"I'm glad I don't race".

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Well, actually, I do race - and love it, but...

I'm allowing myself to get involved in an event which will be a race, maybe of sorts, but if you have sympathy with the thread title it's you I want to talk to.

It'll be for charity, and so I want to make it something that appeals to you enough to get your boat out there - and pay an entry fee that will go to charity (100% of it).

It's a one-off (anyone that knows me and knows what I'm talking about, please shut up, it's not going public yet).

It won't be a long event, couple of hours at most. Aftermath socialising will be fun though.

So, come on, I want views from the kind of people that might go out and watch the start of the Round the Island, Volvo Race, lifting the Mary Rose. What would it take to get you involved?

 

[[70521]]

I did the Eddystone Pursuit last year. It's not a race but a sail from Plymouth to the Eddystone Lighthouse and back. Raised £800 for my charity and had a cracking day out on the water.

Sport is about doing not watching and no I never race even if other boats race me.

 

[Yellow Ballad]

I'm not a racer but I do try and make the odd fun/interclub rivalry race. If it's for charity and you want a bit of fun how about a pre/post "dinghy" (tender) race aound the marina/club moorings for bonus points? Or a tide race with a lunch break at a marina pub/local club, effectively two short races with a bit of socialising in the middle which may interest people local to the lunch break.

I did enter the Bristol Channels RTIR (The Holms Race) this year which is quite a technical one (with the tides) as you have to decide a start time to get around the Holms before the tide turns, great if you have a tidal gate locally. It appealed to me because there's no big start line hustle and bustle and depending on wind it would be a shortish race or a longer one!

 

[skipper681]

Well, actually, I do race - and love it, but...

I'm allowing myself to get involved in an event which will be a race, maybe of sorts, but if you have sympathy with the thread title it's you I want to talk to.

It'll be for charity, and so I want to make it something that appeals to you enough to get your boat out there - and pay an entry fee that will go to charity (100% of it).

It's a one-off (anyone that knows me and knows what I'm talking about, please shut up, it's not going public yet).

It won't be a long event, couple of hours at most. Aftermath socialising will be fun though.

So, come on, I want views from the kind of people that might go out and watch the start of the Round the Island, Volvo Race, lifting the Mary Rose. What would it take to get you involved?

I am glad that this is not a motorbike thread. I could tell you how many road racer friends that Ive lost but I'd be here all day.

 

[Stemar]

Maybe invite gifts to use as prizes for family crews, best pirate ship. all female crews (actually, not so sure about that one, I've met a few pretty lethally competitive lady sailors ?) or whatever?

 

[lw395]

Well, actually, I do race - and love it, but...

I'm allowing myself to get involved in an event which will be a race, maybe of sorts, but if you have sympathy with the thread title it's you I want to talk to.

It'll be for charity, and so I want to make it something that appeals to you enough to get your boat out there - and pay an entry fee that will go to charity (100% of it).

It's a one-off (anyone that knows me and knows what I'm talking about, please shut up, it's not going public yet).

It won't be a long event, couple of hours at most. Aftermath socialising will be fun though.

So, come on, I want views from the kind of people that might go out and watch the start of the Round the Island, Volvo Race, lifting the Mary Rose. What would it take to get you involved?

The land based socialising afterwards is often a big commitment if you want to attract participants from several clubs or ports.
If we did anything like that, it would probably be all about the 'on the water' part.

The entry fee 'for charity' is all very well, but if it's say £30, that's a fiver a head for the crew, no problem, but it dictates a weekend's boating which is much bigger money than that. The RTIR is much more than that, but it's good value. Aside from the entry fee it has to be worth it in terms of commitment, sail wear, dieseling to the start an so forth.

 

[[3889]]

For me it would be sailing plus another concurrent activity. Maybe a short course during which the crew have to cook a meal and the overall result is judged on time elapsed and quality of food produced. Beat, meat, reach, broach, poach, eat.

 

[johnalison]

I'm past the stage of crossing the country to do a race, for charity or otherwise, but I like the idea of a mixed event. I have done race/treasure hunt and other events and they are good for attracting non-racers. I once did a three-day regatta, in Germany, involving racing seriously, except that protesters would be questioned by the committee while standing in a cold shower. The final points from sailing were combined with those acquired from a whisky tasting and the timed dismantling and reassembly of a two-speed winch. For some reason, we did rather well.

 

[DownWest]

I'm past the stage of crossing the country to do a race, for charity or otherwise, but I like the idea of a mixed event. I have done race/treasure hunt and other events and they are good for attracting non-racers. I once did a three-day regatta, in Germany, involving racing seriously, except that protesters would be questioned by the committee while standing in a cold shower. The final points from sailing were combined with those acquired from a whisky tasting and the timed dismantling and reassembly of a two-speed winch. For some reason, we did rather well.

That does sound Fun.. Was recently? We went to a competive BBQ. About 8 pairs. Given same disposable BBQ and food to cook. Great fun (bit of booze involved) I think the result might have been defined by how suggestive the the presentation was..we did not win. We did mostly arrive by boat, so relevent..

