sigh sigh sigh .. we're racing!

jimi

jimi

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sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

Today on a pleasant reach (on Port) down Soton Water the serenity is broken by screams of "starboard" .. "we're racing" as the RSYC has its autumn series. Tthe first boat passed at least 4 boatlengths behind me despite all the commotion and carry on as I had rightly calculated I'd pass clear ahead by a comfortable margin, the second boat I gave the opportunity to pass behind so I would'nt nick his wind. this seemed to be declined and I altered to port to go behind and thus collapsed his spinnaker. Could I please make a heartfelt plea to the RSYC that if they are going to lay a course in the constricted confined area of Soton Water that they ensure that the skipper a) knows what he is doing & b) the skipper retains control of his crew & c) there is no shouting or abuse of fellow water users. Such lack of professionalism & behaviour brings does the RSYC no favours at all.

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Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

I guess a shouted response of "So What" might not have gone down too well.

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Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

Acshully .. I did give them a loud soliloquy as to its irrelevance and their utter incompetence in not realising there was no risk of collision which elucidated a "Sorry" from one of their more sensitive crew members!

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Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

Jimi,

As a regular racer, I would say sadly that a) and b) are unlikely, and even more sadly, that c) is even less likely.... me personally.... If one of my crew did that when I was skippering, it would be the last time they raced with me..... and I brief them beforehand on just that.... the level of abuse hurled at other boats on the water amazes me... to me it more often than not demonstrates either a complete ignorance of the 'rules of the road/racetrack' or equally as likely just plain rudeness.... in fact, rule 69 makes it an offence that is punishable in disqualification...

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Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

Had a similar experience off Egypt point recently surrounded by little darts and honestly did not know which way to go. Turned to port to miss one, starboard the next, only to be faced with the whole bloody fleet of them coming about EP bouy (obviously a racing mark for them but how the hell was I to know?) Now as a 37ft Catamaran in light airs going to windward can be as responsive as a Tesco shopping trolley I really could only let go sheets and let them come past me. Bugalugs in the lead waved his arms at me and shouted STARB'D! RACING RACING! By this time I was pretty dead in the water and could not have done anything anyway as they were passing either side of me and coming downwind.... When the little fart came alongside, in best public school english he shouted TACK ORF, TACK ORF!!! Well with my talent for polite responses you can imagine what I shouted back!
Sorry folks. If the racing fraternity wish to be treated with respect thay must behave as if they deserve it. When I can do so safely in a seamanlike way I always give way to racing boats regardless of their tack but if they carry on like this I will be much less inclined to bother in future. Sod em! *******

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Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

let's not assume that the shouting is underpinned by an expert knowledge of the rules, racing or collision. at one dinghy racing club i raced with, the commodore, a sailor of countless years experience, bore down on me with his wife/crew screaming 'STARBOARD'. as they passed, i quietly pointed out 'so are we, but you're windward boat'

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Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

I know!! Actually I was the give way boat but I was comfortably clear and in fact if I had altered course to go behind it would really have screwed them up. I just object to a quiet sail being spoiled (did'nt partic worry me but SWMBO cringes when I stand my ground) by a bunch of numpties with a) no expertise & b) no manners. This sort of behaviour is guaranteed to ensure that the normal courtesy extended to racing boats will not be so extended in the future. Courtesy is a two way road!

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lead us not into temptation

saw this lot recently. was sorely tempted to bear away and go through the middle-
race.jpg


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Re: lead us not into temptation

erm this lot were'nt dingies but 30ft + yachts sailing a glorified dinghy race in Soton Water. However the risks taken by some dinghy sailors astound me.. as a Laser sailor frequently wrong way up, the last thing I'd want to be is tits up directly under the bows of a sizeable craft!

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Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

Before I started racing I was of the opinion rules are rules and racers dont have any special rights.
However since I started racing my opinion has changed slightly. We have never had any problems with cruising boats in the Solent but there are times when you see one and wonder if they will be considerate and move out of the way. It would be very frustrating to be in the lead and have to avoid someone cruising and perhaps lose places.
Surely people cruising (which I enjoy as much as racing) must appreciate what effect they can have on someones race. If you put as much time and money into campaigning a boat as alot of racers do and were to have a race spoilt because a cruiser sailed deliberately through a fleet I am sure you would be pretty p**sed off.
The sad thing is that I have heard of people who find it quite funny to sail through fleets or pinch someones wind for the sake of it.
On the other hand people racing shouldnt start shouting at people out cruising and minding their own business. But perhaps they do because of a previous experience that makes them wary of people cruising. And cruisers dont get out of the way as they once would have done because of a race boat shouting abuse....vicious circle.
I think this is a subject with very good arguments for both sides......

<hr width=100% size=1>Its 11.59am - lets open the beers...
 
Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

Entering Aberdovey this year in snotty weather I had to pass a dinghy race, I was motoring at the point I met the fleet. I went right out to the starboard side of the estuary and still had boats bearing down on me almost to the point of going aground, when I altered course rather than be on the shingle beach I was screamed at for not giving way to sail ra ra ra, so I politely suggested they go away as I had tried my best to give them as much room as physically possible.

I was sat on the visitors mooring this year at Aberdovey. Two dinghies actually twatted Top Cat's pulpit with their booms as they skirted past, the rest of the fleet were gazing through the windows as they slid by. I could have reached out and touched every boat in the fleet. It was horrible, there was nothing I could do except listen to the odd clang.

When I stood on the foredeck and requested they keep clear I was abused and told to drop back to one of the other moorings. The only other viable visitors mooring had been dragged a fortnight before and did not have enough space to swing TC in the conditions that were present that week.

Another time I went up to the foredeck to tidy the strops and a big mouthed woman in a dinghy starts screaming at me not to leave while the race is on and wait twenty minutes. That just turned into a slanging match!

After this I now have no time for dinghy racers and if they are in my way when I have right of way they will damn well get out of mine, I will never be polite to racers again. Miserable world huh!

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>Woof</A>
 
Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

In my experience (both racing and cruising) the better racing helms are caused no problems by cruising boats as they plan ahead. It is even possible to use the presence of cruising boats to your advantage if you're clever enough. Bet most of the yelling told of here was by boats well down the pack.

It's the inconsiderate minority in the MOBO fraternity that annoy me.
This weekend I was racing the sunnysailing things out by Gillkicker (sp?) point in not a lot of wind. About 30 seconds before the start and all the boats are jockying for position on a fairly small line, so it's pretty obvious what's going on. A lot of other boats (motor and sailing) have seen this and have clearly decided to go round the end of the line and stay clear of the carnage. However two very large powerboats come racing through the line throwing up a big wake which has the effect of stopping all the boats near the wake dead as they roll around with everything flapping, not what you want right before the start in light winds! Pretty much ruined the race as a genuine competition as most of the fleet was late and slow over the line as a result.

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Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

Had exactly that, on a Sunsail SO35, drifting the last ten metres across the finish line for 2nd place. Motor Cruiser came between us and the finish line. We gybed of course! To be fair, it probably wouldn't have occurred to anyone who couldn't see the set up.

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Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

Totally agree that most of the shouting is from the back markers. I was sailing singlehanded coming from Gilkicker into Portsmouth on Sunday when I got tangled in a Sunsail race. I bore off to clear the racing mark (it was a gybe/drop mark) and then headed up to make Portsmouth entrance.

Since I was closehauled and bigger and the fleet were reaching, I came up on them through a gap only to be asked to stay clear as "we're racing". Now being a racer myself I knew that I would not take their wind until I was at least 10 boat lengths away, so I carried on (this was also swayed by the fact I was singlehanded). The guy who shouted was third from last in a 10-15 boat fleet about 100 metres from the finishing line!!



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Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

Let's start with a statement that we will always keep clear of boats that are racing - where possible. This applies to dinghies as well as keel boats. BUT:-

Don't expect us to run aground or hit someone else doing it.
We can avoid one, maybe 5 or 10 but 25 or more?
We don't know your race course, you may not either until just before a start.
Your race is not publicised and an area declared no go to others
Just because a stupid Race Officer sets a course across a busy channel is not our fault but his.
Only LOSERS get tangled with other boats. Bin there, dun that, got the silverware.
What your skipper and his pals spend on campaigning their boat is their business not mine. I have spent a fortune setting up my boat too, without any crew contribution with money or work on the boat.
A friendly wave if we have given way is appreciated. Otherwise next time we cross tacks and it's our ROW forget it. Many times I have (politely) said "thank you would be nice" and just got blank looks.
Don't expect us to think that drunken antics of race crews ashore is amusing or that it is hilarious to cast a raft adrift still tied together with cruisers in the raft still asleep.
We don't want to listen to the cockpit singing at 2am

I could go on....

Tolerance and understanding goes both ways - IMHO of course.








<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>
 
Re: sigh sigh sigh .. we\'re racing!

I was in that fleet, you were, of course, totally in the right. There were a lot of other boats around the area but none that were a problem.
One couple in a small boat that was barely moving against the tide and happened to be at a gybe mark when we arrived did look a bit scared as they basically became an extension of the mark, but when racing that's just one of the things you have to cope with. Yelling "we're racing, get out of the way" at a couple in a 20 footer when you're bearing down on them from astern with the kite up can not possibly achive anything, as they couldn't get out of the way if they wanted to! So why bother?

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Re: Start of the Wolf Rock race

Myself and the lady wife came into Cowes as the fleet was prepping for this race. "Peppermint" being on starboard and the fleet not yet being under starters orders we prolled on through em. Fine bunch of blokes acting professionaly. It does seem to be the BOFF's and the wanabees who do the shouting.

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