cardiff bay - why didnt you race today?

[Bosun Higgs]

Today we had a thoroughly pleasant race inside the bay. Dry weather, reasonable warm, and maybe 15 to 18 knots of breeze. 9 boats out in total, and a very mixed bag because it's not really serious racing. You trundle round a three cornered course, everyone is considerate of everyone else, no protests no serious aggression. In short an ideal trip out for the cruising sailor who normally wont take his boat off his mooring from November to April.

So why dont more of you come out for an hour or two? Make some use of that investment you have tied to the pontoon. Get some fresh air. Have a laugh in the bar afterwards.

I'd like to know because a bit of corinthian racing in winter really is fun.

P.S. If you would like to know what it's like, we can take individuals out on our boat starting Feb 6th. It will have to be one at a time because the cockpit is small, but you're welcome to have a run out. PM me

P.P.S. We can usually help with crewing too if you want to race your boat, though tbh findiung crew in winter isnt usually an issue

 

[Csail]

Well me and another forumite were up all night so not fit to sail!!!

 

[Bosun Higgs]

95 people have viewed and only one has replied. I guess the answer must be lazyness / indifference.

 

[Allan]

Was that the Boxing day +1 race? I went out in 2009 and was put off by some aggresive tactics I saw and the broken mast one of the competitors suffered. I decided to stick to cruising in future.
Anyone fancy Appledore this weekend?
Allan

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Yes it was Allan. But I was out in the same race when the mast came down, but the cause wasn't aggression so much as a combination of a routine port / starboard incident and bad home boatbuilding. The chain plates on the demasted boat had just been fastened to the deck with no internal re-inforcement by the original builder, which is why the mast on one boat came down whilst the other boat was undamaged

No problems at all this year. Or in any previous years bar the one you experienced.

 

[Morpheous]

95 people have viewed and only one has replied. I guess the answer must be lazyness / indifference.

Saw the post, thought about making some facetious comment about my sunseeker not having a PY but thought better of it.

 

[Allan]

Yes it was Allan. But I was out in the same race when the mast came down, but the cause wasn't aggression so much as a combination of a routine port / starboard incident and bad home boatbuilding. The chain plates on the demasted boat had just been fastened to the deck with no internal re-inforcement by the original builder, which is why the mast on one boat came down whilst the other boat was undamaged

No problems at all this year. Or in any previous years bar the one you experienced.

I think it is really a matter of "horses for courses". 11 boats went out on our new years day sail around the Holms. At least two of the boats there were put off the Boxing day race by the previous years events.
Personally I love racing, but only on other peopls boats!
Allan

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Join in and sail cautiously then. One of the irritants about the PY handicap is that it adjusts to performance so whilst initially you would lose out by (for example) hanging back at the start when boats are closest together, you would soon have a handicap that allowed for that delay and be up with the rest of us. That is if you are competitive and worried about winning.

To me the real argument for the winter racing isnt the racing bit but the regular use of your boat in winter. A couple of hours every Sunday poddling round the buoys outside the barrage is far more fun that being sat on the sofa reading the Sunday Times. The boat benefits from use, you get fresh air and the discipline of having a series ensures that you are far less likely to look out of the window and say "not today".

For every cold rainy miserable day we have, there are two or three very pleasant sails when you look round, see an empty sea and think what every other sailor is missing.

 

[trapezeartist]

Join in and sail cautiously then. One of the irritants about the PY handicap is that it adjusts to performance so whilst initially you would lose out by (for example) hanging back at the start when boats are closest together, you would soon have a handicap that allowed for that delay and be up with the rest of us. That is if you are competitive and worried about winning.

To me the real argument for the winter racing isnt the racing bit but the regular use of your boat in winter. A couple of hours every Sunday poddling round the buoys outside the barrage is far more fun that being sat on the sofa reading the Sunday Times. The boat benefits from use, you get fresh air and the discipline of having a series ensures that you are far less likely to look out of the window and say "not today".

For every cold rainy miserable day we have, there are two or three very pleasant sails when you look round, see an empty sea and think what every other sailor is missing.

Absolutely agree. That's why we do the PCC races at Portishead. Would Cardiff allow in an interloper from Portishead? It might be fun to sail down, do the race and then sail home. Tomorrow we're planning a trip down around the Holms provided the weather doesn't go sour on us.

 

[Blue_Pearl]

Absolutely agree. That's why we do the PCC races at Portishead. Would Cardiff allow in an interloper from Portishead? It might be fun to sail down, do the race and then sail home. Tomorrow we're planning a trip down around the Holms provided the weather doesn't go sour on us.

