sail number

[Birdseye]

new boat doesnt have one and a quick look at the RYA site suggests that you have to be an RYA member for them to kidly sell you one! Not surprising - as a retired instructor I know how money grubbing the RYA are.

Is there am alternative route?

For that matter, what is to stop me from just making one up and putting it on the sails? It will only be used for recognition in our local club races anyway.

 

[Motor_Sailor]

You can put whatever number you like on your sail. But I don't think you can put GBR as it might then match an officially issued one and cause confusion.

There are other bodies that issue official numbers including the RORC and Clyde Combined Clubs, etc.

 

[Daydream believer]

Not surprising - as a retired instructor I know how money grubbing the RYA are.

Gold members can apply for number free of charge. How does your assertion-" money grubbing the RYA are" apply to that?
Then perhaps you might explain why they should NOT charge non members.
But as explained in #2 you have other choices & you need not support an organisation that supports the wider aspects of your sport, if you prefer not to do so

 

[savageseadog]

I got a number from RORC even though I wasn't a member.

 

[mrming]

I got a number from RORC even though I wasn't a member.

Same here although I seem to remember paying for it.

 

[Ingwe]

Just checked the RYA website and it's £30 for them to issue a sail number to a non member, £15 for normal members or free if your an rya gold member.

 

[The Q]

Does your New boat have a hull Number? Is it one of a class? If it has a hull number (manufacturers) then you have a sail number, if it's one of a class then There is probably already a class symbol to add to that.

For my own build boat, I've chosen a Rough Collie Head in Silhouette (in Blue) as the Symbol and as she's the one and only, her number will be 1.
The Boats Name? Blue Moon.
After a Blue Merle Rough Collie we had. "Baron Blue Moon" was his Formal name.

 

[Tranona]

Production boats have a standardised HIN/CIN which is nothing to do with class sail numbers. The latter are rarely used these days and the norm if you want an identification number on your sail to buy one of those already suggested.

 

[Sandy]

My boat came with a sail number. At the Southampton Boat Show I asked the RYA if there was an official register, no sir was the reply! If I ever get a new sails I don't plan putting the number back on.

 

[Praxinoscope]

I got a number from RORC even though I wasn't a member.

If I read the RORC sail number device correctly the issue of a number costs £36 but there are possibly additional costs involved, in which case £30 for an RYA umber for non- members seems to be in a similar ball-park.
As Motor-Sailor states #2 I don’t think there is any rule to stop you putting any number on your sail, but it obviously can’t be a RYA ‘GBR’ number, a RORC ‘R’ number, or a Class number.
IMHO Birdseye is being a bit unfair calling the RYA ‘money grubbing’ unfortunately things do have to be paid for somehow and the RYA is no different to any other organisation in having to charge for services. At least if you are a RYA member you get the number for only £15 and if you are one of the fortunate few who are Good members it’s free.

 

[Birdseye]

IMHO Birdseye is being a bit unfair calling the RYA ‘money grubbing’ unfortunately things do have to be paid for somehow and the RYA is no different to any other organisation in having to charge for services. At least if you are a RYA member you get the number for only £15 and if you are one of the fortunate few who are Good members it’s free.

Having been an instructor in a couple of areas and seen the way that the RYA structure their courses to maximise revenue rather than as a service covering just costs. , I think it is correct to describe them in the above terms. Other instructors I have spoken to almost always have a similar view.

 

[savageseadog]

The Yacht said, "I am a name not a number."

 

[awol]

CYCA numbers are a cut-rate £20 and come with a C suffix. There is nothing to stop you putting any number you like but international competition may be closed to you.

 

[Rappey]

I have whatever sail number my 2nd hand sails come with

 

[Birdseye]

I have whatever sail number my 2nd hand sails come with

From my experience as OD running races, thats quite common. I often have boats with different numbers on main and headsail but then we dont have the serious sort of racing that Flaming would recognise.

 

[Never Grumble]

I have whatever sail number my 2nd hand sails come with

Which is fine until two boats turn up with same number from buying second hand from same person

I paid the fee to the RYA and got my sail number £30 for an admin fee isn't much when you look at other business models ... insurance change of details springs to mind.

 

[Rappey]

Which is fine until two boats turn up with same number from buying second hand from same person

Would anyone notice or even care ? We have ssr ,boat names and mmsi to identify vessels.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Would anyone notice or even care ? We have ssr ,boat names and mmsi to identify vessels.

The SSR No. is usually too small to read from any sort of distance and certainly not easy when trying to identify a number of boats at the start or finish line. Also many boats are not SSR registerd.
It’s interesting to note how many boats still have older VHF so a lot won’t have an MMSI. Again not as easy as a quick visual of the sail No. which can be seen for ‘miles’.

 

[Birdseye]

Would anyone notice or even care ? We have ssr ,boat names and mmsi to identify vessels.

Yes. When I OD the race on Sunday I will be relying on sail numbers to note down which boat crosses the finish line and when. But I wont be relying on a list kept by the RYA or whoever - instead I will use a list I draw up when they are milling around bbefore the start. So any number will do, or even some graphic, but an official number would be best sinvce it avoids conflict if we ever race away from base.

The £30 fee is wildly excessive for some one to just note down a number on a spreadsheet - that almost 4 hours work for the sort of person that will be employed to do that job. But what really gets up my nose is the way the RYA uses such "services" as a way of extracting membership fees.

 

[Rappey]

So the modern version would be some sort of graphic rather than a number ? I understand that it makes sense when racing.