Start To Race!

[Boat Shows]

Hello all,

We thought you might be interested in a seminar that is happening on the 7th of January at the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show. It is called “Start to Race!” and is aimed at cruising sailors looking to take the first steps into club racing, or who are looking to get more out of the occasional race – such as the J.P Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.
Topics that will be covered include how a race is run, basic rules, tactics and how to find crew.
Top Racing coach Jim Saltonstall MBE will be on hand to give great advice, and sailmakers from North Sails will also be there to advise on sail trim and choosing sails with occasional racing in mind.
Plus on the Show floor we will have regular demonstrations of Spinnaker Handling in our sail handling demo rig, and experts will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about using your spinnaker in a race.
Tickets for the Start to Race! Seminar are £21, and include access to the Show. You can order tickets via www.londonboatshow.com use code RACE1

 

[Richard Shead]

To add we have authorised this post, as we will be sponsoring the Sail demo rig, with both Yachting World and Yachitng Monthly.

Thank You

 

[Talulah]

It all sounded excellent until I read the last line.

Tickets for the Start to Race! Seminar are £21, and include access to the Show

Although in fairness I haven't read the details about how long it lasts etc.

 

[fireball]

It all sounded excellent until I read the last line.



Although in fairness I haven't read the details about how long it lasts etc.

Yup - I thought the same too ...

Still - I take it access to the Spinnaker handling demos is included in the normal show ticket?

 

[DanTribe]

It all sounded excellent until I read the last line.



Although in fairness I haven't read the details about how long it lasts etc.

I've stood at the back of a few of Jim's lectures when my kids were attending his courses. Very good entertainment as well as informative, probably worth the dosh.

 

[Richard Shead]

Yup - I thought the same too ...

Still - I take it access to the Spinnaker handling demos is included in the normal show ticket?

Yes they are, both the cruising one and the racing one

 

[Boat Shows]

Just to clarify £21 includes entry to the Show. You would not need to purchase a separate Show ticket.

 

[fireball]

Just to clarify £21 includes entry to the Show. You would not need to purchase a separate Show ticket.

From where you buy advanced tickets

Standard Entry:
Saturday 7 - Sunday 15 January 2012
£16 any day, or £20 on the door
This ticket is valid for any one day of the Show (except Public Preview Day) and offers visitors full access to the Show.
Or, why not upgrade to a Two Day Ticket to experience more at the Show.

2 things -
1st is simple - the Start to Race seminar will cost an extra £5 over the normal advanced ticket price - and I guess more if you find discounted tickets for "normal" show entry .. but that is the choice ..

2nd - not quite so simple - the Standard Entry ticket says it "offers visitors full access to the show" ... except it doesn't - unless you're not counting the payfor seminars as part of the show .. (my bolding) which some people may expect if they haven't read the site carefully ...

 

[Sandy]

I'm a Scot, I rest my case!

 

[rotrax]

Hello all,

We thought you might be interested in a seminar that is happening on the 7th of January at the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show. It is called “Start to Race!” and is aimed at cruising sailors looking to take the first steps into club racing, or who are looking to get more out of the occasional race – such as the J.P Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.
Topics that will be covered include how a race is run, basic rules, tactics and how to find crew.
Top Racing coach Jim Saltonstall MBE will be on hand to give great advice, and sailmakers from North Sails will also be there to advise on sail trim and choosing sails with occasional racing in mind.
Plus on the Show floor we will have regular demonstrations of Spinnaker Handling in our sail handling demo rig, and experts will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about using your spinnaker in a race.
Tickets for the Start to Race! Seminar are £21, and include access to the Show. You can order tickets via www.londonboatshow.com use code RACE1

I tried yacht racing once. Did not care for it much. I could not keep the ice in my drink!

 

[Quandary]

I tried yacht racing once. Did not care for it much. I could not keep the ice in my drink!

Pathetic; I used to race against a single handed chain smoker who rolled his own and could get through three fags on each leg,(they burned away quite fast), he was far from the fastest but no one could match his dexterity.

 

[dt4134]

I tried yacht racing once. Did not care for it much. I could not keep the ice in my drink!

You were obviously racing at the wrong time of year. Try a frostbite series and if you lose your ice it'll soon be replenished.

 

[st599]

The website also mentions a club Commodore event. Where are the details for this?

 

[dunedin]

It all sounded excellent until I read the last line.

Tickets are £21 and include access to the show

Although in fairness I haven't read the details about how long it lasts etc.

