TallBuoy
Member
Loads of hassle for the competitors and the race committee, scary for the rabbit and the guard boat, and can't be any more fair than a fixed line and time
What am I missing?
What am I missing?
Gate starts - what is the point?
- Thread starter TallBuoy
- Start date
Lucky Duck
Well-known member
I thought it was primarily used in very big fleets to avoid the problem of general recalls/not being able to spot all boats over the line if the black flag was flying.
I remember it being used when I entered the Laser nationals some time back....
I remember it being used when I entered the Laser nationals some time back....
Chris_Robb
Well-known member
We used it in the Fireball fleet Nationals back in 1966 (bloody hell!). There were at least 300 boats starting - all with chisel sharp bows. We were the gate boat for 2 races -it meant that you got to start first on starboard and cross the whole fleet - but you might not have chosen to stay that side of the course. I would say that for that size of fleet it was the only way to start. On balance - the winner of the last race was Gate boat for the next start.... I Think it was pretty fair.
dunedin
Well-known member
Yes, for very big one design fleets (doesn't work for handicap) - and was more popular before the days of blag flag rules, and sophisticated electronics / drones etc to aid the race officer.
I recall using this for the Enterprise Nationals when they had 200 boat fleets. In this case it wasn't the race winner who was next gate but something like 10th place - otherwise risked the race leaders ducking and diving at the line to be second to avoid being next gate.
I recall using this for the Enterprise Nationals when they had 200 boat fleets. In this case it wasn't the race winner who was next gate but something like 10th place - otherwise risked the race leaders ducking and diving at the line to be second to avoid being next gate.
Thistle
Well-known member
Still used for the Ent Nationals with 50+ boats; still 10th placed boat as gate boat in the next race. It gives everyone in the fleet a start on starboard with clean air ... or it should if they can get in anything like the right place. The big question is "where in the gate do I start?" which is, in turn, related to "which side of the course do I think may be favoured?" (Alternatively, for back markers like me, start late in the gate so the course is slightly shorter so I've less chance of making a major error :ambivalence
Judders
Active member
At a lower level, a gate start is jolly handy in club racing if you only have a few boats and they all want to take part ie nobody wants to be the committee boat because they all want to race.
dom
Well-known member
As a kid I used to view Fireballs as quick but quirky affairs; I crewed competitively once and jeez did you top guys make these things smoke. ...crazy stuff :encouragement: :encouragement:
Coming back to the question and whilst I agree with you as to their convenience, a gate system which say condemned the previous winner to sail the first beat up the right hand side onto the outside of a persistent wind bend could easily see a race winner choosing to fling the race, opt for second, and thereby free himself from pathfinder duty in the next. I think it was prob for this reason that sailing instructions tended towards picking the 10th boat from previous race as pathfinder, and stipulating that any boat only had to do it once.
As an aside, I'll bet 300 barging Fireballs made you very grateful of both the guard and gate boats
merlin3688
New member
We did gate starts in GP14s many years ago, as mentioned mainly used for big fleets 100 + boats, from memory it always was the boat that finished 10th that was the pathfinder, occasionally someone who was at the back of the fleet would have a good race and become pathfinder for the next race, if this happened most boats would want to start early as faster then the pathfinder! Gate starts in my opinion made for fairer starts as everyone starts on Starboard and as mentioned you still have an option to start late. When we coach the kids we still show them this type of start.
jwilson
Well-known member
Many years ago I was in a club where cruising boats took turns to anchor and be the "committee boat" near a certain channel buoy outside the (very tidal) river entrance for evening races, and then upped anchor and joined the race, with a time allowance given on finish at a clubhouse shore finish line. My turn came up on a windyish day and there was an unusually big swell near a lee shore at the start line area: no way was I anchoring there especially singlehanded as I was. So I sailed round the other boats shouting "I'm not anchoring, do a gate start". None of them knew what it was so eventually I tacked and headed off, at which point they followed. At least we had some sort of race. This was (not uncommon) low level handicap cruiser racing.
TallBuoy
Member
I was hoping somebody would say that! Ive been in a few but there doesn't seem to be any set rules for how it should work.
So you pick a buoy and one boat is the rabbit. He passes the buoy as close as possible to the race start time, on a port tack for a pre-agreed period of time then tacks on to starboard and all the other boats cross in his wake, on starboard. That's the easy bit.
What heading should the rabbit be on? Close hauled, fetch, beam reach ? The further off the wind he is sailing the more he is disadvantaged.
markhomer
Member
dunedin
Well-known member
The gate start boat should be close hauled on port tack, making as good speed as possible towards the windward mark. It's course will vary slightly as it gets slight lifts and headers, but of course cannot tack to take advantage of any header.
In an organised championship (as opposed to an improvised club race version) there is usually a power boat closely following the port tack sailing boat, and the starters must go round the back of the power boat. There is often another power boat ahead and to leeward of the port tacker. Both these boats are protection to avoid the gate boat being hit by the fleet of boats trying to get through the start.
At the end of the sequence the port tacker typically has to gybe round the back of the power boat marking the gate, which may continue for a few minutes at constant speed and course. (In a club race version the port tack gate boat would simply tack onto starboard, gaining a boats length advantage for their trouble - and risk)
duckhead
New member
Works very well for large fleet dinghy racing, avoids black flag issues and you can still choose your "end" by starting early or late in the window. In my experience, the boat that finished 9th or 10th in the previous race would be the next rabbit.
