| Yacht racing is the sport of competitive
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| | has seen a great boom in popularity in
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| sailing. There is a broad variety of
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| | recent years.
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| kinds of races and sailboats used for
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| | There is some controversy about the
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| racing. Much racing is done around buoys
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| | legality of sailing single-handed over
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| or similar marks in protected waters,
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| | long distances, as the navigation rules
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| while some longer offshore races cross
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| | require "that every vessel shall at all
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| open water. All kinds of boats are used
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| | times maintain a proper lookout...";
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| for racing, including small dinghies,
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| | single-handed sailors can only keep a
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| catamarans, boats designed primarily for
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| | sporadic lookout, due to the need to
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| cruising, and purpose-built raceboats.
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| | sleep, tend to navigation, etc.
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| Types of races
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| | Other races
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| Harbour or buoy racing
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| | Certain races do not fit in the above
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| Harbour or buoy races are conducted in
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| | categories. One such is the Three peaks
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| protected waters, and are quite short,
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| | yacht race in the UK which is a team
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| usually taking anywhere from a few
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| | competition involving sailing, cycling
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| minutes to a few hours. All sorts of
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| | and running.
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| sailing craft are used for these races,
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| | Classes and ratings
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| including keelboats of all sizes, as well
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| | Many design factors have a large impact
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| as dinghies, catamarans, skiffs,
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| | on the speed at which a boat can complete
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| sailboards, and other small craft. A
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| | a course, including the size of a boat's
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| competition, or regatta, usually consists
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| | sails, its length, and the weight and
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| of multiple individual races, where the
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| | shape of its hull. Because of these
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| boat that performs best in each race is
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| | differences, it can be difficult to
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| the overall winner. The most famous such
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| | compare the skills of the sailors in a
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| event is the America's Cup, but harbour
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| | race if they are sailing very different
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| races are common anywhere there is a
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| | boats. For most forms of yacht racing,
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| community of sailors.
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| | one of two solutions to this problem are
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| This kind of race is most commonly run
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| | used; either all boats are required to be
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| over one or more laps of a triangular
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| | identical (a one-design class), or a
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| course marked by a number of buoys. The
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| | handicapping system is used. A third
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| course starts from an imaginary line
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| | approach is the use of "open" classes.
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| drawn from a 'committee boat' to the
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| | In one-design racing all boats must
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| designated 'starting' buoy or 'pin'. A
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| | conform to the same standard, the class
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| number of warning signals are given
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| | rules. In this way the boats are as
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| telling the crews exactly how long until
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| | identical as they can be manufactured,
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| the race starts. The aim of each crew is
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| | thus emphasizing the skill of the skipper
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| to cross the start line at full speed
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| | and crew. Examples of popular classes
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| exactly as the race starts. A course
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| | include Etchells, Snipe, Star, Soling,
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| generally involves tacking upwind to a
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| | Thistle, Lightning, Laser, and J/24. Each
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| 'windward' marker or buoy. Then bearing
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| | class has a detailed set of
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| away onto a downwind leg to a second jibe
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| | specifications that must be met for the
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| marker. Next another jibe on a second
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| | boat to be considered a member of that
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| downwind leg to the last mark which is
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| | class. At important regattas the boats
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| called the 'downwind mark' (or 'leeward
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| | are measured prior to the event to ensure
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| mark'). At this mark the boats turn into
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| | that they do conform.
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| wind once again to tack to the finish
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| | When all the yachts in a race are not
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| line.
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| | members of the same class, then a
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| Offshore racing
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| | handicap is used to adjust the times of
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| Offshore yacht races are held over long
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| | boats. The handicap attempts to specify a
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| distances and in open water; such races
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| | "normal" speed for each boat, usually
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| usually last for at least a number of
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| | based either on measurements taken of the
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| days. The longest offshore races involve
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| | boat, or on the past record of that kind
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| a circumnavigation of the world.
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| | of boat. Each boat is timed over the
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| Some of the most famous offshore races
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| | specified course. After it has finished,
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| are the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, the
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| | the handicap is added to each boat's
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| Transpacific Yacht Race, the Fastnet
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| | finishing time. The results are based on
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| race, the Bermuda Race, and the West
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| | this sum. Popular handicapping systems in
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| Marine Pacific Cup. Several fully-crewed
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| | 2006 include IRC (Sailing), ORR and PHRF.
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| round-the-world races are held, including
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| | Earlier popular rating systems include
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| the Volvo Ocean Race (formerly called the
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| | IOR and IMS.
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| Whitbread Round the World Race), the
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| | An open class is based on a box rule,
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| Global Challenge and the Clipper Round
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| | which specifies a maximum overall size
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| the World Race.
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| | for boats in the class, as well as
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| Single-handed ocean yacht racing begain
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| | features such as stability. Competitors
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| with the race across the Atlantic Ocean
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| | in these classes are then free to enter
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| by William Albert Andrews and Josiah W.
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| | their own boat designs, as long as they
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| Lawlor in 1891; however, the first
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| | do not exceed the box rule. No handicap
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| regular single-handed ocean race was the
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| | is then applied. Since it is essentially
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| Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race, first
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| | based on the use of custom boats, such
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| held in 1960. The first round-the-world
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| | events are generally limited to
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| yacht race was the Sunday Times Golden
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| | high-budget racers. Popular examples of
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| Globe Race of 1968-1969, which was also a
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| | open classes are the Open 50 and 60
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| single-handed race; this inspired the
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| | classes used in single-handed offshore
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| present-day VELUX 5 Oceans Race (formerly
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| | events. However the Moth class is an
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| the BOC Challenge / Around Alone) and the
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| | exception, with boats being no longer
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| Vendée Globe. Single-handed racing
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| | than 11 feet.
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