Hi all.

Mrs Dalby, Mr Dalby and myself are off to sunny (hopefully) Looe this weekend to have a chat with the people down there who will be doing the organising for next year's champs.  We, and the others on the organising committee, have had several chats about what we think the important things are to ensure an awesome week on and off the water for competitors, no matter where they are in the fleet.  In addition, we hope to encourage some of those who don't ordinarily attend the champs to take the plunge!

If you have any burning desires regarding the sailing or the social for next year, then please email me on the above address and we will consider your suggestions.  Clearly there are no promises regarding all your ideas, but we will certainly take them on board.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

Chris

There must be some, no?!

The race committee shot Davo when we went to Looe.  Can we ask them to make a better job of it next time.

PS  Please give the PRO and his team my regards.  From my experience of visiting them, you will need your drinking boots on, and need to be up on the latest news from Plymouth Argyle.

Windward/leeward courses - 3 quick races a day.

Thanks for the heads-up John.  Fortunately we're meeting them at 0930hrs, so hopefully even Looe bar won't be open.  However, I can see that this has potential to become an issue once lunch is upon us!  We'll certainly pass on your best wishes.  

As for windward leewards - we'll be doing those after the socials we have planned, but not on the race track.

Just the same as my first Champs with dear Garage! Awesome sailing awesome drinking - remember the bottles of "Mount Gay" hanging from the top of the Bar? Oh and not to be thrown out of our b&b from a non yotter!!!!!!!!!!!!! The waves please and the X Commodore 4 the ladies and the Barmaid 4 the chaps?? Ooops and the Admiral Boscombe as always Cheers AAALLLLLEEEEEZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How about two races a day and gate starts?

Please can you make it so that my mast doesn't fall down!!  In 2000, it exploded up the beat one day and in 2004 the tack fitting pulled out so the whole lot fell down round our ears - this all makes me very cautious about going back to Looe for a third time!  

Seriously, great venue and very helpful people as far as organising is concerned - nothing's too much trouble and whatever we wanted, they were very happy to try and make it work for us when we organised it in 2000.  Say hello to my friend Roger Hocking!

I think ben is right about the need for more races. With the current format its like one weekends racing spread over a week. The weaknesses for me are;

The series is too short, as in the case of this year the championship was virtually over by wed. (not to take anything away from Rog and James) There is no oportunity to put a consistent series together, therefore keeping it open until the end of the week. 

The races are too long! The fleet becomes too spread out and the racing looses its intensity.

It just seems a bit of a waste, we spend more time travelling, rigging, waiting around (drinking!) than actually racing. After all thats what salcombe's for! 

I think a 10 race series, 2 a day, 1 planned or unplanned lay day for bad weather, would give a more exciting, more racing, better balanced championship bringing it up to date with other National and International classes.

I agree with Matt - the races are really very long and two shorter ones might be a better use of time.

R.e. gate starts... I'm sure some people love them but I think they're awful! A purely personal point of view I'm sure...

Not that I will be attending the Merlin Nationals, but would agree with Matt in terms of number of races sailed. To have only six races spread over a week does seem rather odd. 

The OK which is another class I sail in, have just completed a very successful 3 day Nationals at Bognor with 2 races per day, on good size courses (not too big) with very close racing, all for £65. Ironically one of the things that has put me off attending Merlin Nationals in the past and foreseeably in the future is the fact that I  certainly would not want to race once a day for 2 -3 hours, kicking my heels for the rest of the day especially when i'm supposed to be attending a pretty expensive and competitive racing event.

I agree with the more races each day and shorter courses. 2 or 3 races per day with a layday in the bag is all good!

2 shorter races a day could be good but it takes long enough to get the merlin fleet started for one race, let alone trying to do it a second time every day.... it'd be dark by the time we got home and, more importantly, all the "social attendees"  would probably have consumed the free beer!

I'd like to see a bit of clarity around the Crew's race....its always going to be condition dependent but think it should go ahead in most reasonable conditions on the basis that the less competent of us (myself included!) can make a decision as to whether to compete or not at the time. 

