I touched the start mark and spun the boat — why isn't my penalty done?
Because a bear-away loop gives you the gybe and never the tack. Rule 31 stops you touching a starting mark before you start, and Rule 44.1 lets a One-Turn Penalty clear it — but Rule 44.2 requires each turn to include one tack and one gybe. Changing tack by gybing is not a tack: until your bow goes through head to wind the penalty has not been taken, and you carry it into the race.
📖 Want more situations like this one? Bryan Willis's The Rules in Practice 2025-2028 works through the rules as they happen round the racecourse. (affiliate link)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VvGR_jDxJVY" title="Sailing Kiwi" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://sailing.kiwi.nz/v/VvGR_jDxJVY/">Source: Sailing Kiwi</a></p>Go deeper: books and gear
- Ronstan Clear Start race timer — A countdown timer made for sailing starts.
- The Rules in Practice 2025-2028 by Bryan Willis — Situations round the racecourse, worked through for the current rules.
- Tactics Made Simple by Jon Emmett — Racing tactics, explained simply.
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