Orford Sailing Club
Racing News and Results

From the Sailing Secretary

It seems to have been a windy year and we have lost a number of days racing for both dinghies and cruisers as a result. However August saw a strong turnout of youngsters again and the regattas were sailed in fine conditions.

There were increased entries in the expanded programme in earlier months of the season, with the April ‘Spring’ series seeing up to 11 boats in a race and 18 different helms taking part at some time. In the weekly racing May to mid-July there was an average of 7 entries building up from May, quite a bit better than last year. The Junior regatta had a total of 31 different helms with up to 18 in a race and the Senior regatta had a total of 49 helms with up to 17 in a race. 18 Mirrors turned out for the new ‘Presidents Challenge’. (Could have been 23 if all could have got there! – is this a record?)

The Young Persons handicaps were not competed for, perhaps through lack of official notice. But Under 25’s should note that there are cups to be had!

Unfortunately the Dickson and WODA team matches were abandoned due to weather and non-availability respectively. We hope to do better next year and maybe be able to re-introduce the junior match against AYC. But see Fevafest results below!

I intend to tweak the programme a bit more next year, with a class weekend when we can combine the very successful Mirror race with Wayfarers, Lasers, and for the juniors, Toppers and Fevas. 10 footers and Tomtits may also like to join in.

I have organised a Junior day on October 16th, and we aim to add two in early season next year, probably May and Whitsun Bank Holiday weekends.

We have reviewed the Club cups and made a few changes to match our current fleets and races and added some redundant ones particularly for the Juniors. See next year’s Yearbook for list of trophies and what they are for. Note that the Scylla cup will include small cruisers up to 23feet (7m) so that they can have a race and a trophy on Regatta day. There is a second cruising cup available if the Cruisers want another, and I have an idea for re-introducing the Utsire Trophy to involve juniors and cruisers (if we can fit it in!).

The new line has been successful, but we need to make a louder noise to reach to the far end when the wind is southerly. Hopefully ‘Relentless’ will be moved from the normal club line this winter. Incidentally Racing Competitors (and ODs ) are reminded that the general Sailing Instructions for racing at OSC are included in the Yearbook and the Bridge Manual so there is no excuse for not knowing them! Also it helps if ODs take down training flag during racing, but please replace afterwards.

The Handicap table with corrected times for every class is now on the laptop in the bridge and I hope most OD’s are now getting familiar with it. Also could ODs note that the junior races (U17) are best kept fairly short, or with short laps, as they learn more when they are together rather than spread out.

With my race training hat I can report that we had 4 mornings of junior training prior to the Junior afternoon races in August with 12,10,10,& 6 attending, and I am particularly indebted and grateful to the help I had from Barrie Skelcher, Mike Tyndal-Biscoe and from Olley, Joe, Felix and Gen. Pictures of the Stage 1–3 course, Toppers and Junior Regatta are on Flickr, linked from the OSC website. On the 15th October, two teams of 6 juniors (actually 3 teams of 2 boats on the day) entered the RYA Fevafest team races at Woolverstone and we came 1,2 & 3 out of 5 teams. Much fun and success enjoyed by all!

We are on course for Volvo Champion Club approval for next year. Already the RYA supplied Julian Pearson for an interesting Race Training day on 16th Oct and we have been promised more help next summer.

Rules Disputes seem remarkably few, with competitors shy to discuss them. I resolved a couple with Juniors but other Arbitrators were not called on. I describe one interesting dispute below.

Just a reminder to those that wish to learn that there are a number of Guides to improve racing on the website. Also Sheena Barrow has a stock of some RYA books at discounted prices, particularly good for stocking fillers! Subjects covered include Start racing, Rules, Crewing, Techniques and Tactics. You can view at www.rya.org.uk/shop > sail racing

Many of the racing results are on the website, but I am still struggling with moving Excel to Sailwave which is much smarter. I hope to do better next year.

I hope you enjoy the Frostbite season and hope to see you at the Laying Up Supper.

Chris Gill
Vice-Commodore & Sailing Secretary

Rules Dispute Resolution

Can a boat on port require a windward boat on the same tack to tack onto starboard when she tacks? – Well, yes and no.

In the example, L may indicate that she is about to tack onto starboard, but W need not commence keeping clear (ie tack) until L has gained her starboard rights (ISAF Case 26) which she does only when she is on her new proper course (ie beating, though her sails need not be full). At this point W must take action (Rule10 – P&S) but L must give W room to do so (Rule15 – Acquiring Right Of Way), and must avoid contact (Rule14). So if L has left insufficient room or time for W to complete her tack she must take avoiding action by luffing, or bearing away under W's stern. It is worth noting that Rule 13 states that L has no rights after passing head to wind until she is on her new close-hauled course.

So the answer is that yes she (L) can cause the windward boat (W) to tack because it must respond once the tacking boat has gained right of way, but no she cannot claim that W failed to keep clear because she did not tack when first hailed.

In any event L has probably done herself no favours. If she passes under the stern of W, W may maintain the port tack. If W tacks, as she probably will, L will end up in W's dirty wind or wind shadow on the new tack!

Racing Results

Spring Series 2011

Racing Results May–July 2011

Racing Results 2010 shows racing analysis by class and has the 2010 Frostbite Race results

© 2002-2011 Orford Sailing Club.  Updated 15 November 2011