This year no-one ever seemed to know when it was running and what the protocol regarding the tally system.

If we are going to have 2 races a day they have to be shorter.  However the advantage of the present long races is giving good long legs particularly the 1st beat and nice long leg-stretching reaches in wind and waves (we hope!)  So maybe have just slightly shorter legs but go round the course less often.  If we are doing a pair of races back-to-back we will in any case miss the last beat of the 1st race to finish near the starting area.  The other drawback of the 2-3 race day is starting discipline.  A lot of the faffing around at the Champs both this year and previous ones has been with general recalls and sending the black-flagged victims home.  There has already been a lot of debate about this on the forum, maybe next year's champs we should bite the bullet (sorry Davo) on videos on the start line and jib numbers.  Gate starts could be used as a threat to enforce discipline.  I don't really want to spend even more time bobbing around in the ocean waiting to get the race under way.

I only partly agree with Matt about the lack of intensity of racing in the longer races.  At my end of the fleet there were always places to be won or lost right through the race and on 2 occasions on the last tack into the finish line.

If we set an overall number of races that was not too ambitious, say 9 or 10, it would give the opportunity for a lay day if needed, (though if the conditions are good then surely we want to go sailing??) and even a couple of longer races for the traditionalists.

I have booked my holiday dates, roll on Looe.

Andrew 3511

Thanks for your comments.  This is an interesting point which basically depends on whether you think the champs should be decided by short sharp races, and lots of them, or whether a championship race is a 3 hour slog to give the time for the 'class' to percolate to the top.  I am swayed by aspects of each, and as such a 'middle ground' is likely to be decided upon.

The situation is further confused in the Merlin's in that we have 6 (well five - I for one am unsure about the Clyde Quaich!) trophies for individual races.  Consequently there is another aspect to how we decide on the trophy winners.

How long do people think each race should be on a 2 race day?  Also, what do those not at the very front of the fleet think about a grandprix finish i.e. finishing everyone in order after the winner - this would certainly reduce the turnaround on a 2 race day.

Let us know!

Dear Deepy,If it's going to be two races each day, how about having both races counting and in the event of a tie break, second race best result wins?

Some time ago, on a river club we introduced the Grand Prix type finishes - made a lot of difference to the length of the races for the leaders - we could set the overall time for the leaders so they had a full period racing, rather than having to think of the tail-enders' times. (lots of laps)
Slighty more difficult with a timed handicap - but not with a pocket calculator

Colin

Ok, trophies are not a problem.  Award them for the aggregate scores on the day's racing and we are there.

I'm not keen on the Grand Prix finish idea as I prefer having a finishing line to aim for.  Also, who is ahead of who on a beat?  No problem having the finish at one of the marks though and you could finish the boats at the next mark rounded after the leader has finished.  You still have to get back to the starting area though so it might not save much time over finishing near the start.

trophies are a problem. I still get reminded by a certain well seasoned sailor who won his first ever, and only, champs race, but never won the trophy as it was in a year (I think at Looe) when we had an 8 race series with the aggregate score counting, and he came too far down in the 2nd race of the day to win the prize. Not a very happy man never to get his name on a trophy which he fully deserved.

Go for much the same deal as the Larks had at Looe this year and it'll be a great event!
Race Officer was well organised and the beachmaster and team very efficient. Boat parking on the prom is a bit tight but should be able to use the beach too. All very public areas.
Socially, a decent barrel or ten in the bar and a week season ticket for the car park and also knowing when food at the club is included and when it isn't.

The finishing would be at the finish line, just at the next opportunity.  For example, if the leaders were finished near the windward mark having just completed a set of reaches, then the shorten course flag would also apply to those competitors who were behind the leader up the beat, even if they had the reaches still to go.  If a boat had set off down the reaches prior to the leader being finished, then they would complete the course.  Clearly this would be nearer to the leeward mark on a 2 race day.

