awol
Well-known member
Round Bute - 5 starters. At Not-the-SS the 707 fleet revolted when a triangle was inserted into their sausage course. See you at Round Mull on 1st July?
Round The Island race?
- Thread starter Barton Seagoon
- Start date
laika
Well-known member
From my perspective: Round the island is a once-a-year event where you spend a couple of days sailing with friends, maybe some you don't see that often, in an event with thousands of sails around you which is in itself a spectacle. You pay a one-off fee and that's it. It's an opportunity to sail fast against a field so large it's essentially anonymous and not reliant on how well or otherwise a particular arch rival does on the day: it's only really about your boat and crew and having a good time. I'm sure some people go for being all rah rah yachty in the crowds in cowes before and after but that's not something we do.
Club racing involves joining a club, paying the subs and interacting with club members for a few hours every week including before and after races. Yacht clubs are typically set up for a particular culture which I'm not really a member of and I'm not interested in club politics and social events aimed at groups I'm not a part of.
In other words, club racing and RTI are, for me and my friends, utterly different animals.
Never Grumble
Well-known member
We are local Solent based, since my son discovered dinghy sailing/racing I dont tend to get anytime for myself, so doing the RTIR albeit for the first time is a way of reclaiming a weekend for myself. The boat with bilge keels is really not set up for racing and I don't have time.
I have never raced before and RTIR is the first proper race I have entered, mind I am somewhat disillusioned to find that fin keel versions of my bilge keel boat have more favourable handicaps. I must admit that has already made me think twice about ever entering again. I'm never going to win, but at least you'd like to think it was on an even footing.
flaming
Well-known member
You may find that there are other differences. For example you might have declared that you will be flying a spinnaker, but they are not intending to.
Never Grumble
Well-known member
I did question it. Apparently down to my new main sail area, I have a full battened sail and given them the measurements supplied by my sailmaker. Apparently the other three boats have given measurements that support a triangular shaped sail with no roach. All three start after so as they sail past I'll be interested to see their sails.
Praxinoscope
Well-known member
#23 / #25 I find there are often unexplainable ‘oddities’ in handicap sytems, one I have queried (without success) is similar to your fin/ bilge keel rating, in the current NHC base handicap my bilge keel Sadler 25 is 0.841 whilst the fin keel version is 0.836, which seems to my simple mind the reverse of what it should be.
flaming
Well-known member
Well yes, that is one of the issues with a rating system that relies on declarations from the owner...
However, I'd look at the results before making any judgements. Simply having that new sail probably gives you an edge over a sistership with old sails, regardless of the number of keels hanging below the hull....
mrming
Well-known member
Handicap racing should always be taken with a pinch of salt imo, even at the IRC level. The various rules do their best but it’s impossible to equalise a bunch of disparate keelboats properly. If you make no (or very few) mistakes, you know you’ve had a good race. If you get pipped by a boat or two due to the vagaries of the rule, not to worry. For those who are worried there is always one design. ?
matt1
Well-known member
Three boats the same as mine this year, in ISCRS - rating from 1.002 (mine) - 1.016. I’ve used the displacement as quoted in the RCD owners handbook and suspect the faster rated have used the brochure displacement (which is a lot less). Fairly confident in the displacement I have used. It’s not just spinnakers / cruising chutes that make a difference. Still surprised you don’t have to give an area for them though. I will be at a disadvantage with mine as it’s cut quite small. Early days but I think Flaming may be disappointed with the wind gods!
capnsensible
Well-known member
Good luck to all entrants, hope you enjoy yourselves!
jaminb
Active member
Anyone got a better forecast for Saturday? Windguru suggesting very light southerly’s, typically sandwiched between perfect conditions on Friday and Sunday!
Daydream believer
Well-known member
Well it is for those bilge keel sailors who persistently tell us fin keelers that their bilge keels are every bit as good as our single fins ?
ridgy
Well-known member
Met office is suggesting a solid 12kts SW all day. Here's hoping.
flaming
Well-known member
Round the Island Race - Latest weather news
Forecast on the race website, updates every day (that was monday's)
Looking at the different models, there is still wide divergence of where the low is by Saturday, so I think pretty low confidence in any forecast at the moment.
Never Grumble
Well-known member
who is that then ... not me ... my bilge Keeler is really slow
st599
Well-known member
Bugger - the only year we did any good was the one with consistent 40+ round the back.
flaming
Well-known member
Tuesday's forecast.
I like the direction for a good tactical race, but more wind please!
I like the direction for a good tactical race, but more wind please!
Praxinoscope
Well-known member
Not always the bilge keel sailors, for some unaccountable reason the NHC handicap base list indicates that my Sadler 25 bilge keeler is faster than the Sadler 25 fin keeler, very odd!
Daydream believer
Well-known member
Well there you go then. Get out on the race course & prove it
Praxinoscope
Well-known member
Well there you go then. Get out on the race course & prove it
It doesn’t really affect me as the only other Sadler 25 in our locality is another bilge keeler so we are evenly matched whatever the h/c, Cardigan Bay is not ideal for fin keelers so most boats in our rea are bilge.