racing board

[Birdseye]

I asked YBW a couple of times to start this racing board and was delighted when they did. But now we seem to have ground to a halt with little new appearing. I wonder why.

 

[flaming]

It hasn't, yet, seemed to attract much new blood, especially real experts - sailmakers, riggers, etc. If/when it does it could become a less annoying and shouty version of SA, with a UK bent, which would be excellent. But until new people join it's really just the scuttlebutt population talking racing, and given the good old 'butters did their best to drive out a lot of the racers over the years there weren't that many of us!

But also, it's not really the time of the season for newer racers to be asking questions - which will drive a lot of the content.

 

[roblpm]

I think its ok.

100 threads.

The wooden boat forum has 395 ever!

I think it will get busier in the summer.

Patience young jedi.

 

[rwoofer]

As someone in both camps I always found cruising talk more interesting and enlightening to strangers. Racing talk is often littered with BS and best done at the bar!

But I do hope this can become a more sensible forum than SA.

 

[Birdseye]

I think its ok.

100 threads.

The wooden boat forum has 395 ever!

I think it will get busier in the summer.

Patience young jedi.

You can reply to me again! :encouragement:

 

[Birdseye]

Maybe what we are short of are some practical tips for those starting racing or still learning. . Lets see - I'll start a new thread but since I am a keen but less knowledgeable racer, I'll leave it to others to advise on technique.

 

[Judders]

Sounds like we're all on the same page. Hopefully it will grow. Certainly as folk get excited about the new season it will I think.

SA can be OK but there is far too much balderdash and a lot of people who don't understand what they are writing, much less what they are reading.

Forgive me if I stay out of rules threads though. They are as bad as colregs threads on the Scuttlebutt.

 

[Judders]

Talking of the Scuttlebutt driving out racers (which is certainly my experience too) I do love the current thread where one or two are decrying the St Kilda Challenge for having a course that might be tricky. Classic stuff.

 

[awol]

Talking of the Scuttlebutt driving out racers (which is certainly my experience too) I do love the current thread where one or two are decrying the St Kilda Challenge for having a course that might be tricky. Classic stuff.

A trifle unfair. It is not just "tricky". For example the redoubtable Capt Otter who charted the area in C19 wrote

"Tides.—The law of the tidal stream in the Sound of Harris is very remarkable...
It may be generally stated, that in summer, in neap tides, the stream comes from the Atlantic during the whole of the day, and from the Minch during the whole of the night.
In winter, the reverse takes place, the Minch stream flows during the day, the Atlantic during the night.
'Neap' refers to tides where the tidal range between high-water and low-water is small. They occur in the week leading to a Full Moon and the week leading to a New Moon.
In spring tides, both in summer and winter, the stream comes in from the Atlantic during the greater part of the time the water is rising, but never exceeds 5¼ hours, and flows back into the Atlantic during the greater part of the fall of the tide.
'Spring' refers to tides where the tidal range between high-water and low-water is large. They occur in the week following a Full moon and the week following a New Moon.
The stream from the Atlantic is therefore denominated the flood stream, that from the Minch the ebb stream."

10th June is 5 days after the new moon. Tides run up to ~5kts.

Many, including me, have set off for St Kilda and have allowed discretion to rule (i.e. chickened out!). I have requested race details but am aware that depending on the winds plans B & C are not terribly appealing.

 

[Keen_Ed]

It hasn't, yet, seemed to attract much new blood, especially real experts - sailmakers, riggers, etc. If/when it does it could become a less annoying and shouty version of SA, with a UK bent, which would be excellent. But until new people join it's really just the scuttlebutt population talking racing, and given the good old 'butters did their best to drive out a lot of the racers over the years there weren't that many of us!

Unlikely to ever be overly active, I think. Plenty of evidence that boards can either be highly moderated - so polite - but dull, with little going on, or more lightly moderated - so raucous - and busy. Plus Y&Y (for dinghies) and SA have first mover advantage.