As for the trophies, best of two with countback is probably the preferred option.  We could however nominate one of the races as the cup race, for example the afternoon one.

I agree with Andrew regarding the finish, in that there's no need for a 'Grand Prix' finish, especially if the races are made shorter the fleet spread would be smaller. I think 60 mins is a long enough race.  

Gate starts could be an option for 80+ boats or could be an alternative written into the SI's if the fleet repeatedly starts early. I think we should persist as long as possible with line starts but as Andrew said go for bow numbers and video.  

I agree with race prizes being presented to the winner of that day, splitting ties on count back then last race sailed.

I have noticed most other classes seem to have more champs races than we do (well, apart from the I14s that is).

Looking at the Y&Y attendance table for some of the popular classes:
Laser - 6 races
RS200 - 10 races
Squib - 6 races
Solo - 12 races
Mirror - 10 races
Phantom - 6 races
RS Feva - 8 races
RS400 - 9 races
29er - 7 races

The list is not complete as not all reports mention the number of races, and I wasnt going to take hours tracking them all down. It gives an example anyway.

Personally, if I went (always a big IF), I would see a lot more worth in having 2 races a day, seeing as you seem to be on the water from morning to afternoon anyway.

Something else you may wish to consider. In recent years the merlin's speed has dramatically increased on a tighter reach resulting in the column of boats leaving the windward mark going higher and higher to protect themselves from being rolled. Unless you are in the first couple of boats who can get away cleanly and sail deep when they need to, you have to join the column high. This often has the effect of letting the first few boats get away whilst the bunch are left in-fighting with each other, miles from the next mark.  Could we not consider playing around with the reaching angles such that it either does not pay to climb so high (ie make the reach deeper but perhaps not as much fun) or make it tighter so the column cannot actually go any higher?

Having attended both the Lark Nationals at Looe and the Merlin Nationals at Pwhelli here are my observations.

1. I understand that the MR is a more 'boatspeed' focused class but I did feel the races were a little uneceasarily long.

2. At the Lark Champs there was a mixture of one race and two race days. There were a mixture of gate starts and line starts. And also mixture of trapezoid and 'olympic' courses. I feel this keeps the racing quite fresh.

3. Car park passes included in the entry were a great idea.

4. The club was a bit on the tight side for 120people socials. 160 peeps might just be too many!

Chris

Thanks for all your comments - keep them coming - we are taking them on board!

a Grand Prix finish wouldn't be compatible with running the Holt Plate (handicap) Trophy, as finishing times have to be recorded for each boat to calculet their adjusted (handicap) time, so it is necessary for every boat to sail the same course in full as the winner.

We used to have a couple of two race days - Modnay and Wednesday - until 5 or 6 years ago.  I for one, wouldn't be unhappy to sail two races a day so long as they were appreciably shorter.

Just a final thought.  Would having shorter races lead to more general recalls, with there being even greater emphasis on getting a good start?

Last thought - what happens if there's a couple of days without racing? I've been at nationals where there was no racing for a couple of days, then we had to try & fit races in back to back. 

Put too many races in the plane, have one day's racing cancelled and we'll be needing navigation lights!

I've been to events where we've had three races scheduled per day, lost two due to no wind. The Race committee just posted an ammendment and started us at 9am and we did 5 races back to back! It was knackering but worth it to keep the discards and complete the series!

Remember that a most of the classes that have a lot of races also have a lay day. Our current format is very civilised and retains something of a "family" air as you're not necesserily on the water all day long and races can start at a sensible time.

I don't think that a lay day is a good idea as most weeks you lose one day due to heavy weather or no wind (Except this year!) so while i'm not against two races per day i think we may not want to come off the water any later that with out current format.

