What Is Match Racing?

Match racing is a ‘duel’ between two identically matched boats, racing head-to-head with a winner and a loser.  Each competitor uses tactics and the racing rules with the objective of crossing the finish line before her opponent.

Match Race race course : graphic    (This link shows a pictoral representation of the match racing course.)

Match Racing Terminology

Pre-start/Dial Up: Five minutes allotted to competitors before the start gun to gain the better start position.

In The Box: An imaginary box in the start area where the pre-start maneuvers take place.

The Course: Start/Windward/Leeward/Windward/Finish (all marks passed with the starboard/right side of the boat).

Windward/Top Mark: First and third mark on the course; mark set upwind (into the wind) from the start line.

Leeward/Bottom Mark: Second mark on the course; set just above the start line; reached by competitors sailing from the windward mark with wind behind them.

The Beat/To Beat/Go to Windward: The boats sail as close into the wind as they can while maintaining their optimal speed.  They sail towards the windward/top mark.

Downwind/The Run: The boats sail in the direction the wind is blowing.  The wind is on the crews' backs as they look towards the leeward/bottom mark.

Round Robin: Each competitor in a group sails against all other competitors in that group with wins/losses recorded to establish ranking within the group.

Repechage: A round robin in which the competitors who lost in the first round robin can compete against each other to win a place in the quarter finals.

Finals: Semi final winners race for first and second place overall.

Petit Finals: Semi final losers race for third and fourth overall.

Penalty/Flagged: Awarded by the on-the-water umpires for a rules' infraction.

Penalty Turn/Spin: A 270-degree turn of the boat to exonerate a competitor from a penalty.

One Penalty: Can be cleared by completing a spin sometime before the finish.  Or by pushing one's competitor to an off-setting penalty (ie one each).

Second Penalty/Red Flagged: Have to spin immediately to remove one penalty.  Still have one penalty to clear before the finish.