GRADING CRITERIA AND ADMINISTRATION FOR RANKED EVENTS
Updated November 2008
Click here for PDF Version of ISAF Regulation 24.2
Ranking Divisions
24.2.1 There shall be two divisions - Open and Women. The Women's Division is limited to events which specify that all crew members, including the skipper, shall be women. All other events are Open. Points scored in Women's events shall count only towards the Women's ranking list. Points scored by an all women team in an Open event shall count towards the Open list and the Women's list, without any adjustment.
Administration
24.2.2 (a) Application for Grading
The official ISAF grading form is available for download from the ISAF website.
The form shall be completed by the event organizer, endorsed by the relevant Member National Authority and received by the ISAF Secretariat at least four months prior to the event. This may be by electronic mail. An event grading will then be allocated by ISAF.
ISAF will publish the dates for WC events on or before 15 October the year before. All event organizers applying either for Grade 1 or Grade 2 are invited to submit their dates before 1 November the year before. ISAF will then establish a calendar of events.
Events dates will be allocated in the flowing order:
WC events;
Grade 1 events;
Grade 2 events.
If two event dates clash and there is no possibility for one or both to select alternative dates, ISAF shall decide the matter in its sole discretion which may include downgrading one of them.
The allocation of gradings by the ISAF Secretariat will be checked on a sample basis, as directed by the Chairman of the Match Racing Committee. A report of event gradings will be made annually to the Match Race Committee.
(b) ISAF Event Report
The organizers shall submit an ISAF event report, including the results and other specified information, checked and signed by the Chief Umpire. The event report shall then be sent by fax or e-mail to the ISAF Secretariat. It shall be submitted within 5 days for events graded 3, 4 or 5, or within 24 hours for events graded 1 or 2.
(c) Re-grading of Events
Events may be re-graded retrospectively when there is clear reason to do so. An event applying to be up-graded retrospectively must satisfy ISAF that it clearly meets all the criteria of the higher grading.
Application for upgrading shall be made at the time of submission of the results and be accompanied by an application form completed in full. The application form will be similar to the initial application form appropriate to the grade of event.
An event will only be downgraded when it fails to meet the criteria by a substantial margin, or when it does not comply with the administration requirements. Such a decision does not change the previous requirements as per Regulation 18.16.
When an event does not comply with ISAF administrative procedures or fairness, the Match Race Rankings Sub-committee may recommend that ISAF shall remove the event from the ISAF Calendar.
An event which failed to meet the criteria, regardless if the event was downgraded or not, may be granted a lower Grade when it applies for the next edition of that event.
(d) Invitations and acceptances
A skipper accepting an invitation but withdrawing within two months of the event may be reported by the organizer to the ISAF. After review by ISAF late withdrawals may receive a "zero" score, which must be counted for the competitor's ranking.
A "zero" score penalty after review by ISAF may also apply to skippers who leave the event before the end of the event without the written approval from the organizing authority.
Invitations should be in writing and include the following statement:
"Should you accept this invitation and later withdraw within two months of the event or leave the event before the end without the written approval from the OA, it is possible for a zero score to be applied to your Ranking points for that event by ISAF."
(e) Umpire Insurance
In signing the Grading Form, Events confirm that all umpires will be covered by comprehensive liability insurance in an amount of not less than £480,000 per occurrence covering legal liability in respect of personal injury and property damage. The cover should include (but not be limited to) liability directly or indirectly arising from the ownership, possession or use of any watercraft in connection with the umpire's duties.
The organizing authority confirms with the signature on the grading form that it accepts responsibility to cover all expenses for the umpires and ISAF if the event is postponed or cancelled.
(f) ISAF Sailor ID
Results from Graded Match Race Events shall be sent to ISAF with Skippers ISAF Sailor ID's included. Skippers may register for ISAF Sailor at: www.sailing.org/isafsailor
(g) Media Rights
ISAF Graded Events may be licensed as detailed in Regulation 18.15.2(c).
24.2.3 Grading of Events
Event grading will normally be based on the following criteria, but will take into account the overall event package. During the transition from the previous criteria a reasonable time shall be allowed for events to comply.Percentage calculations shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number.
(a) Grade 5 - Open and Women
Any match racing event using boats of the same design.
When provided by the organizers each pair of boats shall be of equal performance.
The notice of race shall be based on the current ISAF standard.
The sailing instructions shall be based on the current ISAF standard.
The event shall comply with the current ISAF advertising regulations.
Matches shall be umpired.
The maximum average crew weight limit for open events is 87.5 kg.
The maximum average crew weight limit for women's events is 68 kg.
(b) Grade 4 - Open and Women
Satisfies the criteria for a Grade 5 event and: -
The boats shall have a minimum crew of three.
There shall be a minimum of eight skippers entered for the match racing.
There shall be a minimum of two days scheduled for racing.
