How does sailing racing actually work?

Boats race around a course marked by buoys, and the distinctive feature is that competitors police themselves — there is usually no official on the water making decisions, and boats that break a rule are expected to take a penalty voluntarily.

The course. Typically windward-leeward: a beat upwind to a mark, then downwind, repeated. Boats cannot sail directly into the wind, so the upwind leg is sailed as a zigzag of tacks, and choosing where to tack is the central tactical decision.

The start, which decides a large share of races. Boats manoeuvre in a confined area before a timed sequence, aiming to cross the line at full speed at the instant the gun fires and not before. Crossing early means returning and restarting, which is usually fatal to a result.

The right-of-way rules, which are the core of the sport:

Port and starboard. A boat with the wind on its port side keeps clear of one on starboard. This is the fundamental rule, and the shouted call is the most recognisable thing in the sport.

Windward keeps clear of leeward, when boats are overlapped on the same tack.

A boat astern keeps clear of one ahead.

Mark room, where boats overlapped approaching a mark are entitled to space to round it — the source of most protests.

Self-policing and protests. A boat breaking a rule takes a penalty turn — spinning through a defined number of turns — immediately. If it does not, another boat protests, a flag is flown, and a protest committee hears both sides ashore afterwards, with the outcome affecting the result.

Scoring. Low points, with finishing position as points, summed across a series, and typically the worst race discarded — which is why consistency beats brilliance, and why a single disqualification is so damaging.

The formats: fleet racing, where everyone starts together; match racing, one against one, highly tactical and used in the America's Cup; and team racing, where tactics include deliberately slowing opponents.

Handicap systems allow different boat types to race meaningfully against each other.