How to plan your 2027 racing season: from Notice of Race to the start line

A good racing season is often decided at the kitchen table in the dark of winter. That is when you pick the regattas worth the trip, make sure boat and crew are ready, and get the dates in before the holidays are booked. Here is how, step by step.

1. Pick regattas for a goal, not out of habit

Ask what the season is for: preparing for a championship, more starts in home waters, or a trip with the crew. Then:

• Start with the fixed points: championships in your class and the classics you do not want to miss.
• Fill in with short club races near your home port. They give many starts for little effort.
• Leave room. Two heavy weekends in a row wear out both boat and crew.

Our 2027 overview shows how the season spreads over months and countries, and Find a race suggests regattas by class and area.

2. Read the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions

Two documents govern every regatta:

• The Notice of Race (NoR) comes first. It says which classes may take part, how and when to enter, what it costs and what is required, such as a measurement certificate, a rating, insurance and a licence.
• The Sailing Instructions (SI) usually come closer to the event. They describe the courses, start times, signals and how protests are handled.

Both build on World Sailing's Racing Rules of Sailing, and where they differ, the documents for that regatta apply. On every regatta page we link to the Notice of Race and the entry page once the organiser has published them.

3. Keep track of entries

• Note the entry deadline. Many regattas charge a late fee or cap the number of boats.
• Check that your rating or measurement certificate is valid for the year before you enter. Handicap racing uses, for example, ORC internationally and national systems such as SRS in Sweden.
• Sort out the crew early. Short of people? Post in Crew Finder.

4. Let the calendar look after itself

Dates move, regattas get cancelled and results appear a few days late. Save the regattas you plan to sail and add them to your calendar. Follow the class or the club and get an e-mail when entry lists and results come out. Premium adds a calendar subscription that updates itself and alerts when entries open and the deadline gets close.

5. After the finish

Keep your results and your sails. In the logbook you can upload your GPS tracks and see the season in one place, and once you have claimed your sailor page, your results from published results lists are gathered there.