Sailing instructions template.
Fill in your event and get sailing instructions in the order of RRS Appendix J — start, courses, scoring, protests and a safety section built on check-out and check-in. Preview free; download as Word or PDF.
Preview
Grey ‹text› is still to fill in.Running the race on VesselSOS Racing? Skippers check out with the race code and the race office sees the safety tally live (pilot 2027).
Run your next raceSources
- World Sailing — The Racing Rules of Sailing 2025–2028 (Appendix J; rules 25, 26, 35, 44, 89.2, 90.2; Race Signals) · checked 18 Oct 2026
- World Sailing — Sailing Instructions Guide (March 2025), Word file as published by US Sailing · checked 18 Oct 2026
- World Sailing — Notice of Race Guide (March 2025), Word file as published by US Sailing · checked 18 Oct 2026
Questions
Is this an official sailing instructions template?
No. It follows the structure of RRS Appendix J and World Sailing’s Sailing Instructions Guide, in our own words, but it is not a World Sailing or national authority document. Check your national authority’s prescriptions, have your race officer review the result, and keep the sailing instructions consistent with your notice of race.
What must sailing instructions contain?
RRS Appendix J lists what the SIs must include when it is not in the notice of race — among others the schedule, the courses, the marks, the start and finish lines, the class flags and the time limits — and what they may include. The template has a paragraph for each, in the order competitors use them.
Can I use a 3-minute start sequence?
Yes, but only by saying so: RRS 26 sets 5-4-1-0 unless the notice of race or sailing instructions state otherwise. Choose 3-2-1-0 in the form and the template writes the sentence that makes the change.
How does the check-in / check-out with VesselSOS Racing work?
If you run the race on VesselSOS Racing, skippers join with the race code in the free VesselSOS app; joining is the check-out and arriving ashore is the check-in. The template writes this into the safety section, keeps a paper or VHF fallback, and asks boats that retire to tell the race committee. VesselSOS Racing is a pilot for the 2027 season.
Why does the download ask for my email?
The preview and the copy-to-clipboard are free and anonymous. Only the Word and PDF files ask for an email and your club, so we know who uses the templates; we write to you about the VesselSOS Racing pilot, no newsletter.
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