The RS400's found that having 2 races a day worked well. ESPECIALLY if the 1st race didn't start until 13:00! 1/2 hour of starts, 1 hour for the leaders to race, 1/2 hour for everyone else, and the 2nd race starts again at 15:00. All home in time for supper and the bar.
A "no start before 13:00" gave everyone the opportunity to recover in the morning from the night before, to wait for the sea breeze to build, to ensure they had a good Brunch or breakfast + lunch before leaving for the race course etc.
Having one race AM and one PM causes issues about how to feed people. And if you are left waiting at sea for the sea breeze to fill in, its a waste of time!

If you lose a day due to winds, then moving from 2 races a day to 3 races in a day is an easy change. Moving from a planned 1 race to fitting in 2 races is much harder to organise at the last moment.

Is a lay day not even more "family orientated" as it provides those with a family a whole day to go and do something together.  If the forecast is bad its easy to ammend and re-schedule the lay day to accomodate.

Personally as a newcommer to the class I'd love to see 2/3 races a day at the champs.  You have the most fantastically engineered and built boats, so the more racing you can get in the better.

What about the socials? Can we have a band, would need to hire a hall or something, there must be some great bands in Cornwall.Why not make the last night special with a good band that doesn't finish at 11pm when we've all just got going, and room to dance!

With regard to Grand Prix finishes being incompatible with the Holt Plate (Handicap) Trophy calculations.  Handicaps can still be applied to tail-end boats that finish with the leading boats but a lap or more behind. Divide every boat's total elapsed time by the number of laps they have completed to give each boat an average lap time.  Then just apply the handicap factors as usual to the average lap times to give the adjusted average lap times.  Wouldn't this work?

Only if everyone sails at a constant speed.

Matt Mee has a point, and now is a good opportunity to air the issues.  However we have been round this buoy before.

We tried 2 races a day over 4 days at Weymouth in 1999.  I seem to remember that this format was not deemed a success as we were constantly under pressure to keep the programme on track.  We tried it to see if it would increase the number of entries - it didn't.

Then we tried the week long champs with two races on two (I think) days early in the week.  I think this persuaded a number of us ancient competitors that we were no longer two race a day sailors!   This was confirmed for me when I sailed in the Laser Masters Worlds where we did two races a day with a lay day in the middle of the week.  The whole week was knackering and the lay day just seemed to upset the championship routine.

I am pretty sure that Roger Hocking at Looe will say that we should't start before 1200 as that is when the sea breeze comes in so if we were to do two races a day they would be compressed into the afternoon. This could put pressure on the programme if the conditions are difficult - and if you lose one race, do you run it the next day making that day a three race day?

I know that Roger will say Looe will give us what the class wants - I don't envy the committee the task of trying to find out.  This forum is a start. 

For what it is worth, and it may not be worth very much, my view is that as our championship attendances are strong we should not change what appears to be a successful formula.

Good luck Chairs!

Stop worrying about the calculations - everyone uses Sailwave these days and that'll handle average laps and the like. Looe certainly did for the Larks!

SCRAP THE PRACTICE RACE.AND START WITH 2 RACES ON SUNDAY,1 MONDAY,2 TUESDAY,1 WENESDAY,2 THUSDAY,1 FRIDAY.9 RACES 8 TO COUNT? PLUS 1 RACE DAY(WENESDAY)COULD BE GATE START.

I agree with having some 2 race days and some 1 race days. last 2 days only one race scheduled in case we need to catch up. as far as trophies goes there are many class stalwarts businesses and no lack of class funds. trophies can be bought.

The Merlin Ricket Class currently sails championship races over the old "olympic" course - triangle, sausage, followed by another triangle and sausage, and then a final beat.  In wind sof F3-4 this will take the leader upwards of 90-100 minutes to complete, dependant on the size of the course.  There is very little likelihood of a boat being lapped - i.e. overtaken by the leader on, say his final beat whilst beating at the start of the second triangle.  With the numbers of boats at a championship it is appropriate to have a reasonably large course, dependant on the wind strength.

Also, it needs to be borne in mind that we start on a beat and finish on a beat.  Even if we took the example of a fleet sailing a simple triangular course and tried to use the average lap time system, the first boat would complete, say, 4 laps (triangles) PLUS the final beat and a boat lapped just before the finish line would have completed 3 laps PLUS the final beat.  The maths for average laps wouldn't work out.

