On the subject of going aground un Brightlingsea,

[Tomahawk]

I was doing safety boat this morning with the Mirror fleet (think children) in Pyefleet Week. They were within two minutes of the start when a boat comes bumbling down the fairway and going to be in the same bit of water at the same time. So I go over to tell the helm a race is about to start and ask for a bit of consideration.

I am constrained by my draft says he... although he is not showing the requisite shape... and proceeds to drive through the fleet. Two boats were forced into awkward manoeuvres. Remember there are small children on board. long story shortened... five minutes later he is in the putty to the west side of the lay line... Sadly it was a rising tide. Said boat was not a mobo or even a jet ski. Smile did I... yes.

Should I mention a name?

 

[DanTribe]

I have seen occasions where yachts plough through the middle of kids racing fleets. It's often through ignorance rather than malice. Not everyone has raced dinghies in earlier life.
I have also had to ask fellow race officers not to set courses that block fairways and don't give yachts room to pass.
A bit of consideration from both camps would be good.

 

[RivalRedwing]

I had a related situation off W Mersa a few days ago. I could see dinghy racing going on ahead of me with no easy route around and the races all under way. A chap in a RIB then appeared alongside to tell me there was racing ahead (never!). I think he expected us to grow wings. I politely asked what we should do, and at which point he sped off. We made minor corrections a couple of times and no dinghy sailors were impeded.. They were crossing the marked channel and seemed to be using the channel markers as part of the course.

 

[Daydream believer]

I have finally sold my Phantom dinghy as I feel I am no longer fit enough ( Kept the Squib though) but I have sailed dinghy races for decades as well as cruiser racing. I fully accept the problems some cruisers have negotiating a dinghy fleet. Many skippers are clearly nervous & to some it is a major obstacle.
If they have no rights of way, then a dinghy cannot & should not demand them. But what does sometimes irk me is the cruiser helm who must see that we are rounding a particular mark, whether it be a race mark or navigation buoy, then sail as close to it as they can. This makes it really awkward for the dinghy sailor & can ruin a good position or make a an easy gybe into a difficult one. ( I know I have spent many an unhappy hour swimming round an upturned hull)
So it would help if cruisers gave a bit of latitude in those areas. They usually could with a bit of forethought.
Where I race, in the Blackwater, fleets are not normally that big ( that being said we had 70 for Stone week last week & we already have 50+ Phantoms booked for September) & there is always ample room for both cruisers & dinghies to live side by side. Cruiser sailors- & dinghy sailors- just need to be spacially aware of what is going on around them. It is not rocket science. Probably different in a narrow creek, but I am not so sure that happens that often & dinghy fleets are smaller than they used to be.

 

[Tomahawk]

I have seen occasions where yachts plough through the middle of kids racing fleets. It's often through ignorance rather than malice. Not everyone has raced dinghies in earlier life.
...

Trus... but claiming he is constrained by his draft in the deep water channel when he could have hung back or got ahead of the fleet. I was far more favourably impressed by the behaviour of the jet skis a couple of weeks previous who recognised a race about to start and kept clear... whilst still in the deep water.

 

[mrming]

I’m an ex dinghy instructor and recently had this going into Tollesbury. Narrow channel, lots of young kids in dinghies. Not a race though. Backed off the throttle and threaded my way through carefully. The attitude described above suggests the skipper is inexperienced / a bit of a tool. ?

 

[Scotsailor]

The racing fleet does not have any priority over the cruising sailor. Collision regulations apply. … I’m a bit puzzled by this post. If the yacht was going through two minutes before the start then what’s the problem anyway?

 

[fredrussell]

The racing fleet does not have any priority over the cruising sailor. Collision regulations apply. …?

I must admit I’ve always been a bit confused about this one. Col regs always apply don’t they? But I assume young kids in dinghies haven’t been sat down and taught the rules about giving way, stand on vessels and so on. There’s often dinghy racing going on near Woolverstone, and I thread my way through carefully, often ignoring Col regs, but aren’t we meant to be following these regulations to the letter of the law?

 

[Daydream believer]

but aren’t we meant to be following these regulations to the letter of the law?

But possibly the letter of the law might suggest that one should avoid a collision
Perhaps the onus might suddenly change

 

[Daydream believer]

The attitude described above suggests the skipper is inexperienced / a bit of a tool. ?

Being inexperienced, or nervous, ( even experienced skippers can be nervous) does not necessarily suggest that one is "a bit of a tool. ? " so perhaps a little moderation in description might be in order

 

[Capt Popeye]

I must admit I’ve always been a bit confused about this one. Col regs always apply don’t they? But I assume young kids in dinghies haven’t been sat down and taught the rules about giving way, stand on vessels and so on. There’s often dinghy racing going on near Woolverstone, and I thread my way through carefully, often ignoring Col regs, but aren’t we meant to be following these regulations to the letter of the law?

