Is it necessary......

[roblpm]

For the committee boat when asked a question on vhf like "where is the starting line" to always say "as stated in the sailing instructions........". As a newbie it is very off putting. Its not the Olympics, its a Wednesday night race round the cans!! Surely newbies should be encouraged!!

Similarly being told in am angry voice the other night that we would be luffed up if we didn't do something or other?? Why not just suggest politely what to do and why??!!

 

[Woodlouse]

For the first point a quiet word with the committee on your feelings about simply being told to read the instructions would probably solve the issue.

On the second point, you are likely to find lots of people, whilst racing, telling you things such as threats to luff etc. If you read and begin to understand the ISAF racing rules you will find you hear less of it and will be able to put yourself in a position where you can be stuffing those who will so vigorously try to ruin your race. Racing is a lot more enjoyable when you can introduce a tactical element as well as simply trying to sail as fast as possible.

 

[Robin]

For the first point a quiet word with the committee on your feelings about simply being told to read the instructions would probably solve the issue.

On the second point, you are likely to find lots of people, whilst racing, telling you things such as threats to luff etc. If you read and begin to understand the ISAF racing rules you will find you hear less of it and will be able to put yourself in a position where you can be stuffing those who will so vigorously try to ruin your race. Racing is a lot more enjoyable when you can introduce a tactical element as well as simply trying to sail as fast as possible.

+1 Much more tactful than many might have replied, but for sure reading and understanding race rules is a primary requirement even for local club races . There used to be some good books on the subject and I'm sure there still are and some new ones, allprobably dinghy related but the rules are the same even if the boat sizes are not. Enjoy!.

 

[roblpm]

Ok I take your points. But people are coming in to racing from different backgrounds. Some people have grown up racing dinghies so will have absorbed the rules as they go along.

At our club they are trying to encourage the 100+ boats in the marina to join the club and come out racing.

I suggest if you have never raced that sitting reading the rule book is nearly impossible.

All I am suggesting is that if people want new blood to keep the racing going when oldies retire that being totally rules worth doesn't encourage people in!

 

[awol]

Requesting information from the committee boat may be construed as an infringement of RRS 41, it certainly is proscribed by my club's General Sailing instructions. And being warned rather than just luffed sounds like you were being given leniency.

Just like any other sport you need to read and understand the rules - there are books, websites, Youtube videos to help you - not just for your sake but for the all the others participating. Have a chat with your club's Sailing Secretary about rules seminars, mentoring, "L" plates - it is in his and the club's interest to encourage you and other newbies.

 

[roblpm]

Requesting information from the committee boat may be construed as an infringement of RRS 41, it certainly is proscribed by my club's General Sailing instructions. And being warned rather than just luffed sounds like you were being given leniency.

Just like any other sport you need to read and understand the rules - there are books, websites, Youtube videos to help you - not just for your sake but for the all the others participating. Have a chat with your club's Sailing Secretary about rules seminars, mentoring, "L" plates - it is in his and the club's interest to encourage you and other newbies.

Crikey! Well I have to say the cobbled up start with a transit from the race box and a buoy that wasn't where it was supposed to be wasnt clear from the sailing instructions at all!

And we were shouted at which was what i was complaining about.

We have also been extremely careful to stay away from other boats when we weren't clear about rights so safety hasn't been an issue.

In fact we are probably past this stage as we have done about 30 races but it still seems odd how the rules for the Olympics are pedantically adhered to for a Wednesday night club race.

 

[dunedin]

Requesting information from the committee boat may be construed as an infringement of RRS 41, it certainly is proscribed by my club's General Sailing instructions. And being warned rather than just luffed sounds like you were being given leniency.

Just like any other sport you need to read and understand the rules - there are books, websites, Youtube videos to help you - not just for your sake but for the all the others participating. Have a chat with your club's Sailing Secretary about rules seminars, mentoring, "L" plates - it is in his and the club's interest to encourage you and other newbies.

As the OP says, this is club racing not the ISAF World Cup or Olympics. The committee boat would have been better to point out that it is in the Sailing Instructions, but then add "for the benefit of all boats, I remind you that the starting line is ....."
No loss by repeating the Siling Instructions over VHF (unless the OOD didn't know them either!)

 

[awol]

I suspect from the description of the start line it's PEYC racing. If it is, the fact that they spoke to him at all without first enquiring to which school he went shows a remarkable relaxation of protocol!
It may not be ISAF World Cup or the Olympics but for a lot of the participants it is serious.

