IKA Course Racing Rules

Course Racing Rules
These rules are designed to explain the basic ISAF competition rules so that riders who are starting tocompete can do so by using only these few rules and without the need to learn the many details ofthe ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) and the Experimental Kiteboarding Competition Rules (EKCR).
However, the RRS and EKCR apply whenever racing and can be found for information in their latestversions on the ISAF and IKA websites.
All rules are intended to ensure that the best competitor wins through individual skills, good fortuneand quality of equipment, and not as a result of procedural devices or legalistic argument. Alldisputes under the rules shall be conducted on this principleThe Course Racing Rules are using drawings from the US Sailing Appendix BB.


§ 1 Definitions
    A board is on the tack, starboard or port, as determined by the

    forward   hand of the competitor in standard riding position (riding heel  

    side with both hands on the bar). A kiteboard is on starboard tack, when

    the forward hand is the competitors right hand. When the forward hand 

    is the left hand,the kiteboard is on port tack.


§ 2 When boards meet – on opposite tacks The port tack board must keep

      clear

§ 3 When boards meet – on the same tack the board to windward

      (if overlapped) or clear astern (if not overlapped) must keep clear.

§ 4 Tacking, Gybing and Looping After a board initiates a tack or gybe, she

       must keep clear of other boards until she is on a close hauled course. A

       looping kite shall keep clear of other boards.


§ 5 Acquiring right of way
       When a board acquires right of way, she must initially give the other

       board room to keep clear.

§ 6 Changing Course
       When a right‐of‐way board changes course or the position of her kite, she

       must give the other board room to keep clear.


§ 7 Room at a mark or obstruction
       This rule applies between boards when they are required to leave a mark

       on the same side and at least one of them is about to round or pass it.

       When boards are overlapped, the outside board shall give the inside

       board room to round or pass the mark.


§ 8 Protests and Penalties
       When you break a “when boards meet” rule, you may exonerate yourself

       by taking a penalty. The default penalty is the 20% scoring penalty (your 

       score will be worsened for that race by 20% of the riders who finish the

       race). For each penalty, you must inform the other kiteboard and the race

       committee immediately after finishing by fulfilling a scoring adjustment

       form within the time limits for protests.

 

§ 9 Starting Sequences
      The usual start system is System 1:

§ 10 Starting Errors, Recalls and Penalties
         At the starting signal, you and your board must be completely on the

         pre‐start side of the starting line. If not, you are disqualified for this race.

         If the race committee sees any part of a board on the course side at the

         starting signal, but cannot identify all of them it will display the general

         recall flag.This means that all kites have to return and restart, expect the

         identified early starters, which are disqualified.

§ 11 Sailing the course
        You must start, pass each mark on the required side on the correct order

        and finish, so that a string representing your wake after starting and

        until finish would lie on the required side of each mark and touch each

        rounding mark.