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Jury Applications

Jury Applications

When organising a major championship, Organising Authorities (OAs) are encouraged to appoint a suitably qualified Protest Committee or International Jury and apply to Australian Sailing for approval to deny the right of appeal.

This helps ensure high-quality hearing decisions and allows final results to be determined promptly at the conclusion of the event.

Australian Sailing, as the World Sailing Member National Authority (MNA), must approve all applications to deny the right of appeal. Minimum requirements apply to the composition and qualifications of both Protest Committees and International Juries.

Application Process

Follow the process outlined below to apply for a Jury for your event:

Step 1) Eligibility & Applicable Rules

Before applying, OAs must review the requirements for committee appointments and approvals under Rules 70.3 and 91(b), and Appendix N of the Racing Rules of Sailing.

The type of committee that may be appointed depends on the event:

  • International Jury: May be used at any event in accordance with Rule 70.3(a).
  • Protest Committee: May be used where:
    • It is essential to determine results promptly for qualification purposes, in accordance with Rule 70.3(b); or
    • The event is open only to boats entered by members of organisations affiliated with Australian Sailing, in accordance with Rule 70.3(c).
 

Step 2) Minimum Committee Requirements

International Jury

An International Jury must meet the following requirements:

  • Consist of at least five members, including a Chair and, if desired, a Vice-Chair.
  • Have a majority of members who are accredited International Judges.
  • Include no more than two members from the same national authority.
  • The Jury Chair may appoint one or more panels, provided each panel complies with the applicable rules.


Protest Committee

A Protest Committee must meet the following requirements:

  • Consist of at least three members, including a Chair.
  • Meet one of the following minimum accreditation combinations:
    • Two National Judges and one Regional Judge; or
    • One International Judge and two Regional Judges.
  • Represent at least two states or countries.

For match racing or team racing events, umpires with equivalent accreditation levels may be substituted for judges.

Race Officers in Charge of course areas at these events must hold, at a minimum, National Race Officer accreditation.

Step 3) Finding Committee Members

OAs can identify suitable judges and officials through the following channels:
 

Step 4) Applying

Once you have thoroughly understood the eligibility and applications requirements and assembled your Committee (either International Jury or Protest Committee), you can now apply to Australian Sailing using the link below:

Jury Applyication Form
 

Step 5) General Principles & Approval Conditions

Australian Sailing retains absolute discretion to grant, refuse or withdraw approval to deny the right of appeal.

Approval will generally not be granted for remote juries. Exceptions may be considered where:

  • The majority of panel members are on site.
  • The most qualified and experienced panel members, including the Chair, are on site.
  • The nature of the event makes on-site hearings impractical.

If approval is granted, the denial of the right of appeal must be clearly communicated to competitors by:

  • Including the relevant provision in the Notice of Race (NOR) and Sailing Instructions (SIs).
  • Displaying the Australian Sailing approval letter on the official regatta noticeboard.
 

Step 6) Application Timelines

OAs must submit their applications to Australian Sailing within the following timeframes:

  • International Jury: at least three (3) months prior to the event
  • Protest Committee: at least one (1) month prior to the event

Australian Sailing will respond to applications within seven days of receipt.

If approved, Australian Sailing will issue an approval letter specifying the event name and dates. This letter must be displayed on the official regatta noticeboard.

Important: The denial of the right of appeal must be included in both the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions once approval has been granted.