 

[Daydream believer]

In my first boat ( Stella one design)I raced almost every week for 10 years. After that I crewed on boats for another 6 years. Then when the kids were old enough they crewed me in dinghies until they could take their own boats out.
So from that you will see that I loved racing.
There are 2 series racing in our area. EAORA for the more comitted offshore racer (which I also used to do) & BJRC for the shorter 1 day affairs in the river & estuary.
However, I am now in a situation where I can sail every day for weeks on end, so waiting for a BJRC race in the River Blackwater every 2 weeks is not worth it. I am not at home. I go long distance SH cruising . When I am home it is easier to race my Phantom dinghy at my club.
For even one race my insurance extra is circa £ 200-00. I would have to find a crew. Not difficult as there are some youngsters at my club who would be up for it. However, training them takes time & commitment. No point in racing if the crew do not have a clue how things operate. So there is a lot of pre-race work needed. I would have to strip the boat of cruising gear before each race, then put it all back afterwards.
To do EAORA one needs to join an affiliated club (so double club fees)& the hassle of getting a rating is beyond ridiculous & expensive. Then traveling to race points is a nightmare.
I would not be surprised if similar problems applies to other owners, who just do not think it worth the bother.

 

[johnalison]

That does sound Fun.. Was recently? We went to a competive BBQ. About 8 pairs. Given same disposable BBQ and food to cook. Great fun (bit of booze involved) I think the result might have been defined by how suggestive the the presentation was..we did not win. We did mostly arrive by boat, so relevent..

Not very recent I'm afraid, 2006. My other claim to fame was winning a club sandcastle competition with an anatomically-correct mermaid. Actually, I think we won; it's a bit hazy.

 

[AndrewB]

I wish organisers of charity races wouldn't call them races because my insurers get twitchy and demand a very uncharitable extra fee. I welcome participating in a charity sailing event, but on the understanding (as least as far as my insurers are concerned) that prizes are not awarded strictly on the basis of finishing order.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Not very recent I'm afraid, 2006. My other claim to fame was winning a club sandcastle competition with an anatomically-correct mermaid. Actually, I think we won; it's a bit hazy.

You intrigue me. How does one know what the correct anatomy for a mermaid is?

 

[PhillM]

I have tried to join in with racing on a few occasions: Cowes Classics, Hamble Classics and even in my club Cruiser Race and Rally (that I am involved in organising). The truth is that my heavy little boat, often single handed and with no spinnaker or cruising, simply cannot actually keep up. In the last two classics I attended, the course set for my class had to be completed in less time than my boat could manage, even if we were at full hull speed the whole way round. So basically I get to attend the start line, do a couple of legs and then head back to arrive in the bar about the same time as everyone else. Now if I was a serious racer, I wouldn't have my boat, But I am not and its the only one I've got, so I have to accept that she and I shall not go racing very often.

On the other hand, the way RTIR is organised into fleets, I do stand a chance and we have competed. And much fun we have had too. So, perhaps, take a look at the class structure and see if you can get a class together for the about 21-25 footers, using white sails only (then set an appropriate course with sensible time limits).

 

[johnalison]

Just

You intrigue me. How does one know what the correct anatomy for a mermaid is?

by derivation from the ones I have met. You may/will be disappointed.

 

[DownWest]

You intrigue me. How does one know what the correct anatomy for a mermaid is?

Thort they were tops of monkeys sewn onto fish bottoms, that sailors of old sold to gullable land lubbers? I have seen a photo of one such. Nothing like as attractive as JohnAlison's one.

 

[Stemar]

I've always been intrigued by the fact that mermaids are pictured with scales like a fish, but flat fins, like a dolphin or whale.

 

[Topcat47]

Well, actually, I do race - and love it, but...

I'm allowing myself to get involved in an event which will be a race, maybe of sorts, but if you have sympathy with the thread title it's you I want to talk to.

It'll be for charity, and so I want to make it something that appeals to you enough to get your boat out there - and pay an entry fee that will go to charity (100% of it).

It's a one-off (anyone that knows me and knows what I'm talking about, please shut up, it's not going public yet).

It won't be a long event, couple of hours at most. Aftermath socialising will be fun though.

So, come on, I want views from the kind of people that might go out and watch the start of the Round the Island, Volvo Race, lifting the Mary Rose. What would it take to get you involved?

Nothing on this earth would induce me to take part in a race of any sort. I avoid the Solent during Cowes week and RTI and try to stear clear of anyone who even looks as if they're racing. That said, i have in the past spectated in the AC, the start of the tall ships race, a couple of Whitbreads, a festival of the Sea and a J Class race. Not a great involvement considering I"ve been sailing for 40 year....

 

[johnalison]

Nothing on this earth would induce me to take part in a race of any sort. I avoid the Solent during Cowes week and RTI and try to stear clear of anyone who even looks as if they're racing. That said, i have in the past spectated in the AC, the start of the tall ships race, a couple of Whitbreads, a festival of the Sea and a J Class race. Not a great involvement considering I"ve been sailing for 40 year....

I have sailed with people who 'never race' and it can be a frustrating experience. There are many who are perfectly or very capable, but there are also many who are casual to the point of being careless, and their manoeuvring at close quarters in marinas can be abysmal. I have also met, and on one occasion collided with, racers who should be locked up. In the case of the collision my craft was tied up at the time.