flaming
Well-known member
5 days to go. Early forecast looking promising.
Who's coming out to play?
Who's coming out to play?
Round the Island
- Thread starter flaming
- Start date
Racecruiser
Member
Nope going to my nephew's wedding. Haven't done it for a few years and every year I sort of wish I was doing it, then I remember the higher than acceptable (to me anyway) chances of bending the boat. Good luck to everyone - watch the corners and occasional racers, charter boats etc who aren't familiar with close quarter stuff and may not have someone good on the main so they can bear away!
flaming
Well-known member
All very true.
But it is good fun... The 2 windy RTIs I've done count as 2 of the top 5 days on the water I've ever had.
michael_w
Well-known member
Aka 'the demolition derby'. A race to do on some else's boat!
Norman_E
Well-known member
I would love to go, but it really strikes me that it has just become too big. Too many boats in too many classes, and needs dividing up, perhaps two races now needed, on separate days, with no boat and nobody allowed to compete in both as skipper or crew.
xyachtdave
Well-known member
Yes, on someone else's J-80. Annoyingly I've had an offer of a crew spot on an X-46 after committing to the J!
TallBuoy
Member
Its shrunk over recent years - 1800 about 5 years ago, only 1400 now.
To simplify your idea, just split it by class - Racing classes one day, Cruising classes the next. But that would be twice as much work for the OA, for no more revenue.
TallBuoy
Member
Forecast looks kind with a bit of N in it, which makes it safer for those of us charged with collision avoidance as a priority.
I will be skippering Greig City Academy's Scaramouche, clearly sponsored by Pioneer Underwriters, and in the same class as Elaine.
The lead teachers are paranoid about damage with so much having been spent on the boat recently and their Fastnet campaign in full swing. Oh, they will have 9 school kids under their responsibility too!
Give as a wave!
I will be skippering Greig City Academy's Scaramouche, clearly sponsored by Pioneer Underwriters, and in the same class as Elaine.
The lead teachers are paranoid about damage with so much having been spent on the boat recently and their Fastnet campaign in full swing. Oh, they will have 9 school kids under their responsibility too!
Give as a wave!
Racecruiser
Member
Not a bad idea - could be differentiated by IRC and ISC classes. That could persuade me to enter (in IRC) and if they adjusted the entry fee by rating or boat length that would help too. Last time I checked it cost the same to enter an 80 footer or a Folkboat - when I hit the feedback loop to ISC saying that was crazy the reply was more or less 'that's the way we've always done it'.
Triassic
Well-known member
Speaking of entry fees I'd love to see a breakdown as to just how they justify charging over £100 for this race? I mean, just what exactly are they providing for your money? As far as I can see they log your entry, tell you your start time, provide someone to sit on the line to set you off and maybe see you finish after you've sailed around an island that's been in place for quite a while.......... Berthing, accommodation, catering etc etc is all extra. I'm sure someone is going to suggest they take care of emergency cover and support but so do other events and they seem to manage to provide several days racing over numerous different courses (which they have to set) for less than that.
flaming
Well-known member
I have absolutely no problem with the entry fee (which for the record I'm paying myself this year as the owner is absent). Sure by comparison with other events that run over multiple days it's relatively pricey, but they have the considerable challenge of logging the finish times of up to 1800 competitors. All of which need to be logged to the second and at busy periods come thick and fast. And then they get the results online to view normally before you've gone below and got your phone out to look at them. The last time I did race committee duty I was finishing 6 boats, and that was surprisingly hard to get the times recorded when they all finished within a minute.
And then remember that every club that has a big annual race uses it as a means to make money for the club activities. As someone who races all over the south coast at a variety of events, I have no issue with that at all. The ISC clearly have a fantastic product that attracts far, far more competitors than any other event in the UK outside the London Marathon. They clearly should and clearly do, use that to raise money for the club, if they didn't they'd be daft.
Ditto Poole regatta, Dartmouth Week, Salcombe week... You name it.
flaming
Well-known member
Terrible idea I think. The whole attraction of the RTI is the spectacle. Diminish the fleet and it's just another race, though on quite a challenging and interesting course. Also, imagine the kerfluffle if the IRC classes had a nice race on the saturday, but the ISC classes had no wind at all on the Sunday for example.
Racecruiser
Member
Well I do see that and they may lose the greatest/largest tag but it would make it more attractive to me and possibly others so maybe would increase the overall numbers. Can't see it happening though!
