Why is racing cancelled at Cowes?

[PhillM]

Yes. Our club racing used to be "any weather - skipper to decide" but now the OOD has to cancel racing if at any time the wind is forecast to exceed 30kn. This is the advice specifically of the RYA and its lawyers. If you are th organiser of a race you cannot hide behind the argument that its the duty of the skipper to decide.

The irony of course is that 30kn for a sportsboat with no reefing is a bit more dodgy than it is for my 35 ft cruiser with 6 crew and lots of reefing.

Its modern life. You cant fight it.

Refer to previous... it’s not just the competitors that need to be considered.... mark layers, committee boat, safety boats, etc. Some of these people are club representatives and some may even be employees. There is a duty of care.

 

[LadyInBed]

Shouldn't this be on the Yacht Racing Forum?

 

[scotty123]

Shouldn't this be on the Yacht Racing Forum?

Why, there is no racing.

 

[[70521]]

I can only asume the OP was unable to get the weather forecast for the last few days.

 

[LadyInBed]

Why, there is no racing.

Good point!
Request to Mods, can we have a No Racing Forum

 

[Daydream believer]

Re: Wimps!

Racing cancelled at Cowes in what seems to be perfect CO32 weather.

there are lots of boats that could handle the weather quite easily ( day boats etc excepted) but the simple fact is that thereare a lot of numpties who treat Cowes week as a one off. You only have to watch them manouvering in a marina some days to realise that to have them whizzing around in high winds at close quarters is a recipe for disaster and somebody would get hurt
true it is the skippers duty to decide but when the red mist comes down and others start to go the inexperienced usually blindly follow

 

[Iain C]

Re: Wimps!

OP, if you were skipper of your boat on day 1 of your summer cruise leaving from Cowes that day, with an enthusiastic crew who wanted to go and show mother nature who is boss, would you have gone out?

 

[Resolution]

Re: Wimps!

there are lots of boats that could handle the weather quite easily ( day boats etc excepted) but the simple fact is that there are a lot of numpties who treat Cowes week as a one off.

I must disagree with you. The Bramblemet records for Saturday 10.00 am to mid afternoon show sustained wind speeds between 30 and 40 knots, with gusts into the mid forties. In my experience, there are not many yachts and crews capable of racing in close quarters round the cans in those conditions without high risk of damage.

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

Re: Wimps!

OP, if you were skipper of your boat on day 1 of your summer cruise leaving from Cowes that day, with an enthusiastic crew who wanted to go and show mother nature who is boss, would you have gone out?

Too many variables to give a definite answer, but..if I could avoid much wind against tide, and it was for an hour or two with an easy destination (Haslar marina, off the cuff) then quite possibly, yes. Some crew I've been lucky enough to have on board would have relished it! The passage would be educational, that's for sure! But I do like to keep expanding my comfort zone, each to their own.
It wouldn't bear any resemblance to a race though..

 

[Resolution]

Re: Wimps!

Too many variables to give a definite answer, but..if I could avoid much wind against tide, and it was for an hour or two with an easy destination (Haslar marina, off the cuff) then quite possibly, yes. Some crew I've been lucky enough to have on board would have relished it! The passage would be educational, that's for sure! But I do like to keep expanding my comfort zone, each to their own.
It wouldn't bear any resemblance to a race though..

Good answer.

 

[Iain C]

Re: Wimps!

Too many variables to give a definite answer, but..if I could avoid much wind against tide, and it was for an hour or two with an easy destination (Haslar marina, off the cuff) then quite possibly, yes. Some crew I've been lucky enough to have on board would have relished it! The passage would be educational, that's for sure! But I do like to keep expanding my comfort zone, each to their own.
It wouldn't bear any resemblance to a race though..

Well, as RTC racing almost invariably involves upwind and downwind legs, you would not have had the luxury of avoiding wind against tide. Remember that most of those involved in the running of the racing, and of course, the RNLI are volunteers. The RNLI are going to respond to a shout no matter what, so do you want to be the one who effectively sends sailors out into very full on conditions and potentially have that on your conscience if it all goes wrong for the sailors or the RNLI?

The PROs job is to give a fair race and regatta, what is the point of sending people out when breakages and injury are highly likely, especially on the first day of a regatta? Surely it's better to keep people and boats in one piece for more sensible conditions during the rest of the event? It's a dash around the cans back to the pontoon and on to the pub event, not an ocean racing marathon!