I was thinking about that as well Paul. (sailing down, having a race and then nipping back)

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Absolutely agree. That's why we do the PCC races at Portishead. Would Cardiff allow in an interloper from Portishead? It might be fun to sail down, do the race and then sail home. Tomorrow we're planning a trip down around the Holms provided the weather doesn't go sour on us.

I'm sure they would be delighted for you to come along for the individual races, but the races that start on Feb 6th are a series ( the Frostbite) running every week for 8 weeks. In that case, someone doing just one race could mess up the results of the competition. Wouldn't affect me since I won't come near winning ( handicap ) but someone who was in the run for tinware ..............

There are two races over Xmas, the boxing day +1 race run by CYC and the New years day race run by CBYC. There is the Shanghai cup September time with ( I believe) free mooring for visitors - runs for two weekends and is an Open event with boats from Swansea and elsewhere. Would be ideal for Blue Pearly for sure

We are always anxious to get as many visitors as possible if we can find a practical way of fitting them in.

 

[Blue_Pearl]

I'm sure they would be delighted for you to come along for the individual races, but the races that start on Feb 6th are a series ( the Frostbite) running every week for 8 weeks. In that case, someone doing just one race could mess up the results of the competition. Wouldn't affect me since I won't come near winning ( handicap ) but someone who was in the run for tinware ..............

There are two races over Xmas, the boxing day +1 race run by CYC and the New years day race run by CBYC. There is the Shanghai cup September time with ( I believe) free mooring for visitors - runs for two weekends and is an Open event with boats from Swansea and elsewhere. Would be ideal for Blue Pearly for sure

We are always anxious to get as many visitors as possible if we can find a practical way of fitting them in.

Thanks Bosun, I've had a look at the Shanghai Cup and think it might be an interesting couple of weekends - Work permitting I'll enter this year.

I don't quiet understand how we could mess up the series results if we only entered a race or two, aren't the winners calculated by position in each race ? If we were to win one race out of 8 and not compete in the other 7 races then all it would do is knock everyone back by one position in one race ............ do you see what I mean ?

 

[Blue_Pearl]

How do we go about finding out more about the racing in Cardiff Bay Bosun ?

What time is kick off for the Feb 6th race ?

 

[Alcyone]

I'd rather go for a proper sail. Can't say sailing around buoys in a big crowd of people has ever interested me. I learned to sail to go places. I went out last Friday, had a lovely sail (motor.....) down the coast to Aberthaw, looking at the scenery and enjoying the wide open spaces, the sky and the sea.

If people want to race, or take part in regattas, I think that's absolutely fine. People should do what they enjoy. It just doesn't appeal to me.

 

[wotayottie]

How do we go about finding out more about the racing in Cardiff Bay Bosun ?

What time is kick off for the Feb 6th race ?

Go to www.cbyc.co.uk and click on cruiser racing. Floow the link through to notiuce of race and then to earlybird series.

First race starts 1400 on the 6th . You can email the od at cruiser_racingatcbyc.co.uk obviously replacing the at

 

[Blue_Pearl]

Go to www.cbyc.co.uk and click on cruiser racing. Floow the link through to notiuce of race and then to earlybird series.

First race starts 1400 on the 6th . You can email the od at cruiser_racingatcbyc.co.uk obviously replacing the at

Thanks Wotayottie, I'll see about getting crew together and making a trip down on the 6th. I'll be playing follow my leader though as I don't want to upset any results (I'd also get lost if I were in the lead ! - Just a fun day out racing would be good.

 

[wotayottie]

Have a word with the ood first just to make sure its OK.

The start line is off Penarth yacht club so no need to come through the barrage.

 

[Blue_Pearl]

Have a word with the ood first just to make sure its OK.

The start line is off Penarth yacht club so no need to come through the barrage.

Is the course posted anywhere so I can review it first ? Or do you know what a typical course is for such races?

I'll send an email to the OOD and explain that I only want to do one race.

 

[wotayottie]

Is the course posted anywhere so I can review it first ? Or do you know what a typical course is for such races?

I'll send an email to the OOD and explain that I only want to do one race.

No - one of the quirks of racing in Cardiff bay is that they announce the course by VHF M1) 10 mins before the start. If you are racing PY then you will possibly be at the front of the pack and so will need to have the local buoys in your gps - it wont be a laid course. If you are going IRC then you will be amongst the J109s etc so will likely have someone to follow.

If the OD is OK then I guess he will put you amongst the PY - the IRC lot would likely protest etc at an incomer for just one race. They´re like that.

 

[dt4134]

one of the quirks of racing in Cardiff bay is that they announce the course by VHF M1) 10 mins before the start.

Not just Cardiff Bay. It's to ensure they get a windward start. Downwind starts aren't as calm & relaxing as windward starts.