Yachting New Zealand have prepared standard documentation and useful resources for use by affiliated clubs, classes and race officials in the organisation of regattas.
Yachting New Zealand regulations and prescriptions
- YNZ regulations part 4: Administration of racing rules (includes appointment of national and international race officials, New Zealand representation, national and major event management, arbitration)
- Yachting New Zealand Prescriptions 2025 - 2028
- Yachting New Zealand Race Official Code of Conduct
National championship documentation
If you are the organising authority (OA) for a national championship, there is criteria that must be met for an event to be approved as a national championship and for the winner to be recognised as the national champion.
Please refer to YNZ regulation 4.5.4 (national and major event management) for more information.
Organising authorities need to apply to YNZ to endorse the running of a national championship here: National event application form (to be submitted to Yachting New Zealand to hold a national championship by June 30), including a checklist of National event requirements
- Information for running an approved national championship
- Guidelines for Insurance required for National events
- Submit your Notice of Race
- Submit your Sailing Instructions
After the national championships are complete:
- Submit your Event report - Fleet Racing (to be returned to Yachting New Zealand within two weeks of a national championship)
- Submit your Event Report - Match Racing & Teams Racing (to be returned to Yachting New Zealand within two weeks of a national championship)
Race document templates
If you are organising racing and regattas, we recommend you use the following formats developed by our race management committee for both your notice of race and your sailing instructions or Appendix S supplementary sailing instructions.
- Template - YNZ standard notice of race (Updated June 2021)
- Template - YNZ standard sailing instructions (Updated June 2021)
- Template- YNZ appendix S supplementary sailing instructions (updated June 2021)
- Template - YNZ standard entry forms (updated June 2021)
- Course diagrams - a range of course diagrams that can be edited and added into your race documents to illustrate the course
- COVID-19 event document examples.
Race Management Apps
These free apps, developed by YNZ club members, are useful tools to help make race management easier for race officers and their team.
- Buoy Zone - This app makes it easy to lay the perfect course in minutes- no GPS required!
- Voice Sail Start Timer- This app take the tedium out of the timekeeper’s role on a signal vessel and take the mystery out of start sequences.
Officiating resources
- Yachting NZ Race Management guidelines
- Race Management Target Times Speed Data July 2022 YNZ
- Race signals
- Protest form
- Wind speed and direction measurement form
- Finishing/Mark Rounding recording form
- Race Management of teams racing guidelines
- Match Racing draw template
- Teams Racing draw template
- Protest Time Limit notice
- RYA- Using daily risk assessments for decision making
- Sailwave results/scoring programme
Inclusive race officiating
Below are resources to help race officials who are running racing for sailors with a disability.
- Inclusion and awareness on the race course
- Inclusive regatta cheat sheet
- Information about classification
Many sailors with disabilities compete in open regattas. This information is a useful reference when writing a notice of race or sailing instructions.
Event management resources
- Regatta organiser checklist
- Race Management Equipment checklist
- A guide on resources and personnel requirements for regattas
- A guide to the various roles involved in running a major regatta
- Media assistance pack
World Sailing resources (updated February 2021)
- World Sailing Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028
- World Sailing Race Management Manual
- World Sailing Judges Manual
- World Sailing Judges Document Library
- World Sailing Case Book- Interpretations of the Racing Rules
- World Sailing Call Book for Team Racing
- World Sailing Call Book for Match Racing
Embark - online learning
Embark is Yachting New Zealand’s online learning platform, providing greater access to opportunities for you to learn and develop your skills as a race official. Click here to access Embark.