MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : Bartley Burn Out

Are any of the local Merlins going to be there?


Posted: 02/11/2009 20:37:03
By: Martin
yeah i'll be there! Biggsy will too.


Posted: 02/11/2009 21:29:58
By: Taxi
my dad and chris martin will be there to


Posted: 02/11/2009 22:34:44
By: ben hollis
dickie is also.


Posted: 02/11/2009 23:15:51
By: d.h.
is there any other midland boats going to bartley tommorow?


Posted: 06/11/2009 12:49:26
By: ben hollis
Smokin will be there.


Posted: 06/11/2009 22:25:46
By: Martin
Sorry, not me.  I'll be training, race officering and then bar stewarding at Midland.  Why not drop in for a pint after you win the Burnout!


Posted: 06/11/2009 22:25:55
By: Mike Anslow
Has anyone got a copy of the results they can post or pm?


Posted: 09/11/2009 18:51:24
By: Martin
results were a bit messed up so you will prob have to email bartley sorry!!!!


Posted: 09/11/2009 22:09:12
By: ben hollis
Ben, only three results count really, who was the first Merlin, who won overall and was there anyone behind me?!!!!


Posted: 09/11/2009 22:38:59
By: Martin
1) Matt Biggs and Ben Hollis (2nd Overall)

2) Will Gulliver (Phantom, 1st Overall)

3) Probably but the results are so all over the place i wouldn't actually count on it!!


Posted: 10/11/2009 07:21:41
By: Chris M
you are not jokeing we show a dnf when they finished the boats either side of us should of been a 12th to count and about 8th overall. even the OD gave up and came and sat in the bar as they tried to make the results up!!!


Posted: 10/11/2009 15:53:05
By: Paul Hollis
I should like to apologise sincerely to all who raced in the Burn Out, and particularly those Merlin sailors who were inconvenienced. The truth of the matter was that the system of finishing required by the sailing committee could not cope with 62 boats. The recorders were swamped, in one case literally, as the support boats went back through the fleet and boats were missed or some sail numbers incompletely recorded because of the angle presented to the support boats.It was very difficult to sort out this mess and it took ages. Lessons have been learnt!


Posted: 12/11/2009 10:41:51
By: Alan Birch OOD
Alan, I have every sympathy with you. We run the Starcross Steamer at SYC and we've tried many different ways of finishing over the years. The fairest way is to have the finishing boat power down the fleet and capture each sail number but this relies on the competing boats playing their part and making sure they are in a good position to be recorded and that they hold station in relation to other boats. It's not a lot of help if they decide to bang a corner on the last beat just before the finish signal!!!
The other extreme is sounding the signal and everyone being finished at a finish line. You can request that boats hold station in relation to those around them but A. quite difficult if the speed of the boats are different and B. if the faster boats can't be arsed then the slower boats get penalised.

We've found a good compromise is to make sure the first 6 or so boats are recorded (accurately) using a moving finish line then finish the rest of the fleet at their next mark using safety boats. The exact marks to be used can be sorted out in the minutes leading up to the finish signal.

Of course all this sound easy but the only easy bit is not getting it right!!!

And often the competing boats don't help themselves by positioning themselves in a reasonable position on the course. Of course this isn't always possible but....


Posted: 12/11/2009 12:26:11
By: Blackie
One useful trick is to ask people to sign off and declare the sail numbers (and classes) of the boat ahead of them, and the boat behind. This can be used to reconstruct the finishing order later, and stops anyone lying because each placing can be double-checked.

Don't they use this at Cowes Week?


Posted: 12/11/2009 14:46:23
By: Mags
Burgfield for their Wednesday evening summer races use a continually adjusting personal handicap pursuit with up to 75 boats: so by the end of the series all the boats are finishing in under 5 minutes.
We use the committee boat plus one safety boat as a finish line, which motors back down the course They try to keep about 30-50 yds apart (speed of motoring and distance apart varies to allow the spotters to get the numbers. Swinging the finish line around a buoy is "fun", and often the line will pause at a buoy waiting for a slight gap before continuing its motoring. It is up to the competitors to be near enough the centre of the course to pass through the line. The finishing positions are taken by the safety boat (writing onto paper) and on the committee boat (one person speaking into a dictaphone and someone else writing down). The 3 finish lists are then compared, and the provisional results published. Any corrections need a witness or two before the final results get published 24 hrs later.


Posted: 12/11/2009 14:55:00
By: BSC
Oh Dear oh dear, I really do feel for Bartley and the mess they have got into.
It was a great sail, a good briefing and a well executed start, sadly you muffed the results and I am sorry to say the lunch time catering was a mess too, even the locals were complaining at the length of the queue.
60+ crews need one or two simple choices not your full menu, that was not fair on the galley staff or those at the rear of the queue.
None the less it was a very enjoyable day and I felt safe on the water too, loads of resuce crews in evidence, so well done to the club members that made it happen.
Yes I will be there next year.


Posted: 13/11/2009 00:16:52
By: Martin
Mags is correct.  They certainly adopt this procedure in the Round The Island race.  (1700 boats)

Feel for you Alan.


Posted: 13/11/2009 10:53:36
By: Shaka

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