The Round Britain & Ireland Race

[Bajansailor]

And look at the corrected time!

7 minutes between first and second place, after 14 days - that is impressive!

The results mention the first 11 places on corrected time - but then it mentions 5 yachts, starting with the S & S 34 'Morning After', with no finishing place mentioned (and they are different to the seven 'DNF's) - what does this mean?
I am puzzled, as I thought that Morning After did very well?

 

[ridgy]

7 minutes between first and second place, after 14 days - that is impressive!

The results mention the first 11 places on corrected time - but then it mentions 5 yachts, starting with the S & S 34 'Morning After', with no finishing place mentioned (and they are different to the seven 'DNF's) - what does this mean?
I am puzzled, as I thought that Morning After did very well?

The other boats haven't finished yet.

 

[Honeymonster]

There was a 3300 in our class at Cowes. Granted they were sailing a bit short handed, but when we had a couple of windy days they were nothing like as fast downwind as I expected. On VMG running in 18-20 knots we (in a 1010) stepped away from them. They rate higher than us.
Overall I’m a bit underwhelmed by them currently.

Symmetric boats like the 1010 and many of the 3600's will usually beat A-Sail boats on VMG runs unless they are ultra light displacement, which the 3300 is not. On a windy fetch, reach or bow up conditions the 3300 leave the 1010 and 3600's for dead. Each boat will have, and does have, its day.

 

[flaming]

Symmetric boats like the 1010 and many of the 3600's will usually beat A-Sail boats on VMG runs unless they are ultra light displacement, which the 3300 is not. On a windy fetch, reach or bow up conditions the 3300 leave the 1010 and 3600's for dead. Each boat will have, and does have, its day.

Well yes... But I've done a lot of racing in and against A-sail boats, and this was not good, it was a big loss downwind against boats that rate a lot slower. In contrast the J105s were either about holding station or only losing a handful of boatlengths on the long downwind legs. At no point during the week did either of the 3300s cross the line ahead of us, even in the races with next to no deep downwind legs. Closest was 90s back, 3 days were more than 5 minutes. We rate 20 points lower. Watching them sail the boat, manoeuvres etc, it seemed pretty well sailed, wasn't like they were constantly wrapping kites etc.
Like I said, with direct "match-up" experience on the water, I'm distinctly unimpressed, and the relative performance of Jangada and some really very well prepared 3300s in the RBI seem to bear that out.

I've always thought that the key to a well rounded performance that's going to win long events is not how well you blast away from the fleet in your favoured conditions, but how well you can hang on in your weak conditions. 3600 and the JPKs seemed much better in that respect on the RBI.

 

[r_h]

Well yes... But I've done a lot of racing in and against A-sail boats, and this was not good, it was a big loss downwind against boats that rate a lot slower. In contrast the J105s were either about holding station or only losing a handful of boatlengths on the long downwind legs. At no point during the week did either of the 3300s cross the line ahead of us, even in the races with next to no deep downwind legs. Closest was 90s back, 3 days were more than 5 minutes. We rate 20 points lower. Watching them sail the boat, manoeuvres etc, it seemed pretty well sailed, wasn't like they were constantly wrapping kites etc.
Like I said, with direct "match-up" experience on the water, I'm distinctly unimpressed, and the relative performance of Jangada and some really very well prepared 3300s in the RBI seem to bear that out.

I've always thought that the key to a well rounded performance that's going to win long events is not how well you blast away from the fleet in your favoured conditions, but how well you can hang on in your weak conditions. 3600 and the JPKs seemed much better in that respect on the RBI.

I find it interesting that many of the French 3300s have symmetric kites, which should help enormously in light to moderate downwind VMG conditions, whereas the British boats have opted for asymmetrics.

 

[flaming]

I find it interesting that many of the French 3300s have symmetric kites, which should help enormously in light to moderate downwind VMG conditions, whereas the British boats have opted for asymmetrics.

Yes... For what it's worth I'd absolutely opt for sym + small prod for Code + A5.

 

[dunedin]

Rather an unusual event, I suspect, in IRC Class 3 - a cruising yacht with an in mast furling mainsail got a podium place (3rd in IRC3). Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race - Triumph through guile and determination

Has an in mast furling mainsail ever featured in an IRC class podium before ? Does IRC include a rating factor for the furling mainsail?

NB. May help if only 3 boats in a class ?

 

[mrming]

No rating consideration for a furling main as far as I’m aware. And it’s unusual to see one on the podium, however a very long race with only 4 finishers in the class probably increased the chances a little.