No-one said they could not go sailing if they wanted to...just no racing...

 

[capnsensible]

Nanny says it's too windy to go out, so we'll stay in and have a nice cup of cocoa by the nursery fire.

Nope and clearly wrong. All the organisers said was 'No Racing organised by us'. Everyone was as free as wee free men to go do whatever they liked. Nanny got nothing to do with it. Neither has my post on a different thread on a different subject.

 

[Robin]

https://www.islandecho.co.uk/teenager-crushed-in-2-boat-solent-collision-rushed-ashore/

 

[UK-WOOZY]

went racing after work on the thames during the strong winds and squalls and hail. was the first proper test of my boat since i got it. we came 2nd physically and won after the handicaps were calculated. though only 4 boats were crazy enough to take part.

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

Re: Wimps!

Well, as RTC racing almost invariably involves upwind and downwind legs, you would not have had the luxury of avoiding wind against tide. Remember that most of those involved in the running of the racing, and of course, the RNLI are volunteers. The RNLI are going to respond to a shout no matter what, so do you want to be the one who effectively sends sailors out into very full on conditions and potentially have that on your conscience if it all goes wrong for the sailors or the RNLI?

The PROs job is to give a fair race and regatta, what is the point of sending people out when breakages and injury are highly likely, especially on the first day of a regatta? Surely it's better to keep people and boats in one piece for more sensible conditions during the rest of the event? It's a dash around the cans back to the pontoon and on to the pub event, not an ocean racing marathon!

No-one said they could not go sailing if they wanted to...just no racing...

That all makes complete sense..although it sounds as though you're arguing with sombody else not me; I haven't criticised any decisions or race commitees, just asked questions..

 

[Seajet]

Yes. Our club racing used to be "any weather - skipper to decide" but now the OOD has to cancel racing if at any time the wind is forecast to exceed 30kn. This is the advice specifically of the RYA and its lawyers. If you are th organiser of a race you cannot hide behind the argument that its the duty of the skipper to decide.

The irony of course is that 30kn for a sportsboat with no reefing is a bit more dodgy than it is for my 35 ft cruiser with 6 crew and lots of reefing.

Its modern life. You cant fight it.

A very good point, I wouldn't like to face an angry widow and her lawyer, I'd sooner take my chances in Jurassic Park.

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

https://www.islandecho.co.uk/teenager-crushed-in-2-boat-solent-collision-rushed-ashore/

That prompts another question, (not about that incident, poor guy, but in general), I often see racers with their large crews' legs dangling over the upwind rail, is there a protocol or drill to get them out of the way in a close quarters scenario?
eg, "Port rail-meat, knees up, 3-2-1 GO! " Or somesuch

 

[Seajet]

I always had the impression they get a Chinook along - " Lee-Oh - more gorillas , other side this time please ! "

 

[Iain C]

Re: Wimps!

That all makes complete sense..although it sounds as though you're arguing with sombody else not me; I haven't criticised any decisions or race commitees, just asked questions..

Nope, I am just responding (and not arguing!) to your comment "or is it another example of the pathologically risk-averse, lawsuit-driven nanny state spoiling everyone's fun" coming from by your admission a non-racing sailor.

I've not done much yacht racing but I have done lots of dinghy racing at all levels. I was also PRO at my club on Sunday, and if we'd had Saturday's wind on Sunday I would have had a chat with the rescue team beforehand, and if they were not happy with the conditions I'd have postponed or abandoned too.

FWIW I partly agree with some of your sentiments...I've sailed my old Sabre 27 downwind and downtide from Cowes to Gosport in a F8 under about 1/4 genoa and nothing else and it was an exhilarating and enjoyable sail, and surfing downwind and down waves at 7+ knots in 3kts of tide took some of the sting out of the wind. However trying to make any kind of progress upwind in that would have been horrific and utterly stupid to be honest.

 

[dom]

Re: Wimps!

...I've sailed my old Sabre 27 downwind and downtide from Cowes to Gosport in a F8 under about 1/4 genoa and nothing else and it was an exhilarating and enjoyable sail, and surfing downwind and down waves at 7+ knots in 3kts of tide took some of the sting out of the wind. However trying to make any kind of progress upwind in that would have been horrific and utterly stupid to be honest.

In that boat I’m guessing you mean, not in that wind. Many boats would be perfectly happy bashing upwind in the mid-30s.