Forbidden zones

How to read the hatched areas on the map

On some races, hatched polygons appear on the navigation map. Zoom in and a restricted zone icon appears. It is the same for every zone: the game draws no distinction between types on screen.

These areas mirror the exclusion zones of the real races. At sea, a competitor who sails into one faces disqualification. In the game you are not disqualified, but your boat is slowed down. These zones are off limits and the rule is simple: stay out. Going in is entirely at your own risk.

What happens when you enter a zone

• Your boat is heavily slowed down, and in some cases very heavily.
• The slowdown rate varies from one zone to another. Two zones on the same race can cost you two very different penalties.
• The boat is never fully stopped, and that is its only purpose: to leave you a way out. It is no promise of a quick one. You can stay stuck for hours, especially if the wind keeps pushing you deeper into the zone.
• On exit, your speed returns to its nominal level, with no lingering penalty.

Plainly put: sail into a zone and you may end up stuck, with a difficult way out. The only good strategy is to stay clear.

Where exactly is the limit?

The outline of the zone is what counts. The hatching may sometimes look like it spills outside that outline: this is a display glitch with no effect on the game. Always go by the outline.

Types of zones

The categories below come from the instructions of the real races. They are not displayed in game, where every zone carries the same label.

AEZ (Arctic or Antarctic Exclusion Zone): set for safety reasons, it keeps competitors away from ice, growlers and icebergs.

Buffer zone: only around the far north and far south exclusion zones. It warns you that you are getting dangerously close to the forbidden area. No slowdown applies in the part of the buffer zone that sits outside the exclusion zone: it is a warning, not a penalty.

TSS (Traffic Separation Scheme): cuts the risk of collision in busy shipping areas.

Cetacean protection zone: protects certain species where they are present.

Other zones depending on the race: offshore wind farms, marine protected areas, industrial or military installations. The principle is the same in every case.

Colours change from race to race and have no effect on the slowdown applied.

The built-in router and the zones

The built-in router does not always account for forbidden zones. It is a decision aid: check the suggested route and adjust your programming points if it crosses a zone. See Using the built-in router.

Changes to zone boundaries

Restricted zones can be updated at any time, even while a race is running. Keep an eye on the in-game notifications about zone positions.