Rankings Explained

Whether you are just starting out or already top of your Class, learning how World Rankings are calculated in Fleet, Match & Para Racing is essential for your progress.

 

The World Sailing Rankings for Olympic Classes are administered by World Sailing. Every year, in November, the World Sailing Rankings Working Party meet to review the method of calculation of the Rankings and to grade events to be included in the Rankings. The Fleet Rankings are calculated and published approximately nine times a year, depending on the calendar of events.

Each team counts their best six results over the previous 12 months; the time period is calculated on a rolling basis from the date that the rankings were published. They may also include the previous World Championship, outside of the 12 month period.

Of those six results, a competitor may count a maximum of three results from the World Cup Series.

Regatta grades are either 200-point, 100-point or 50-points. The Olympic Games, Sailing World Championships, World Cup Series and Olympic Class World Championships are all 200-point events. Continental, Regional and other major international events using Olympic equipment are graded on participation levels as either 100-point or 50-point events.

To feature in the Rankings, competitors must have a World Sailing ID and an XRR results file must be sent to World Sailing by the Organising Authority. A first place result will receive 200, 100 or 50 points depending on the grade. The competitor with the highest total from six events is listed first in the rankings, and so on.

Ranking Points are calculated using the following equation:

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Ranking Points = E (N-P+1) / N

E = Event Rank
N = Number of Entries
P = Position in regatta

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Errors must be reported to rankings@sailing.org and if received within 48 hours of publication, the Rankings may be re-calculated.

The World Sailing Match Race Rankings were introduced in 1989 and measure the performance of over 2000 skippers to identify the world’s most consistent performers. There are two divisions – Open and Women. To gain women’s match racing ranking points all crew members shall be women.

Starting soon, a new Youth division will be created where all crew members shall be under 23 years old.

The Rankings rate skippers based on their performances at World Sailing Graded events over the 24 month period prior to the release date of the Rankings. Skippers score points by competing a Graded Events with the highest points awarded to the event winner and decreasing down. The most points are up for grabs at the World Championships including the World Match Racing Tour, followed by World Sailing Grade 1 events, Grade 2 through to Grade 5.

 

Calculation of Score

A skipper’s Ranking points are calculated by adding together his best four result scores in each of the most recent two years. The result scores are calculated as follows:

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Points Allocation* x Event Grade Multiplier** x Year Weighting

*including any Skipper Bonus Points, ** including any Event Bonus Factor

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Points Allocation

Points awarded from 1st to 19th place in all events are as follows:

1st – 100	5th – 60	9th – 20	13th – 7	17th – 3
2nd – 90	6th – 50	10th – 10	14th – 6	18th – 2
3rd – 80	7th – 40	11th – 9	15th – 5	19th – 1
4th – 70	8th – 30	12th – 8	16th – 4

When less than 10 competitors compete in an event, fewer points will be allocated for coming first, second, third, etc.

 

Skipper Bonus Points

One point is awarded to a skipper for each higher ranked competitor he beats in the overall results. For these purposes, the Ranking list issued immediately prior to the event will be used.

 

Event Grade Multiplier

Events are graded by World Sailing according to the ‘Grading Criteria for Match Race Events’ and are reviewed on an annual basis.

Grade	Category of Event	Grade Multiplier
Grade WC	World Sailing Championship	x 3.5
Grade 1	Leading international events	x 3
Grade 2	Top international events	x 2.5
Grade 3	Minor international events	x 2
Grade 3	National Match Race Championship	x 2
Grade 4	Other national events	x 1.5
Grade 5	Regional and exhibition events	x 1

 

Event Bonus Factor

An Event Bonus Factor will be awarded to events where a minimum of 51% of competitors are to be found in:

• Top 40 for Grade 1
• Top 100 for Grade 2
• Top 150 for Grade 3
• Top 250 for Grade 4
• Top 400 for Grade 5

The formula is: % of competitors in the Top 40 (Grade 1 event) minus 50 x 0.008. (The ’50’ relates to the minimum threshold and 0.008 is calculated by dividing the available bonus factor (0.4) by the available % points (50).

Example: Grade 2 Event

% of comps in Top 100	+ Grade Multiplier	+ Bonus Factor	= Total Multiplication Factor
100	2.5	0.4	2.9
80	2.5	0.24	2.74
55	2.5	0.04	2.54
51	2.5	0.008	2.508

 

Year Weighting

Result scores will be ‘weighted’ according to the year in which the event takes place:

Year 1	(current year, ie. most recent 365 days)	x 6
Year 2	(immediate past year, ie. took place between 365-730 days ago)	x 3

 

Zero Score Penalties

If a competitor is given a Zero Score Penalty (as detailed in point 2.4 of the grading criteria), during the most recent 2 year period, that score must count towards the competitor’s Ranking score.

A skipper may apply to World Sailing to have their ranking position put ‘on hold’, stating the reasons for the application. The application is considered by the Grading and Ranking Working Party.If approved, the skipper will be credited with a ranking position equivalent to their position at the time of application rounded down to the nearest multiple of ten.

Approval will normally be granted to skippers with America’s Cup syndicates, pregnancy, illness or injury.

At the time of application, the skipper shall nominate the start date of their ‘ranking holiday’ which will be divided into two sections, a non-scoring period and a recovery period.

The non-scoring period will start at the nominated date and continue until World Sailing is notified in advance of the end date selected by the skipper. The minimum ‘non-scoring’ period is 6 months and the maximum is 12 months.

The ‘non-scoring’ period will be immediately followed by a ‘recovery’ period of 18 months. During the ‘non-scoring’ period any events sailed by the skipper will be scored 0 points, leaving other skippers with the points applicable to their actual finishing position.

During the ‘recovery’ period, the skipper will be scored normally. At the end of the recovery period, the ‘on hold’ position will be removed from the system.

An event may use either the actual or the ‘on hold’ ranking position of the skipper to determine their total skipper points.

Any skipper with an ‘on-hold’ position will also have an actual ranking. Another skipper in the actual ranking will duplicate the ‘on hold’ ranking position.

On-hold ranking positions will not be used for determining entries into World Sailing Championships.

A skipper may only apply for an ‘on-hold’ period once in any 3 year period.

This system may be modified or suspended in light of experience.

The Para World Sailing Rankings for the Para Classes rate skipper based on their performances at specified events over a 12 month period prior to the release date of the Rankings.

The Para Sailing rankings categories are:

• One-person keelboat (Disabled open, 2.4m)
• One-person Non-Technical Male (Disabled men, Hansa 303)
• One-person Non-Technical Female (Disabled female, Hansa 303)
• Open Gender Two person Keelboat (Open, RS Venture Connect)

Underlining Principles:

• Sailors must have a Sailor ID
• Sailors must be classified and appear on the classification master list

Regatta Gradings

Regatta grades are either 200-point, 100-point or 50-points.

200 Point Regattas	Sailing World Championships World Cup Series Para Sailing Class World Championships (with Sailors from 2 continents minimum)
100 Point Regattas	Continental or Regional Para Sailing Events (with sailors from 5 or more nations present)
50 Point Regattas	National Championships Local Events (4 or fewer nations present)

Rankings Updates

Rankings will be updated 4 times a year on the following dates:

31 January

30 April

30 July

30 October

Ranking Calculations

Ranking points are calculated using the following method:

Ranking Points = E (N-P+1) / N

E = Event Rank
N = Number of Entries
P = Position in regatta