I missed the finish line, sailed right round the committee boat and crossed it from below — does that finish count?
Yes. The definition of Finish says a boat finishes when any part of her hull crosses the finishing line from the course side, and coming back up from below the line is exactly that. The loop is fine too: under the definition Sail the Course, the string test only asks that your track, pulled taut, passes each mark on the required side. Nothing stops an extra turn round a mark, and the committee boat at the end of the line is a mark. The loop costs you time, not the finish.
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<p><a href="https://sailing.kiwi.nz/v/lvfZ2zFY4Ww/">Source: Sailing Kiwi</a></p>Go deeper: books and gear
- Racing Rules Companion 2025-2028 by Bryan Willis — Spiral-bound pocket guide to the current rules.
- 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes by Dave Perry — Rules scenarios to test yourself on, with the answers.
- Sailing sunglasses — Cut the glare off the water.
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