I have sailed events with both lots of races and a few.
I suppose the serious competitors just evaluate what is needed - is it a marathon or a sprint? - Different techniques are required.
I have to say I have been swinging away from the one big race a day point of view because; if you have a black flag or a crap start - basically it is game over and you are grumpy and disappointed until at least the next day. Whereas if you just have to hang about for an hour or so before you get a chance to redeem yourself it adds to the feel good factor - and indeed arguably a fairer result.
Certainly it is important to do everything to turn around the races quickly - nothing is worse than being out on the water for a very long time and doing very little racing. I don’t think we should do anything to make the days on the water more arduous than they already are - I think the point is how is our time best spent?
From a practical point of view, if starting the line is long enough for an entry of 80 odd boats and, if you don't want to lay the windward mark from each end without tacking, the legs have to be about a mile long. So, if we just had one triangle and one sausage per race we could get 2 in per day - as long as we finished near the leeward mark and the race committee were ready to start again straight away. Would it better to have the sausage before the triangle? I think it probably would - because there is the potential for more place changing on the run than the reach. At the moment if you don't get to the windward mark in the top 10 it is a very long haul back - you certainly need the 2-hour race to do it! I absolutely agree that the reaches should be broad enough to stop people just lufing to get the advantage because that causes the leaders to get further away and stretches the race out. That is why windward/leeward courses are good - particularly with 2 leeward marks.

2 races a day please

I am certainly looking to push to mix racing up a little from the norm. I think 2 races each day for the whole week may be too much and seriously impact socials! 2 races one day, 1 race the next etc.. may provide a fun and interesting balance. 

Lets see what happens over the next few weeks. We will let you all know the format very soon.

I bet you wish you hadn’t started this thread now Chris! Really interesting as it is.

So many good points - Matt Mee is quite right to raise the thorny issue of more races a day. CJ makes excellent points as well - please don't go for early starts! Somehow, whatever happens we get back for a drink in the evening - it doesn’t seem to matter if we leave the beach at 09.00 or 12.00 - or we race 1, 2 or 3 races!
The morning is a really good time for running some master classes; shopping, sleeping, whatever turns you on!
If the weather is really bad and we have days blown off we can always run the postponed races earlier on another day.


The problem with having a normal series with several races on some days but not on others is that it makes the series more of a lottery. For example, if the 2-race day happens to be force 6 and you are a normal weight or suffer gear failure in the first race – you have 2 bad results. Likewise if it is calm that day and you are on the heavy side.

I like the idea of running more shorter races per day, at least on some days, and running the aggregate of those days races to count for the trophy and the championship. For example if 3 short races were scheduled for the Clyde Quaich on Tuesday then it would be as if that were a mini open meeting series with 2 out of 3 to count for the series and the championship points. This idea (not original) would seem to overcome all the disadvantages?

Come on lets get all the ideas out in the open!

Mr Thought has some good points as well as giving away his identity on the e-mail address Patrick.  The issue of length of 1st beat is a key one and it's clear we can't start a big and competitive fleet on a short line and we also need a long enough beat to avoid mayhem at the windward mark.  Sausage 1st is good, but the dan buoy will need to be set a good distance from the windward mark to separate running boats from me coming into the mark.  At Pwllheli the 1st beat did often end up a bit one-sided and coming into the mark near the port tack lay-line was uncomfortable and slow with the leaders coming back down the 1st reach in a line.  The run would spread them out more.

I recall we had 2 2 race days the 1st year we went to Looe, or did it just feel like that?

Is the sausage first good? It'll mean running straight back through the beating boats. I don't think i've ever done an event with the sausage first, i always thought that was the reason.

Maybe a trapezoid course would be better? It would get the run separate from the beat and hopefully before the boats are too separate from each other.

