As a general rule-of- thumb, all traditional sailing and wave sailing rules should be applicable for kitesurfing. Check http://www.sailing.org/newrules/rulesframes/default.html for an excellent description of racing rules of sailing.

All right-of-way rules require a water-craft to keep clear of another. The distance to keep clear is not quite exactly specified; however, the racing rules do specify some restrictions for the two sailing boats when they are approaching within two hull lengths of each other. Thus, as a rule of thumb, it's wise to keep a distance of twice the hull length from the water-craft to be cleared. This is fairly straight forward for all water-crafts except kitesurfing crafts. For a kitesurfing craft, the kite and the lines make this much more complicated. We will discuss this "keep clear" requirement in details after reviewing the common sense, traditional sailing and wave sailing rules.

General Common Sense Rules on the Water

Following are the general common sense rules on the water:

• Avoid collision at all cost, even when you have the right of way.
• Keep clear of less manoeuvrable water-crafts:
  • All recreational water-crafts shall keep clear of commercial ships.
  • More manoeuvrable motorized water-crafts shall keep clear of all sailing water-crafts.
• [When it seems that a boater is having problem controlling the boat properly, all other boaters should keep clear (a boat in distress or directed by an incapable captain should be considered as a less manoeuvrable water-craft)]

Traditional Sailing Rules

There are three main rules to be observed when two sailing water-crafts approaching each other on the water:
 

Sailing Rules

Opposite tack rule: A boat on port tack (left leg going forward for kitesurfer) shall keep clear of a boat on starboard tack (right leg going forward for kitesurfer). Same tack rule: A boat to windward (upwind) shall keep clear of a boat to leeward (downwind). Overtaking rule: An overtaking boat shall keep clear of the boat being overtaken.  (when you pass someone, you have to keep clear).

Wave Sailing Rules

These are the main rules when wave sailors approaching each other in the wave:
 

Wave Sailing Rules

Opposite tack rule: A wave sailor coming in (surfing the wave in) shall keep clear of a wave sailor heading out (jumping the wave). Same tack rule (on the wave): All wave sailors shall keep clear of a wave sailor in front of or nearest to the peak of the wave (the breaking part of the wave). All kitesurfers shall keep clear of all surfers (surfers are less manoeuvrable than kitesurfers).

Kitesurfing Enhancement to the Sailing Rules

All the rules above are applicable to kitesurfing. The only enhancement we need to define is how a water-craft shall keep clear of the other if one or both of the water-crafts is a kitesurfing craft.

When kitesurfing, a kitesurfer can fly the kite anywhere in the forward half portion of the wind window. This means that the kitesurfer and the kite normally occupy a space equal a quarter-of-the-sphere that has the kitesurfer at the center and the radius is the line length. If we consider that to be the space to be kept clear or the "hull" of a kitesurfing craft then it could be up to 25 m in length and 25 m in width (25 m is the average modern line length). If we apply the rule-of-thumb keeping clear distance of two hull lengths, this means that we have to keep clear a distance of up to 50 m. This would drastically reduce the number of kitesurfers sailing at a certain place.

Fortunately, the angle where a kitesurfer normally fly the kite is between 30 and 60 degrees vertically. At these angles, the kite is normally high enough in the air that the clearing distance is more or less dependent on the highest point of the other water-craft. If the clearing distance is set at a distance equals 3 times the height of the highest point of the other water-craft, that will allow the upwind kitesurfer to sail with the kite as low as 20 degrees vertically (regardless of the line length).

As two kitesurfers approach each other, the highest points of the kitesurfers could be equal to the line length or 25m. Even if both kitesurfers keep the kites stationary in a moving forward position at 45 degrees vertical, the lines should never collide. However, the upwind kitesurfer should fly the kite high and the downwind kitesurfer should fly the kite low.  This way, the two kites will never collide and both kitesurfers have a large margin of error.  In such case, the highest point would only be 2.5 m and the minimum clearing distance is only 7.5 m.

The following table summarizes the minimum clearing distance for most water-crafts (either the kitesurfer has to keep clear or the other water-craft has to keep clear) when they approach a kitesurfer:

Without the presence of large boats, the minimum clearing distance is normally at 15 m.

The minimum clearing distance as described in the above table is only applicable if the kitesurfer is upwind of the other water-craft. If the kitesurfer is downwind of the other water-craft, the rule-of-thumb clearing distance of two hull lengths should be applied (unless the other water-craft is a also a kitesurfer).

Additional Kitesurfing Rules

• All water-crafts shall keep clear of a water re-launching kitesurfer. The area to be kept clear shall be a semi-circle downwind from the kitesurfer (at the center of the circle) with the radius equals 1.5 times the line length or 40 m (to allow for a downwind drifting margin).
• When a kitesurfer jumps, he/she can travel down wind up to 25m or 1 line length.  A kitesurfer must not jump if there is an obstacle within a semi-circle downwind from the kitesurfer (at the center of the circle) with the radius equals 1.5 times the line length (40m, to allow for a downwind drift margin).

Summary

All common sense, traditional flat water and wave sailing rules should be applied to kitesurfers. If the kitesurfer is upwind, the distance to be kept clear is dependent on the highest point of the downwind water-craft (as described in the table above). If a kitesurfer is not upwind, the distance to be kept clear is the rule-of-thumb two-hull-length distance. When two kitesurfers approaching each other, the upwind kitesurfer should fly the kite high, the downwind kitesurfer should fly the kite low and a minimum clearing distance of 7.5 m.  Click http://www.kitefilm.com/video/passing_other_riders.wmv (7 MB) to view a video regarding this rule. Without the presence of large boats, the minimum clearing distance is about 15 m. This is about 2.5 times the rule-of-thumb clearing distance of 6 m for windsurfers. This would allow up to 40 kitesurfers in the same space that normally accommodates 100 windsurfers. A kitesurfer should only jump there is no obstacle within the 1.5 line length (40 m) radius semi-circle down wind.

A few weeks ago a set of kiteboarding regulations were published in Poland, a book and a poster.  It took the publishers over a year of tweaking and debate to come together and agree on a finalized version.  The rules cover almost all of the most common situations that we may encounter as we ride towards another kiteboarder.

Water-craft	Highest Points	Minimum Clearing Distance	Other Requirements
Surfers	2.5 m	7.5 m	Kitesurfers have to keep clear of surfers all the times
Personal Water-crafts	2 - 3 m	9 m	PWCs have to keep clear of the kitesurfer all the times
Small to Medium Motorized Boats	5 m	15 m	Motorized boats have to keep clear of the kitesurfer all the times
Windsurfers and Small Sailboats	5 m	15 m	Traditional and wave sailing rules should be applied
Kitesurfers	2.5 m (upwind kite is high and downwind kite is low)	7.5 m	Traditional and wave sailing rule should be applied. Furthermore, the upwind kitesurfer should fly the kite higher than 45 degrees vertically and the downwind kitesurfer should fly the kite lower than 45 degree vertically
Large Motorized Boats	10 - 15 m	30 - 45 m	Motorized boats have to keep clear of the kitesurfer all the time. If the large motorized boat is in narrow, restricted water for its size, the kitesurfer has to keep clear.
Medium Sailboats	10 - 15 m	30 - 45 m	Traditional sailing rules should be applied
Large Sailboats	Very high	Line length	Traditional sailing rules should be applied. If the large sailboat is in narrow, restricted water for its size, the kitesurfer has to keep clear.
Commercial Ships	Very high	Line length	Kitesurfer has to keep clear of commercial ships all the times