Regarding the entry cost I don't have an issue with the overall cash generation, it's more a question of fair proportions. Then of course there is the income from sponsors to factor in although that may be less now that JP Morgan have dropped away
Triassic
Well-known member
And that is exactly my point. They run one race, record one entry, start and finish time, and charge that amount. The other events you mention run and record multiple races for similar fees. The ISC charge what they can get away with rather than what it costs to cover the event and that grates with me, so in my case they don't get away with it, I stay away. It's a free world and I can sail around the Isle of Wight pretty much anytime I like. In fact, come to think of it, next Saturday might be a good time, weather looks promising.......
Yacht Yogi
Member
Well I'll be out there on JT with a good number of our regular crew this year so looking forward to a decent race. I understand some of the previous comments but that's the nature of the event and staying out of trouble is a big part of it. The risk of collision is no worse than any other race; I nearly got it wrong in a club race last week and did have an actual collision in the Spring Series when a top professional sailor lost the plot and spun-up into us at a mark. As to the cost - I am happier paying the RTI's cost than the exorbitant entry fee of the Spring Series.
Talulah
Well-known member
We stopped doing the race a number of years ago for a number of reasons.
Cost was a factor but so was technology. Once the race was over you could pass by one of the barges and collect your tankard and other tat. It was something that people interacted with. Now with position reporting by mobile and tankard by post you could come away from the race with very little interaction with others and you kind of wondered what was the point in the entry fee just to get your name on a list. It felt like we were paying a large entry fee for very little in return.
Seeing the carnage to a number of boats and the number of close calls experienced ourselves it just wasn't worth the stress.
Good luck to those that are doing it and have a fun day out.
It should be done at least once but for me I've been there, done that and it's time to move on.
Cost was a factor but so was technology. Once the race was over you could pass by one of the barges and collect your tankard and other tat. It was something that people interacted with. Now with position reporting by mobile and tankard by post you could come away from the race with very little interaction with others and you kind of wondered what was the point in the entry fee just to get your name on a list. It felt like we were paying a large entry fee for very little in return.
Seeing the carnage to a number of boats and the number of close calls experienced ourselves it just wasn't worth the stress.
Good luck to those that are doing it and have a fun day out.
It should be done at least once but for me I've been there, done that and it's time to move on.
Stotty
Member
Not doing this year as we've already done Cherbourg, The Myth and The Morgan, and have the Fastnet in August, but last years RTI was one of the best days sailing I've had - surfing at up to 19knts (no kite) on the backside of the island on a Beneteau 1st 45, was great fun... the Chinese gibes not so much.
Maybe not so much fun for the boat we heard speaking to the coast guard as they sank off the Needles, or the one we saw dismasted, or the numerous MOB alarms, or for the J's, who seemed to spend most their time broaching
Heard it's a super early start this year due to tides.
Maybe not so much fun for the boat we heard speaking to the coast guard as they sank off the Needles, or the one we saw dismasted, or the numerous MOB alarms, or for the J's, who seemed to spend most their time broaching
Heard it's a super early start this year due to tides.
flaming
Well-known member
We're off at 0620, which is pretty early!
Interestingly we're also a couple of hours later in the tide cycle than normal too, so we might actually have fair tide down the back of the island for the first time that I can recall!
Now if that breeze just swings a bit more west and sets up a proper beat down the solent to start with I shall be very happy. A fine code zero reach down the Solent to start won't suit us, because we don't have one!
lw395
Well-known member
i haven't done it for a while. It's a great day out if you've got the right people for your boat.
I dare say there will be epic tales in the club bar next week with people bragging about coming 'in the top half of the fleet' at 726th place or so.
I think it's a shame there are not a couple more events like it spread over the summer.
Wouldn't it be great if we had 500 boats racing Poole to Weymouth or something?
I suppose RTI is a naturally great course. I've done it about a dozen times and several of those rank as most memorable days sailing.
I dare say there will be epic tales in the club bar next week with people bragging about coming 'in the top half of the fleet' at 726th place or so.
I think it's a shame there are not a couple more events like it spread over the summer.
Wouldn't it be great if we had 500 boats racing Poole to Weymouth or something?
I suppose RTI is a naturally great course. I've done it about a dozen times and several of those rank as most memorable days sailing.
Tomaret
Active member
I am doing it in a Dehler 36 CWS for the first time, having previously done it in my Gibsea 92. I'm not sure what is going on with the ISCR but the Dehler is rated as a slower boat than the Gibsea. Two other 36 CWS's are rated either side of mine, with a spread of 0.02 in the ratings. The result is that I get a later start than in previous years, which suits our somewhat relaxed approach to the whole event. We don't expect to bother the prize givers, but do anticipate having a great day and provided we get round, get a finishing position rather than a DSQ and get a fish and chip supper in Corries we'll be happy. We wont be trying to get between the Varvassi and the Lighthouse and will try to avoid Ryde Sands and other racers.
However you approach it, I hope you all have a great day.
Mark
However you approach it, I hope you all have a great day.
Mark
