From ISAF Website:

By clicking the link above you will open a document titled “Study Version of the Racing Rules for 2013-2016.” This is a special document designed to provide you with the reasons for each change in the 2013 rulebook.

Changes in the racing rules are the result of Submissions made to ISAF from Member National Authorities, ISAF Class Associations and ISAF Committee Chairmen. Each Submission to change a racing rule contains three sections: a Proposal, showing exactly how the author would like to change a particular racing rule, the Current Position, which is the current wording of the rule, and the Reasons for proposing the change. In the proposal, new wording is shown in bold and underlined and deleted words are shown struck through. Studying the Reasons for the Proposal in the original Submission that led to a rule change should help you understand why that rule change was made.

Please note that some new rules in the 2013 rulebook are not worded exactly as they were worded in the original proposal. These changes in wording were made, usually by the Racing Rules Working Party, for clarity, for ease of translation, or to make the new rule consistent with other rules in the rulebook.

The document “Study Version of the Racing Rules for 2013-2016″ begins with The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2013-2016, with all wording that is new in 2013 shown in green. The last section of the document is a 106-page Addendum containing all the original submissions for changes in the racing rules that were approved by the ISAF Council.

The last word of each new (green) section of a racing rule is shown underlined and in a colour other than green. Each of these underlined words contains a hyperlink to the original Submission that led to the particular rule change. Simply left click on the hyperlink and the original Submission for that rule change will appear on your screen. In a few cases, when two submissions led to a particular rule change, you will find an underlined hyperlink in the first Submission that, if clicked, will take you to the second submission that led to that rule change.

I hope you find this document helpful!

Dick Rose
Chairman, Racing Rules Working Party

Note to SL Sailors: Rules 18 and 20 need a particular attention.

Most of you support the SLCG (US Coast Guards Role Players)

The U.S. Coast Guard is one of the five armed forces of the United States and the only military organization within the Department of Homeland Security.

You have supported the Solstice Challenge, raising founds for of S4L-RFL-ACS, and “launch” of the Trudeau NY30

American Cancer Society is here to eliminate cancer as a major health problem.

You have supported the One World, inspired by one.org, and launch of the Trudeau One

One.org: Bono, Bill Gates, Bob Geldorf, the Buffett Foundation, Intel Corp..

You will love to support Toys for Tots

About Toys for Tots: 

MISSION:
The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

GOAL:
The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.

Other useful links (or what next?):

http://www.usa-patriotism.com/

http://www.marines.com/home

http://www.teaparty.org/

http://home.nra.org/#/home

http://www.amren.com/about/

IOS: Weather4D (http://www.weather4d.com/en)

Android: SaimGrib (http://www.sailgrib.com)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_weather_prediction

http://noodleqt.blogspot.com

Click the picture to read more

A new international catamaran class circuit: After the X-40 and AC-42 Annual Circuits, a new series of regattas for a newly designed catamaran has been planned for Europe and the Middle-East. The 32-foot-cat with foiling-daggerboards will be a one-design much less expensive than the X-40. 8-10 teams are expected to participate in the Circuit during the first year. The first regatta is scheduled for May 2013.

GC32 One Design Multihull in short: Delivers high performance, sensational racing and high safety.

High Performance: Combining low drag hull, double S curved foils, high righting moment and generous sail area, the GC32 has the capability to reach 30 knots and beyond.

Safety: By combining L Rudder, High Freeboard, Smart Volume distribution, the GC32 has unprecedented safe behavior in hard winds and rough sea conditions.

GC series: The GC32 is the one design for the future Great Cup Racing circuit starting from 2013 onward.

GC32 Specifications

LENGTH OVERALL: 12.00M
LENGTH HULL: 10.00M
BEAM: 6.00M
WEIGHT: 720 KG
DRAFT UPWIND: 2.10M
DRAFT DOWNWIND: 1.60M
MAST LENGTH: 16.50M
SPIN. POLE LENGTH: 6.60M
MAINSAIL AREA: 60.00 M2
JIB AREA: 23.50 M2
GENNAKER AREA: 90.00 M2
AUX ENGINE POWER: 5 HP
FULL CARBON FIBER BOAT CONSTRUCTION

GC32 Logistics

The total cost of ownership of a racing boat is highly dictated by transport and handling costs, the GC team focused on solutions to minimize the hassle and costs so you can enjoy your sailing and racing.

Official website: http://www.thegreatcup.com/

The EMEA GC32 Series are planned to start May 2013. Stay tuned!

The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) govern the sport on the water.

They are revised and published every four years by the International Sailing Federation. The current edition is The Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012.

Effective 1 January 2013 : The Racing Rules of Sailing 2013-2016

The Racing Rules of Sailing is available for purchase through the ISAF Secretariat and the Apple App Store. You can also download the complete document and related publications on the ISAF website.

• To download ISAF RRS on ISAF Web Site: http://www.sailing.org/rrs
• To download the ISAF RRS Application from iTunes App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/isaf-racing-rules-sailing/id557907485?mt=8

Main changes in brief
(that may apply to SL Sailing):

• New definition: Mark-Room

Room for a boat to sail to the mark, and then room to sail her proper course while at the mark. However, mark-room does not include room to tack unless the boat is overlapped to windward and on the inside of the boat required to give mark-room.

• RRS 14 AVOIDING CONTACT

A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible.  However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room or mark-room

(a)   need not act to avoid contact until it is   clear   that the other boat is not keeping clear   or giving room or mark-room, and

(b)   shall not be penalized under this rule unless   there is contact that causes damage or   injury.

• Rule 17 will change: 17.1 is now just 17 and 17.2 is deleted

17 ON THE SAME TACK; PROPER COURSE

17. If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of    her hull lengths to leeward of a boat on the same tack, she shall not sail above her proper course while they remain on the same tack and overlapped within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat. This rule does not apply if the overlap begins while the windward boat is required by rule 13 to keep clear.

• Section C has been completely rewritten and split into three rules: 18 -Markroom, 19 – Room to pass an obstruction and 20 – Room to Tack at an Obstruction.

The preamble of part C covers all of them:

Section C rules do not apply at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water or at its anchor line from the time boats are approaching them to start until they have passed them. When rule 20 applies, rules 18 and 19 do not.

Note about the intention of change (Section C): 

Few snapshots:

Talk to Don Berithos or Francois Jacques for some explanations!