What miserable meanies we are on this site. So it might cost a fiver or so over standard entrance price - that is great value if you are even slightly interested in racing. Jim Saltonstall is a really top flight racing expert so worth listening to if considering this route.
And if you can't afford £5 you are in the wrong sport

 

[Talulah]

What miserable meanies we are on this site. So it might cost a fiver or so over standard entrance price - that is great value if you are even slightly interested in racing. Jim Saltonstall is a really top flight racing expert so worth listening to if considering this route.
And if you can't afford £5 you are in the wrong sport

Charging to attend seminars at a boat show must have been a really difficult decision for the organisers and its introduction feels very much like a case of testing the water. I have no doubt its success or failure will have ramifications for future boat shows.
This particular seminar costs £5, lasts 90 minutes and is on a topical subject although those MOBO’s might feel a bit left out.
If the seminar is well attended then next year we could see half a dozen seminars. Now your boat show ticket is £16 + £30. So it’s not just about spending an additional £5 but about where the future direction of the boat show lays.
I’ve no doubt that many people will pay the £5 extra. Lots of shows have add-on seminars.
However, it could equally have a negative affect. If the ticket is no longer admission to the ‘whole’ boat show but only to the ‘showroom’ it will be seen as a pointless or expensive outing.
The individual who isn’t prepared to pay the extra sees themselves as no longer a ‘valued’ visitor but the cheap cousin. As a consequence they don’t go at all. The paid seminar now reduces visitor numbers contra to its intended purpose. As add-on attractions become more and more ‘extras’ the entry ticket price is seen as exactly that ‘an entry price’ and the boat show itself becomes devalued.

Personally, I think they’ve made a mistake in charging for the seminar. I know it brings additional costs but it’s meant to be a show, not just a showroom.

 

[Sans Bateau]

I suspect that these lectures are being staged because there would otherwise be a lot of empty space where real exhibitors would normally be.

 

[sighmoon]

And if you can't afford £5 you are in the wrong sport

Actually, this seminar is aimed at those for whom sailing is currently a past-time, not a sport, and you are right. Fact is, you can't really compete unless you are prepared to spend an awful lot of money.

They could pre-qualify people by putting the ticket price up to £500.

 

[Talulah]

What miserable meanies we are on this site. So it might cost a fiver or so over standard entrance price - that is great value if you are even slightly interested in racing. Jim Saltonstall is a really top flight racing expert so worth listening to if considering this route.
And if you can't afford £5 you are in the wrong sport

Actually I think I am becoming a member of the miserable meanies club.
When I read the details about the show I'm becoming more and more sceptical and up to now I was feeling really positive about it.
http://www.londonboatshow.com/2012/home.aspx

There is now a Luxury Lifestyle & Supercar Showcase

This brand new accompaniment is set in a stunning open-plan gallery showcasing some of the most premium, luxury brands on the market such as Hirsh diamond jewellers, Mayfair Gallery, Wayne Pollock Travel offering bespoke holidays, Clive Christian and Range Rover. Marvel at a range of high-end products from super cars, home products, leisure and health, jewellery, watches, eyewear and finance – perfectly complementing the prestigious South Hall area of the Show.

Which to me means 'a boat show with non boaty stuff to fill the space' and ipso facto can be translated to 'the boat show part of the boat show will be smaller than ever.' (This comment may not reflect reality but the perception will be there.)
The things that would have kept me coming back to the show are going to cost extra:
Start to Race £21 inc ticket
Ocean Sailing £20 inc ticket.
Although I can't see how you book both.
(Excellent to have some seminars but charging ... hmm. Jury's out. Also bear in mind these seminars are on the first Saturday only.)
I wonder how many people from these forums went back last year specifically because of the new "Sail Handling Demo". I did. It was excellent and because it was free (not really free but included in the ticket price) I went to the show.

I should add that they have only just announced 'The Start to Race' seminar. There is still time for them to announce some more.

 

[Boat Shows]

The seminar will take place in one of the South Gallery rooms, overlooking the dock and not normally part of the Show. Throughout the week these rooms are booked for various meetings however at weekends we are able to use them for special events, so we have come up with a few ideas to use them and hopefully have found a few things that visitors might like. For example there is also a seminar put on by the World Cruising Club about the ARC on the same day – full details on www.londonboatshow.com but tickets to that are issued by the World Cruising Club direct.

As in 2011 the Clarks Knowledge Box will have expert talks throughout the day, however we felt that the topic of “Start to Race!” was simply too big to do justice in the time slots available. Hence the move to a room away from the Show floor. The event is only ticketed because there is a capacity of 200 in the room (which is the largest available) and it is £5 to try and avoid the issue of having people accepting tickets because they were free, but not turning up. I’m sure that all of those who have seen Jim speak before would agree with me that he deserves better than to talk to a half empty room!

Fireball’s post also got us thinking, and we have changed the mechanism so that the seminar ticket can now be added to any purchase at the time of checkout.

 

[Boat Shows]

The website also mentions a club Commodore event. Where are the details for this?

Sadly this has had to be cancelled. Thank you for alerting me to the fact that it was still being carried on the website, which I have now changed.