20% Penalty Rule
What it means: If the race committee catches you in the forbidden zone (the triangle), in the last minute you get an automatic 20% penalty. But you can still finish the race and score points.
The forbidden zone: Imagine a triangle. The two ends of the starting line form the bottom. The first mark forms the point. You cannot have any part of your hull in this triangle during the last minute before the start.
Example: 54 boats entered. 20% is approximately 11 places. If you finish 17th, you’ll be scored 28th (17 + 11). But you don’t get thrown out of the race.
What you do: Stay completely clear of the starting line and away from where the first mark is. Stay in the pre-start area.
