Seems like a dumb question, I've just pulled out the additional sails that came with my boat when I bought her. One of the mains has the witches hat symbol and the sail numbers in red rather than black.

I cant find anything in the rules that says the sail numbers have to be in black, just wondered whether anyone know whether this was an issue.

(Perhaps red sail numbers mean "Rank Novice" rather like "L" plates on a car, in which case I had better start using this sail !)

1728 had blue numbers and another set had red ones!!  All black now.  Kayospruce do sail numbers at reasonable cost 12" £1.05 each.

Colour is not mentioned in the rules (which is Appendix G of the Racing Rules) except they must all be the same colour.

RRS ->
G1.2 Specifications
(a) National letters and sail numbers shall be in capital letters and
Arabic numerals, clearly legible and of the same colour. Commercially
available typefaces giving the same or better legibility
than Helvetica are acceptable.

I think I've seen green once. You could have anything. Only trouble is how easily you are identified on a start lines....

Latest issue of Y&Y shows a Merlin (hurrah!) with red numbers.

Doesn't that mean all the ex champs disqualfied themselves from the 2005 HI champs by using golden Merlin symbols on the main ;-) 

GGGGG how could that one get pass you.....

Some time in the 60s or early 70s one boat had two numbers in green and the other two in red on both sides of the sail. The rule doesn't mention colour or visibility of the numbers but I suggested that the purpose was to confuse race officers if that boat was over the line in a big fleet. The owner strongly denied that of course.

So is red the new black then?

Thanks for your responses. At this early point in my Merlin career theres not much risk of me being anywhere near the start line when the gun goes, but at least I can use that sail.

Golden numbers - now theres a thought...

Many thanks again....

Purple numbers are the in thing.

Purple numbers are advertising and therefore surely out of class...........................

Somewhere between 1960 and 1963 Graham Leech (Leech sails.-Before he mpved North to wotk with Keoth Steele (Northern Sails.))put Green Sail no's on the higher Starboard side and red on the lower port side of several mainsails, Ratseys at Gosport did the same on a sail they made for me in 1963 it never looked right!

Robert!!

The rule does mention colour and legibility,as 
MR Rules say  ..  18 (b) (ii) carried in accordance with RRS Appendix G,

and appendix G of RRS says, as stated above "clearly legible and of the same colour"

Ross,

Apendix G mentions Class insignia, but not its colour in relation to sail number, so the triangle is OK

Not read a rule book for at least 20 years! Anyway, would the red and green numbers as I described be allowed?

I have has Red, Blue & Black sail numbers in the past. Don't worry you will never get pulled up on the colour of your sail numbers!

Since stick-on numbers were first available other colours are not uncommon. It was the mixture of colours on each side of that particular sail that I was concerned about.

Referance Appendix G It was felt years back that certain sailmakers were using varing multi-colour arangments as an advert & they were of course right! we were!!