Making your way through dinghy races

[ianfr]

We were "racing" last weekend up the Colne, and our course took us between the Inner bench Head and the SH marker. As we headed in, we couldn't see either buoy as one of the local clubs had an open catamaran meet going on and the whole channel was filled with boats. 50+ ?

The start line was clear of the channel but all the dinghies were sitting in the main channel between the two buoys. We just stood on, close hauled making about 1.5 knots against the current and it was just wall to wall cats!

Most of the crews were just sprawled across their boats only looking up as our shadow crossed them. A quick twitch of a sheet and they shot off but it was a bit tense for us. In the end we just could not leave the mark to port as the only way would have been to walk over the dinghies

Just as well it was only a FUN race.

Regards

Ian & Jo

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Like you I see reconciling the colregs with RRS as an interesting question, you have to add into that the issues of a multi-boat scenario under colregs. How often can you be sure there is no boat you should be keeping clear of?

Then of course there is the logical legal issue that if a jetski is not legally a vessel, then is a skiff? Care to test that in court?

My reading of the IRPCS is that regardless of the actual risk of collision - which I accept as not being high - we all have a duty to proceed at a speed where we are capable of obeying the IRPCS. Now, another poster who sails high performance dinghies expressly stated that under quite normal downwind racing conditions, they were effectively not able to manoevre freely without risk of capsize, and might make unplanned manoevres with devations from their course of 10-20 degrees.

Given that where there are non-racing boats present, ALL boats are bound by IRPCS, surely this implies that ALL vessels must proceed at speeds where they are fully under control and manoeverable? And if they are not capable of slowing down (class rules not allowing reefing or whatever), then surely they should ensure they race in water that is not shared with boats that are not racing? Much of the angst on these forums is about racing courses being planned in ways that conflict with other water users.

As I say, this is an academic argument where I sail, mostly! But I think there is a real conflict between the requirements of racing and the IRPCS, and that can only be avoided in the most extreme cases by segregating racing from other water users.

Concerning the jet-ski issue, well, the law is an ass! But as there is a design continuum from Optimist to Ocean racer, it would be very hard for a court to draw a line

 

[lw395]

My reading of the IRPCS is that regardless of the actual risk of collision - which I accept as not being high - we all have a duty to proceed at a speed where we are capable of obeying the IRPCS. Now, another poster who sails high performance dinghies expressly stated that under quite normal downwind racing conditions, they were effectively not able to manoevre freely without risk of capsize, and might make unplanned manoevres with devations from their course of 10-20 degrees.

.........)

I think your train of thought goes wrong about where you equate 'risk of capsize' with risk of collision.
In the limit, to avoid a collision, I will take actions which are more than likely to cause me to capsize. Sometimes you don't capsize, but if you do, you get back up and finish the race.
It's an accepted part of sailing high performance boats.

You are right that course setting needs to be sensitive to other water users, I think this has been worked on in Chichester in recent years. It's a congested harbour and the big marina is some miles up a winding narrowish channel. Even without any dinghies on the water, there often seems to be conflict between yachts sailing and those motoring. Rush hour, when the lock is first made free-flow is often a bit hectic.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I think your train of thought goes wrong about where you equate 'risk of capsize' with risk of collision.
In the limit, to avoid a collision, I will take actions which are more than likely to cause me to capsize. Sometimes you don't capsize, but if you do, you get back up and finish the race.
It's an accepted part of sailing high performance boats.

I guess that's where there is a culture clash - although I've sailed dinghies, I've never capsized one, and of course it is unthinkable (and probably impossible - I certainly hope so!) with my current vessel. I was brought up that capsizing was something you avoided like the plague; as we normally sailed with minimal changes of clothing, I guess you can see why! In fact, while I was sailing with my mother and father, we only capsized a boat once - and that was Mum and Dad, when the boom came off the goose-neck on the Heron we used to sail on the river when we couldn't go out in the big boat.

But I am an out and out cruising sailor, with no interest in racing (well, except when I'm going in the same direction as another boat, and I happen to be quicker!). So I tend not to expect people to be willing to capsize, and act accordingly. I wouldn't be surprised at that being behind much of the anxiety about racing fleets from crusing yachts. We look at what we would do under the circumstances, and automatically eliminate manoevres we would be unwilling (or unable) to do.

 

[prv]

I was brought up that capsizing was something you avoided like the plague; as we normally sailed with minimal changes of clothing, I guess you can see why!

It's a different world. All these dinghy sailors will be in wetsuits or drysuits, going in the water is no big deal whatsoever. The reason they don't want to is the time taken to get the boat up and sailing again, not the fact that they'll get wet.

(I too did all my dinghy sailing in woolly jumper and plimsoles )

Pete

 

[lw395]

I guess that's where there is a culture clash - although I've sailed dinghies, I've never capsized one, and of course it is unthinkable (and probably impossible - I certainly hope so!) with my current vessel. I was brought up that capsizing was something you avoided like the plague; as we normally sailed with minimal changes of clothing, I guess you can see why! In fact, while I was sailing with my mother and father, we only capsized a boat once - and that was Mum and Dad, when the boom came off the goose-neck on the Heron we used to sail on the river when we couldn't go out in the big boat.

But I am an out and out cruising sailor, with no interest in racing (well, except when I'm going in the same direction as another boat, and I happen to be quicker!). So I tend not to expect people to be willing to capsize, and act accordingly. I wouldn't be surprised at that being behind much of the anxiety about racing fleets from crusing yachts. We look at what we would do under the circumstances, and automatically eliminate manoevres we would be unwilling (or unable) to do.

In my own dinghies this year, I think I've managed about 6 or 8 capsizes, and one collison with no damage- a misunderstanding at a mark. In over 100 races I think.
Crewing for my mate in the RS800, zero collisions and it's easier to keep count of the races where we don't capsize!
And the RS800 is supposed to be the 'accessible' twin trapeze skiff. But we are middle aged blokes not taking it too seriously.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

I keep on a steady course and the dinghies will tack and manage around me;