the same as they are for the big boats, with an exception on when infringing on another boat we only do one 360 turn, (i think it should be two might deter some) which you should do off the racing line not in font of other boats, if a boats has to alter course while your doing a penalty you have to do another one., you have no rights while your doing your penalty, a penalty must be done straight away not on the next leg or at the end of the race, if your in a fleet you must sail out of the race to do your penalty, to bad if you loose ground that’s the idea of a penalty to prevent you from doing it again.
Racing is fun when every one has a go at learning the rules, and everyone follows the rules.
We all like to win, but at the end of the day it’s only a toy boat race, you only get a name for yourself if you push the envelope of the rules.
To finish of my rant: the inside boats only gets buoy room at the mark if the inside boat has the overlap, (overlap is when the inside boat’s bow is past the stern of the outside boat within the three boat lengths of the buoy ) if not, it has no buoy room rights and must tack out of the way and circle back around the fleet making sure you do not infringe on any other boat, if you do not lay the mark and tack in the zone to get a lay line to go around the buoy, you loose all rights and must keep clear of all other boats rounding the mark, you step out of line you loose your place.
Kermit said it, avoid collision at all cost even if your the boat in the right it’s still your job to avoid the collision worry about the penalty then you can not alter course to cause a collision to gain a penalty ie: leeward boat can not steer up and hit windward boat to make them do a penalty if you cause a collision the penalty falls back on the lee boat, you must sail a proper course ie. you can not zig zag to try and prevent a boat from over taking you, you can’t run a boat of the course or more than three boat lengths past a buoy.
i should stop now, you did ask Longtall, lol, i could go all night to that end if your going to race you need to do it properly, or you just don’t put the buoys in the water, and have a nice sail around, I’ll drop the mic there, and wait for the back lash.
Cheers