Err certainly NOT SO ; the COL REGS are as it states on the Front Cover / Page ; Collisions AT SEA , does not mean when afloat in a River or Harbour ; when NOT as sea the local Regs apply surely ? the local regs might decide to follow the COL REGS when suitable to do do , but most often the Local Regs will give mind to the dangers and navigation requirements in that regulated area ; so giving way to Craft with the need for Draught / Water depth takes priority , surely ?

It should certainly be written in the Local Regulations that Navigational Aids / Buoys etc should not be used for racing markers likewise a racing course should not involve crossing a Main Channel , its just silly to do so ; our club lay down their own Marker Buoys away from Navigational Buoys ;

Like wise the starting time of a race is NOT wholy dependent upon a set time , surely ? there should be Management to allow for any Craft already Navigating the river to pass ahead of the Race start time / guns surely ?

 

[mrming]

Being inexperienced, or nervous, ( even experienced skippers can be nervous) does not necessarily suggest that one is "a bit of a tool. ? " so perhaps a little moderation in description might be in order

Yes perhaps I should have used “or” rather than “/“ on reflection.

 

[johnalison]

I have always considered that I have a right of free passage, whether racing or not. On the whole, I think that I behave fairly well, but I do not feel constrained to wait for a quarter of an hour while passing through a race. Subject to the P/S rule and whether I am motoring or not, my usual policy, if I have a choice is to let the leading boats go through and then weave my way as best I can. I can only remember one untoward encounter, when a Sprite off Ramsgate, who was not the stand-on boat, objected to my passage. I tried to explain that I did not have a copy of his course for the day on board.

 

[Daydream believer]

Err certainly NOT SO ; the COL REGS are as it states on the Front Cover / Page ; Collisions AT SEA , does not mean when afloat in a River or Harbour ; when NOT as sea the local Regs apply surely ? the local regs might decide to follow the COL REGS when suitable to do do , but most often the Local Regs will give mind to the dangers and navigation requirements in that regulated area ; so giving way to Craft with the need for Draught / Water depth takes priority , surely ?

It should certainly be written in the Local Regulations that Navigational Aids / Buoys etc should not be used for racing markers likewise a racing course should not involve crossing a Main Channel , its just silly to do so ; our club lay down their own Marker Buoys away from Navigational Buoys ;

Like wise the starting time of a race is NOT wholy dependent upon a set time , surely ? there should be Management to allow for any Craft already Navigating the riverto pass ahead of the Race start time / guns surely ?

Very one sided - I am about to go sailing & if I had time I would like to give a robust arguement against your "shoulds" . Then your last paragraph which shows that you do not understand sail racing

 

[Scotsailor]

If I were trying to pilot my way into a harbour and I was approached by a boat and asked to wait because a race is going to be held in the channel shortly. I would be most unimpressed

 

[Capt Popeye]

Very one sided - I am about to go sailing & if I had time I would like to give a robust arguement against your "shoulds" . Then your last paragraph which shows that you do not understand sail racing

Thank you kind Sir ; please comment and give your arguments or reasons why why points you find disagreement with

Col Regs were drawn up, for avoiding collisions when at Sea around our World with Shipping comming frrom different countries ; so an agreed Policy and Rules has been drawn up = Col Regs , not up a Creek in Essex or anywhere else for that matter .

From my research that RYA is partly to blame for the misunderstanding in mainly /soley RYA trained persons about the Col Regs

but please comment as you think fit ? thank you

Different and specific rules apply in Racing to open Water Navigation especially in closed waters , like Essex Rivers and Harbours

 

[Scotsailor]

It’s a good argument for not having another marina in Brightlingsea if one transiting yacht is causing such a problem

 

[AntarcticPilot]

When sailing on the Clyde, I occasionally encountered a vast cloud of Optimists in the area between Largs and Great Cumbrae - the national Optimist championships were held there. The safest thing to do was simply to continue on a steady course; a dinghy is a LOT more maneuverable than any cruising yacht. As far as the Optimists were concerned, we were simply something to navigate around; being predictable was far more important to them than us trying to avoid them.

 

[Athene V30]

Perhaps the Race Officer should show some more consideration to other water users and set a course outside the main channel? The Colne is quite a wide river!

 

[dolabriform]

When we started sailing out of Woodbridge, we would often encounter races going across the channel at Woodbridge and in Waldringfield. As relative newbies, it was still fairly obvious to slowdown and pick our way through carefully. Everyone was respectful of each other.