(c) Grade 3 - Open and Women
Satisfies the criteria for a Grade 4 event and: -
The boats shall be keel boats and have a minimum 5.9 m LOA
There shall be a minimum of four boats available throughout the event, except when a boat that was available at the start of the event is subject to major breakdown or damage.
The boats shall be capable of carrying spinnakers.
Acceptable Race Committee practices.
Acceptable Race Committee and umpire boats.
The event shall be one of the following:
Either:
(i) The principal national championship - only one per nation per year
(ii) The principal youth national championship - one per nation per year
(iii) An international event with a minimum of 30% of the skippers of a different nationality than the host nation, or
(iv) an event, for countries whose Member National Authority is in Groups I to Q, where at least 30% of the skippers are either of a different nationality than that of the host nation, or are nationals of the host nation but have travelled more than 500 km from their ordinary place of residence to the event venue.
For national championships there shall be at least one International Umpire.
For international events there shall be at least two International Umpires.
(d) Grade 1 and Grade 2 - Open and Women
Satisfies the criteria for a Grade 3 event and complies with the ISAF Standard Guidelines for Grade 1 and Grade 2 Match Racing events. In addition, the event shall meet the following requirements (O = Open, W = Women):
| Competitors |
2-O |
1-O |
2-W |
1-W |
| Skippers - only top 12 minimum total points (* see below) |
50 |
120 |
35 |
80 |
| Skippers - max % from host MNA |
60% |
40% |
60% |
40% |
| Skippers - max % from same MNA except host |
40% |
30% |
40% |
30% |
| Skippers - max % from host continent (except for Continental Championships) |
100% |
85% |
100% |
85% |
| No of skippers to be invited from a qualifying event specified in the Notice of Race (max. grading of qualifying event is Grade 3) |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| Maximum average crew weight (kg.) (when boats are provided) |
87.5 |
87.5 |
68 |
68 |
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| Boats General |
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| Minimum number of boats (** See below) |
6 |
6** |
6 |
6** |
| Minimum overall length (metres) |
6.8 |
6.8 |
5.9 |
5.9 |
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| Boats - Provided by organizing authority |
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| Breakdown/spare service on the water |
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| Organization |
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| Format scheduled to include round robins and knock out semi-finals and finals |
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| Quarter finals may be round robin (preferred) or knock-out |
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| Knock out rounds to be scheduled to be the first to win minimum number of races |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
| Days of scheduled racing |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
| Min. number of scheduled practice hours per competitor |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Min number of International Umpires - per match # |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
** For Grade 1 and 2 events the minimum number of boats should be 50% of the number of skippers.
# For Grade 1 Open and Women's events Umpires shall be appointed by ISAF. For further details please see ISAF regulation 18.12. Click here to e-mail the Secretariat for information regarding appointments.
* As ISAF ranking list 4 months before the first day of the event:
| Points Awarded |
| For each skipper ranked |
1 - 10
|
20 points |
| For each skipper ranked |
11 - 20
|
15 points |
| For each skipper ranked |
21 - 30
|
11 points |
| For each skipper ranked |
31 - 40
|
8 points |
| For each skipper ranked |
41 - 50
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6 points |
| For each skipper ranked |
51 - 60
|
5 points |
| For each skipper ranked |
61 - 70
|
4 points |
| For each skipper ranked |
71 - 80
|
3 points |
| For each skipper ranked |
81 - 90
|
2 points |
| For each skipper ranked |
91 - 100
|
1 point |
America's Cup Skipper Points
Upon application top ISAF, Skippers involved in the previous America' Cup may carry the following Skipper Points depending upon the stage that they reached in the competition:
| Stage of Event |
America's Cup Skipper Points |
(2007 America's Cup Example) |
| America's Cup Finalist |
20 |
Team New Zealand - Alinghi |
| Challenger Series Finalist |
15 |
Luna Rossa |
| Challenger Series Semi-Finalist |
11 |
BMW Oracle - Desafio Espanol |
| Round Robin |
8 |
All other syndicats |
Skipper Points are not cumulative for each round.
There may be only two registered skippers per America' Cup syndicate. A list of registered skippers shall be published on the ISAF website.
America' Cup Skipper Points may account for a maximum of 50% of the total Skipper Points required by an event.
(e) Grade - WC Open and Women
Meets all the criteria for an ISAF World Championship and particularly the ISAF Match Racing World Championship.
(f) Grade - ISAF Nations Cup Open and Women
Meets the criteria for the ISAF Nations Cup Regional or Grand Final.
Regional Finals will score points equivalent to a Grade 2 event.
Grand Finals will score points equivalent to a Grade 1 event.
24.2.4 Prize Money
Distribution of prize money shall be in accordance with ISAF Standard Guidelines for Grade 1 and Grade 2 Match Racing events.
Appearance money is discouraged in favour of optimizing prize money.
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