The 17th annual International Robotic Sailing Regatta (IRSR)

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8-13 Jun 2025

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Hosted By WPI at Regatta Point Community Sailing on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Massachusetts.

This event is sponsored by WPI’s Robotics Resource Center and Robotics Engineering Department

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Rules:

All of the main events, and the team’s choice of one of the optional events, will count towards a team’s overall score. General event rules are available here.

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“Completing a leg” means sailing from a previous rounding or buoy to a position that crosses a line perpendicular to that leg at the next buoy.

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“Rounding a buoy” means appropriately* proceeding around the buoy until crossing a line perpendicular to the direct course to the next buoy. (*Such that a virtual rope being towed by the boat, if straightened, would cross the buoy on the prescribed side.)

Fleet Race(s)

Challenge Goal: To demonstrate a robust remote-control system and the boat’s performance.

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Description: At the starting signal, all boats will sail the course as shown on the right. Each leg is about 100m long. There will be at least two races, and final scores will be determined based on the combined race results. Any boat not starting a race will be given a finishing place equal to the total number of teams (“N”) registered for the regatta.

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Scoring: A team must complete at least one leg of a race to receive any event points (such teams would receive 1 pt). The sum of each team’s finish places* will determine the overall event placings. The lowest sum (i.e. first place) will earn pts equal to ”N” (up to a max of 10 pts). Second place will earn 1 pt less; third place 2 pts less, etc. All boats finishing at least one race will earn a minimum of ½ the first place pts. One decimal (x.x) precision.

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*Open class boat finish times will be multiplied by the square root of their overall length (m) divided by square root of 2 to determine their placing.

Wind Direction

Buoy

Buoy

Buoy

Buoy

Start/Finish

Station Keeping

Challenge Goal: To demonstrate the ability of the boat to remain close to one position and respond to time-based commands*.

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Description: The boat will enter a 40m x 40m box and attempt to stay inside the box for 5 minutes. It must then exit within 30 seconds to avoid a penalty.

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Scoring: 10 pts max. 2 pts per minute within the box during the 5 minute test (the boat may exit and reenter multiple times). 2 pts per minute will be deducted for time within the box after 5 ½ minutes. The final score will be reduced by 50% if any RC is performed from the start of the 5 minute event until the boat’s final exit. The final score will be to X.X precision.

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*Boats must be under autonomous or RC control in order to receive points. This means the rudder and sails are either being controlled by a human or by the boat. It can not just be a disabled hull.

Buoy

Buoy

Buoy

Buoy

Approximately 40 meters Each side

Wind Direction

Precision Navigation

Challenge Goal: To demonstrate the boat’s ability to autonomously navigate a course within tight tolerances.

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Description: The boat will start between two buoys and then will autonomously sail a course around two buoys and then return between the two start buoys.

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Scoring: 10 pts max. 2 pts/each for rounding the first two buoys. 6 pts more for finishing between the start buoys or 4 pts more for crossing the start/finish line outside of these buoys.

Wind Direction

Buoy

Buoy

Start/Finish Approximately 3 meters apart

^Buoy Buoy

Approximately 50 meters

Approximately 50 meters

Endurance/Long Distance Event

Buoy

Buoy

Wind direction unknown

The lap distance will be about 1 NM.

Buoy

Buoy

Start/Finish Line

(Pit Stop dock area just past line)

Challenge Goal: To demonstrate the boat’s durability, and capability to sail for a significant amount of time/distance.

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Description: The boats will sail around 4 buoys (passing within 10m inside of a buoy is OK) for up to 7 hours.

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Scoring: 10 pts max. 1 pt for each 1 NM lap completed autonomously (1/2 pt per lap if RC is used at any point during the lap*); up to 4 pts. Up to 6 pts additional for continuous sailing at a rate of 1 pt/hr (no pts for periods less than 1 hr). One decimal (x.x) precision. At least one lap must be completed to earn any points. All boats must start each subsequent lap at the Start line following a pit stop or support boat rescue.

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*No penalty for momentary RC to avoid boat-to-boat collisions.

Presentation

Challenge Goal: To inform the judges and other participants of the work your team performed in developing your boat and its systems. Topics to be judged include: Workmanship, Innovation, Control Theory, Boat Design, and Student Involvement.

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Description: Each team will present their project to a panel of experts in the areas of control theory, systems engineering, and naval architecture. 15 minutes for the presentation and 10 for Q&A.

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Scoring: 10 pts max, independent of other teams. One decimal (x.x) precision. Factors will include accomplishment versus team size, amount performed in the past year, and presentation quality and clarity.

Optional Events:

The following three events (Payload, Collision Avoidance, Search) are optional. Teams are welcome to participate in any or all of them, however only their best score from the three will count toward their overall score.

Payload

Challenge Goal: To demonstrate the boat’s ability to move cargo.

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Description: Each boat starts between two buoys and will load a (non-human) cargo of their choice and sail around a buoy and return. RC or autonomous control is allowed.

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Scoring: 9 pts max. The score is based on the cargo’s weight (C) as a percentage of the boat’s empty weight (W) as indicated below. Points are multiplied by 1.5 if the boat is fully autonomous from Start to Finish. One decimal (x.x) precision.

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Wind Direction

Buoy

Approximately 100 meters

Buoy

Start/ Finish

Buoy

Approx. 5 meters apart

Collision Avoidance

Challenge Goal: Demonstrate a successful autonomous collision avoidance system.

Description: The boat will start between two buoys and will sail autonomously on a reach to round another buoy and return. Sometime during the trip, a manned boat will approach on a collision course. RC is not permitted after the start.

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Scoring: 10 pts max. 7 pts if the boat responds but a collision still occurs. 2 pt deduction if the respective leg(s) is/are not completed following the avoidance maneuver. 3 pts max for a dry-land demo of appropriate sensor/rudder interaction.

Wind Direction

Start/ Finish

Buoy

Buoy

Buoy

Obstacle Path

Approximately 100 meters

Approx. 5 meters apart

Wind Direction

Search

Challenge Goal: To demonstrate the boat’s ability to autonomously locate an object.

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Description: An orange buoy will be placed somewhere within 100 m of a reference position. The boat must locate, touch, and signal* to indicate that it has touched the buoy within 10 minutes of entering the search area. RC is not allowed after entering the search area.

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Scoring: 15 pts max. 12 pts for touching (w/o signal). 9 pts for passing within 1m. 3 pts for initiating a search pattern (creeping line, expanding square, direct tracking to buoy, etc) and covering at least 20%** of the area; 6 pts for covering more than 50% of the area with pattern.�

*Signal means a white strobe on the boat and/or signal to a shore station and either turn into wind or assume station-keeping mode.)

**Because 20% can be hard to judge from the water, a data log from the attempt can be used to demonstrate what percentage of the area was searched.

Approximately 100 meters Radius

Orange Buoy –

Random Location

Reference Point (lat/lon provided)

Search Area