Visit the Clubhouse when there is a race scheduled to start and/or finish at Upnor and watch others doing it, and then talk to them about it.
I'm hoping that some members who know will write something more for this page.
Here's a bit by Ambrus...
For the boredom of those in the know and the information of those who want it:
Racing in our Club is organised on the principle of fair, friendly and courteous rivalry.
Prizes are awarded by the whole fleet at the end of each race as a token of appreciation of the skipper and crew's effort. One might say as a compensation for having spent the least time on the water, where we all like to be. It is the race officer of the day who hands over the bottle of wine to the winner.
Principles and ideals are fine to talk about, but some rules are also needed to keep some consistency in the proceedings and that all who take part can see the sense and reason in decisions made by the Race Captain.
Since the fleet consists of many different types of boats, we follow a set of rules and the Portsmouth Yardstick* as the handicap rating of each boat. The time it takes for a faster boat to sail around the course will be lengthened a little while that of a slower boat shortened.
It is the sailing skill of the crew we compare not the boat builders' mastery, the designers achievement or the depth of the pocket of the owner.
If the rating is greater than one the time spent is shortened, if it is less than one the adjusted time is longer. The Elapsed Time is divided by the rating.
We can all see opportunities to win a race on paper using the handicap, and we also see that some advantage and disadvantage cannot really be compensated by rating without arriving at some unseemly distortion of the picture on the water.
Once it is established that a few boats outclass most of the others, they ought to be compared with each other separately from the rest and given another rating. This is happening in the racing world it is called "Channel Rating", and if there are more yachts to which this is relevant, we shall introduce it in our Club.
Ambrus Jankó
* Portsmouth Yardstick numbers can be found on the RYA Website (search for - yardstick) if your vessel is not listed the Race Captain will issue you with a provisional handicap number.
'To get as tired and wet as possible as quickly as possible.'
Competitiveness lies within us all - a human characteristic.
Sometimes more, sometimes less.
Triumphalism (a form of gloating) is unpleasant and best avoided.
We all feel competitive sometimes.
Cruising sailors (aah... now there's a subject) - are just as susceptible. I sailed with one skipper who was easily suckered into a tacking match, and learned a lot about rigs and crews... and how tired we get.
Racing provides an environment where we can press ourselves against a controlled competitor.
No cruising skipper would deliberately sail close to another vessel - and certainly not get into any tricky or dangerous situation - yet this is the edge that we find here.
It would be pointless to cheat.
However, we have, on several occasions, invited consistently winning members to talk to us about tactics - huh... they talk, but nothing is revealed.
(We cruisers all know - about how we all come out of a lock (in Holland say...) and know full well that after the short crossing to the next lock, we will all wait until everyone arrives to be let in, but for some, sometimes it is a race...)
It was while kayaking in tidal waters that I really began to learn how to balance competitiveness with care for all others on the water.
brian
PS. Oh yes, that unseemly rush at the harbour entrance, that's ...
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