Round the Island Race

[PhillM]

The answer is at your Prep signal, which is 4 minutes unless altered by the SIs. (And basically never is)

The sequence goes like this

5 minutes - warning signal - Class flag up and a sound
4 minutes - Preparatory signal - Prep flag up (either Papa, India, Zulu or black flag - with each having different rules relating to OCS) and a sound
1 minute - Preparatory flag removed and a sound
start - class flag removed and a sound.

Some events use Foxtrot to mean "warning signal in x minutes" and usually combine that with the first reading of a course.

Thank you Flaming. I will make sure I get it right next time.

For the avoidance of doubt my race strategy is to start at the back and stay out of everybody's way. I'm not racing competitively and would be mortified if I got in the way of a competitive racer.

I made sure I had a yellow flag on board in case there was an incident but do not carry a red. Protests are for competitive racers not family days out.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

L

Thank you Flaming. I will make sure I get it right next time.

For the avoidance of doubt my race strategy is to start at the back and stay out of everybody's way. I'm not racing competitively and would be mortified if I got in the way of a competitive racer.

I made sure I had a yellow flag on board in case there was an incident but do not carry a red. Protests are for competitive racers not family days out.

Flaming has given you the time periods in the standard rules.

The Sailing Instructions for the RTIR are

Warning signal 10 minutes before start, ie the starting gun for the previous class
Preparatory signal 5 minutes before when all racing rules apply, including no use of propulsion
Prep signal down 1 minute before start

So in very light winds and strong tides it is definitely worthwhile keeping the engine on until the preparatory signal. We did so to give us our best possible position.

 

[BelleSerene]

The answer is at your Prep signal, which is 4 minutes unless altered by the SIs. (And basically never is)

The sequence goes like this

5 minutes - warning signal - Class flag up and a sound
4 minutes - Preparatory signal - Prep flag up (either Papa, India, Zulu or black flag - with each having different rules relating to OCS) and a sound
1 minute - Preparatory flag removed and a sound
start - class flag removed and a sound.

Some events use Foxtrot to mean "warning signal in x minutes" and usually combine that with the first reading of a course.

Not quite. In the RTI race the warning signal is at ten minutes and the Prep is at 5 minutes. All in the SIs. PhillM unfortunately broke the rules and had someone protested him he'd have been disqualified.

 

[PhillM]

Not quite. In the RTI race the warning signal is at ten minutes and the Prep is at 5 minutes. All in the SIs. PhillM unfortunately broke the rules and had someone protested him he'd have been disqualified.

And if they had I would have accepted that I'd made a mistake and accept the disqualification gracefully.

 

[lenten]

looked at the tides and the weather and decided that saturday was a perfect day for a trip round the island---set off from itchenor a 4in the morning---got to gilkicker and off cowes looked like a impenetrable solid white wall---i had forgotten the round the island race---when i got amongst the fleet it was an easy job to wiggle my way through as no one was making much speed----most sailors looked either bored or glum---by the time i got to the needles i was past the bulk of the boats---a few caught me up by st catherines as i slowed to play with my new paravanes---but at the point the wind died completely and i passed them again and set off for bembridge for a crab sandwich cup of coffee and a doze----all in all it didn t look like a happy sailing day and no one gave me a wave or a smile so if any one now wishes to give me a virtual wave----i was the fat little green rowing boat with an outboard-----regards lenten

 

[Giblets]

And for those of you who saw a lone jet ski round the back my buddy, Mike, says "Hi". :encouragement:

 

[flaming]

Not quite. In the RTI race the warning signal is at ten minutes and the Prep is at 5 minutes. All in the SIs. PhillM unfortunately broke the rules and had someone protested him he'd have been disqualified.

Ah fair enough. Didn't do RTI this year so hadn't read the si's.

 

[Hypocacculus]

looked at the tides and the weather and decided that saturday was a perfect day for a trip round the island---set off from itchenor a 4in the morning---got to gilkicker and off cowes looked like a impenetrable solid white wall---i had forgotten the round the island race---when i got amongst the fleet it was an easy job to wiggle my way through as no one was making much speed----most sailors looked either bored or glum---by the time i got to the needles i was past the bulk of the boats---a few caught me up by st catherines as i slowed to play with my new paravanes---but at the point the wind died completely and i passed them again and set off for bembridge for a crab sandwich cup of coffee and a doze----all in all it didn t look like a happy sailing day and no one gave me a wave or a smile so if any one now wishes to give me a virtual wave----i was the fat little green rowing boat with an outboard-----regards lenten

I didn't see you but hey, wave! Glad you had a lovely day. I actually enjoyed the race - what's not to like about a sunny day at sea? On the other hand, under sailing conditions like that, I'm afraid anyone leaving any sort of wake is about as welcome as a turd in a swimming pool.

 

[mrming]

I didn't see you but hey, wave! Glad you had a lovely day. I actually enjoyed the race - what's not to like about a sunny day at sea? On the other hand, under sailing conditions like that, I'm afraid anyone leaving any sort of wake is about as welcome as a turd in a swimming pool.

The one that got me was people retiring - leaving their mainsails up and motoring past us to weather all day.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

The one that got me was people retiring - leaving their mainsails up and motoring past us to weather all day.

Yep, we had a few of those after we rounded Bembridge Ledge and deliberately kept upwind of other boats, only to be crapped on by others. One of my crew got particularly voracious about it, especially a certain Dame of the realm !!

 

[Halcyon Yachts]

A few photos of the day:

Pete

 

[Talulah]

Brilliant

 

[emsworthy]

The one that got me was people retiring - leaving their mainsails up and motoring past us to weather all day.

What was even stranger was that having retired off Sandown Bay some silly buggers still insisted on rounding Bembridge Ledge buoy!!

 

[PhillM]

What was even stranger was that having retired off Sandown Bay some silly buggers still insisted on rounding Bembridge Ledge buoy!!

Yeah we saw that. Then there were those that tried to cut in too close and got chased off by a race Marshall and told to pull out wider.