The difficulty with having the sausage first is that, even with the spacer mark further out, the fleet would at that point still be bunched up and there would be major problems with the leaders running back through the rest of the fleet who were still beating.  Andrew's problem of port tackers going for the windward mark would only be increased as they tried to work their way through running boats.

same bods will win whatever so we may as well go for what is most enjoyable and not worry about the lottery effect of potentially having 2 races on a day when its windy or not windy...

Pat Blake is quite right in pointing out that short races give less time to recover from poor starts, however being caught out OCS or Black Flagged is self imposed and easily remedied by not pushing ones luck, “Penalise” is what those sanctions are supposed to do.
Another point is that longer races do iron out the inevitable foibles introduced by unpredictable local (Within the course area.) shifts and tidal aberrations. Especially as boat speed variations are small these days across most classes.
As to courses I am a total fan of  the old “Olympic Course” one can tinker with the reach angles to give a tight (2 sail) reach and a broader one, and perhaps spread the wing mark preceding the dead run a bit more. (The gybe mark is a great leveller!) Straight windward leeward courses are fun only in an asymmetric boat such as a Melges 24, SB3 or similar, and gate leeward marks giving a “choice” the invention of the devil.
Gate starts are probably not worth the pain and suffering of getting fleet experienced enough to make them work, though where classes have done it they do seem to work.
However that’s what we increasingly get in any class. So best get used to it.
Finishing to windward is essential, in a fleet of any size, in any class.
Multiple races in a day? Well I guess it depends on how good your bowels are – and how much food and drink you can carry! (We do need do bear theses things in mind!) Rather more seriously more races for more races sake can do no good, two races as a standby after a cancelled day a good thing however. Two a day as long as they are not too short, your choice. Some will be please someone will moan.
As to discards I would make all races count – no discards, - now turns rather than “Go Home or Protest” is the thing. Broken gear is bad maintenance, the solution to DSQ’s, OCS’s and BFD’s is in your own hands. (You can always seek redress, if you think you have a case.).
I’m sure the forum will have proved to be just that in this case lots of views and wants not all of which will be satisfied.
What ever the class and wherever we sail let’s enjoy it, and be grateful to the people who work hard, largely unsung and unpaid make it possible. I hope they get some vicarious enjoyment, they deserve it.

A few thoughts...
- Why must we finish to windward? I have sailed in the 420 fleet (a very large one) and they regularly finish at the bottom of the triangle. This allows the next start of a 2 race day to begin much more quickly than if you have to get the whole fleet down from the top of the beat.
- I entirely disagree with the no discards thing - the only way that would ever be fair would be if EVERYTHING on the racecourse was in your own hands. A quick list of things that arent - if someone entirely ruins your start by breaking a rule (a protest committee would very rarely give you redress for this); serious kit breakage (i.e. mast/boom/gooseneck etc etc - pretty unpredictable stuff) or breakage caused by someone else; being 'Salcombed' (though less likely at some venues this can happen to the best of sailors)... the list goes on. 
- I do agree with the last point... champs are good fun and need really committed people to be involved in their running

Part of the skill is to spot the clowns and sail defensively, unless of course you are one of the aformentioned clowns.

I haven't done a Merlin champs since 1993, but we are definitely bring our old ship (3386) to give CHAIRS some competition. My crew has never done a champs and the prospect of one long race per day does not overly thrill me.

Best champs was a Phantom nationals, 2 races per day, one day with 3 (third race was not counted for the series and was a one-off trophy event). Race boat did not move, start line one side, finish line the other. Trapizoidal courses - beat, reach, run, reach, lots of laps. Shifted the wheat from the chaff as the good guys won but everyone was happy.

With an old boat, short simple courses (no figues of eight, etc.) should help us stay with the pack. It would be nice to think that we might not get lapped .......

