What Does Ufd Mean In Sailing?

UFD, or U-Flagged, refers to a ruling where a boat is deemed to have prematurely started a race that is started under the U Flag and is disqualified from that race and awarded the maximum number of points, unless that race is subsequently restarted. In sailboat racing, pro stands for “Professional” and refers to the rules and regulations that govern the sport.

Under RRS 30.3, if flag U is displayed, no part of a boat’s hull shall be in the triangle formed by the ends of the starting line and the first mark during the last minute before starting signal. If a race is restarted, a boat gets another chance. Rules 30.1-30.4 range in severity and give the RO (Royal Order) for sailors and race officials.

A boat that has been disqualified can retire and serve a purpose. Generally, a boat that breaks a rule or doesn’t race is scored as if it finished last place plus one. However, a boat can request redress if another boat broke a rule and got in their way, as the protest committee would be up all night deciding redress claims.

Wheels and leeward are terms used to describe the side closest to the wind, meaning that when the race started, the boat was already over the starting line. BFD and UFD mean that a boat is disqualified in accordance with rules 30.3 or 30.4.

DNE (disqualification not excluded) means that the score cannot be discarded. UFD is only applicable when code flag U is displayed at the Prep signal.

ZFP (20%) penalty under rule 30.2, UFD disqualification under rule 30.3, and BFD disqualification under rule 30.4 are penalties. Rule 62.1d permits redress if a boat’s position has been made worse (BFD or UFD) by the action of a boat that resulted in a penalty under Rule 2.