 

[roblpm]

I suspect from the description of the start line it's PEYC racing. If it is, the fact that they spoke to him at all without first enquiring to which school he went shows a remarkable relaxation of protocol!
It may not be ISAF World Cup or the Olympics but for a lot of the participants it is serious.

Ok I promise to take it more seriously!

 

[roblpm]

Maybe it is because I went to a bog standard comprehensive down south that I don't get it!

 

[crewman]

I suspect from the description of the start line it's PEYC racing. If it is, the fact that they spoke to him at all without first enquiring to which school he went shows a remarkable relaxation of protocol!
It may not be ISAF World Cup or the Olympics but for a lot of the participants it is serious.

If it was PEYC last week the start line transit and the outer distance mark were announced on the radio to all. The usual mark had gone walkabout and was under the road bridge

 

[dunedin]

M

Requesting information from the committee boat may be construed as an infringement of RRS 41, it certainly is proscribed by my club's General Sailing instructions. And being warned rather than just luffed sounds like you were being given leniency.

Hey you Hippocrate ! I distinctly heard you call the OOD on VHF recently to clarify the start line rules (albeit to out a rival who you thought had pulled a fast one

 

[RobbieW]

...At our club they are trying to encourage the 100+ boats in the marina to join the club and come out racing....

What you could suggest to the sailing committee, then, is they organise a few 'racing basics' or 'racing rules' sessions in the clubhouse to improve the experience of participants.

I'm kind of with the others others on asking questions before the start, mainly because the start boat crew will likely have thier hands full trying to set up the race without answering questions which are already provided for. The other one is interminable requests to repeat the course because race crews were ill prepared to recieve that information.

 

[Resolution]

In most clubs racing members are asked from time to time to help out on the committee boat / box as an assistant race officer. In addition to the value of meeting your race officers and becoming known by them, it is also quite instructive to see how busy the RO can be at times. And how questions over the VHF at critical moments can be really unwelcome. I suspect the OP would benefit from volunteering.

 

[Quandary]

Go to 'game finckh.net '(Regelspiel Uli Finckh) you can have fun learning the rules on your laptop or tablet at idle moments, three levels of expertise to choose from.
Expecting competitors or organisers of sport to give special privileges to those who do not know what they are doing is unusual in any competitive situation.

 

[TallBuoy]

Reading the SI's is a fundamental step prior to partaking in the race, like finding crew and getting the boat ready.The RO is obliged to produce them (as well as the NoR) and will have put some effort into doing so. It becomes rather irritating and a distraction in the count down to the start when competitors call up asking for information they should already know.

 

[awol]

M

Hey you Hippocrate ! I distinctly heard you call the OOD on VHF recently to clarify the start line rules (albeit to out a rival who you thought had pulled a fast one

You wisnae listening hard enough. The call was to the eejit - "rival" is much too strong a word - who had failed to pass through the start line on a passage race asking him if he had read the sailing instructions and was he wondering why everyone else had started to the east of the Scrat buoy. Only questions, no information. Strangely Hippocrates and his oath were more in his realm than mine or did you mean "hypocrite"?

 

[roblpm]

In most clubs racing members are asked from time to time to help out on the committee boat / box as an assistant race officer. In addition to the value of meeting your race officers and becoming known by them, it is also quite instructive to see how busy the RO can be at times. And how questions over the VHF at critical moments can be really unwelcome. I suspect the OP would benefit from volunteering.

Not assistant race officer, actual race officer! Already done with the help of an experienced one.

I am obviously wrong and will try harder. I think its cos i didn't go to public school................

 

[Resolution]

Not assistant race officer, actual race officer! Already done with the help of an experienced one.

I am obviously wrong and will try harder. I think its cos i didn't go to public school................

I'm not sure where the school bit comes from, but good on you for getting some experience on the other side.

By way of slight thread drift, I wonder how many people reading this thread remember the wonderful spirit among the ROs at Cork Weeks a decade or so ago. They seemed to manage to combine efficiency with tremendous fun, some of the VHF conversations had our crew in fits of laughter.

 

[LittleSister]

If you read and begin to understand the ISAF racing rules you will find you hear less of it and will be able to put yourself in a position where you can be stuffing those who will so vigorously try to ruin your race. Racing is a lot more enjoyable when you can stuff the opposition as well as simply trying to sail as fast as possible.

There, fixed that for you.