It's a funny old world. My first few champs were 1 race a day. Then for about 2 years around 2000-01 we had a mixture of 1 or 2 races a day. At 2001 AGM I think it was, there was feeling by the class that 2 races was too much, so back to 1 race a day we went. Some of the older memebers of the fleet (please take no offense) didn't like 6 hours on the water (neither did I). The waiting time between races was often over an hour!! Now here we are a few years down the line talking about reversing decision again......

I quite like long races as means when I get a bad start (yes Dave I know happened nearly every race this year!), it gives us time to get back more places (normally anyway). If a short race the start becomes even more important.

Also if you lose a day becomes harder to fit in all the races.

I know some fleet will agree with my view and others won't. Perhaps to be fair Mags could setup an online poll to get a vote ;-)

definatly agree with having more races a day, for all of the reasons previously stated, and also because it means that losing a days sailing is not such a disater, as we'd have more than 6 races to make the series. less pressure for every one, including the race officers. i've been to plenty of events where more than one race a day is sailed, and it definately didn't affect any socialising! also agree with finishing on a leeward leg to get the next start away quickly. i also think that more, shorter races would encourage new people to the nationals, as they would feel that they get more of a series, for the money they pay to enter.

On a seperate note I think we should video the starts (and the finishes if we finish on a downwind leg) and show them in the clubhouse in the evening...... Might encourage a bit of "self policing". Should have a camera on each end and also one on a rescue boat in front and to one end of the line. 

If we're going to go for more races a day the fleet needs to tidy up its act with regards to starting as (like everyone will know) it's not unusual for us to have 2 recalls during which time the wind has changed and the race officer wants to alter the course or line or whatever which leads to it taking an hour between starts. 

If we can sort that out then I reckon 2 races for say the first three days would be a good idea then 1 race scheduled for the next three - that way if we loose one of the 2 race days we've got another 3 days in which to fit in the cancelled races i.e. if we loose a whole day with 2 races then all this means is that we get another two with 2 races (or of course one with 3, which is better?). 

And with regards to trophies, why can't we just buy some more? 

If we have 2 shorter races then it's not going to drastically affect our finish time - maybe add on an extra hour or something. This would possibly be a good thing to avoid the beer for a bit longer....

OK so how did the weekend go D&D?

Sounds as though we are going back to a mix of 1&2 races a day in an attempt to please everyone!

Chris M - if we are doing a sausage 1st course with a good separation between windward mark and dan buoy then the running boats are starting the run some distance away from the windward mark, on the 1st beat very few will be coming in on the port tack lay line.  The problem was that with the broader 1st reach the top of the fleet was coming back down the port tack lay-line so even if you were a good way below it you were in dirty wind and churned up water.  But this is theorising really, I don't remember actually doing it even though it was an option on the SI's at Looe both in 2000 and 2004.  The starting problem has been discussed endlessly, time to actually do something.  Having a look at videos of the start would be very instructive.  Do jib numbers make the job of the line spotters easier, if so we should have them.

Dear all,

Meetings were very successful.  Forgive me for not giving out all the details at this moment in time, but they will be available very shortly.  Some discussions are continuing with the committee.  We hope to have a website up and running within the month with all the tasty info on!

Roger Hocking and his team were most helpful, so obviously experienced and keen that it made our job really very simple (at least that's what we think at the moment!).  No excuses - we'll see you all there, it promises to be an excellent week.

Have recently attended an event with a very large entry split into multiple fleets of 50/80. I would rate the organisation as nothing less than superb.

Polnts of interest;

1) First start 1300 with 2 races a day.

2) Start line - boat each end with videos running on both + additional videos running on jury & support boats.

3) Sailing Instructions - " ...any boat identified as being in the triangle formed by the start line & the windward mark in the minute prior to the start will be disqualified." (5, 4, 1 starting sequence).

4) There were a few general recalls with the black flag employed on either the 2nd or 3rd start.

5) Races finished after short beat on shortened line by a third boat i.e. other than the start line boats.

6) Trapezoid courses employed.

7) Two sets of buoys available & identified in the race instructions.

8) Discounted entry fee for early entry £175 (Think full £225)

Hope these observations of interest / use.