To race or not to race ? that is the question

awol · 2 Feb 2024

Assuming you are not intending to fair the hull, buy shiny black unobtanium sails and strip the boat of every extraneous bit of weight - teaspoon handles can be drilled for lightness, water tanks dry and a cup full of diesel will get you back to a marina - then racing enjoyment comes from the people on the other boats. Breaking into the mob can feel difficult but they want you as a part of it whether because they can beat you or because your handicap is so bent that you actually win (it's never your skill, even in OD). There are boats that you will naturally gravitate to racing against and find them in the bar afterwards to discuss the race and slag off the others. And, of course, you will go racing on days you wouldn't go cruising, your skills will improve and your confidence will spread to all who sail with you (or against you).
Have fun!

michael_w · 2 Feb 2024

No matter where you are in the fleet, there's always someone to battle with. Thrashing Charlie Arch-Rival over the course of a series is much fun.

johnalison · 2 Feb 2024

fredrussell said:
Honestly, what utter nonsense. As long as people are enjoying themselves, dare I say even having a laugh, it’s just a fun day out on the water with mates. A beer or two, a bit of banter - what’s wrong with that?

Quite so. I started with a mixture of messing about on the Broads and racing a Firefly inland. We joined a club in the '70s and did club and inter-club racing with small cruisers. We tried our best and invariably ended up one third of the way down the fleet on handicap which never changed in our favour. This was a world away from the high-tech and expensive racing that we now see, but none of us wanted to risk our largest mobile investment. If you can find an area or club that does similar Portsmouth Handicap racing, you can still have a lot of fun and sharpen your skills. there is nothing like finding yourself in a group of boats with the need to round a leeward mark and prepare to tack by lowering a spinnaker to concentrate the mind.

I admire those who do serious racing for their obvious skills, usually, but the costs in competitive classes must be astronomical. The point for cruisers is that ordinary sailing is not really challenging enough for the average sailor to be exposed to the same level of learning experience as is forced on him by racing. Another form of club racing is the passage race, where boats quickly spread out. This can be a less stressful way of starting off.

rogerthebodger · 2 Feb 2024

I have no interest in competitive sailing, I go sailing to get away from a completive live and to relax and get away from the rat race as the rats will win.

An interesting change in some ocean racing is the introduction of a cruising class in the regatta with different relaxed rules.

his is due IMHO i due to the ageing sailors who have had their competitions and are now satisfied and use their boat to relax.

On issue I have is that some clubs seem to prompt racing and ignore cruising and infect seem to use the club members as a cash cow to promote yacht racing and ignore other forms of the passtime.

There also are social members who use the club also to relax and not to sail in any way but still have to contribute to the racing

Daydream believer · 2 Feb 2024

rogerthebodger said:
There also are social members who use the club also to relax and not to sail in any way but still have to contribute to the racing

Do you not mean " contribute to the running of the club"?

B27 · 2 Feb 2024

It's about the people and the other boats.
Do you and your boat fit in?

It's great if there are similar boats with people with similar attitudes and budgets.
A lot of us get better racing in things like Lasers.
I like to do a bit in cruisers, but I don't enjoy racing at close quarters when neither my team nor the opposition are very slick with manoeuvres. Personally, having raced a bit more seriously in the past, club yacht racing holds limited appeal.
But I'm pleased it's something I've done.

It's good to have a go, but you may get to a decision point where you either want to get more serious or back off.

crewman · 2 Feb 2024

Why not see if any of the existing racing fleet are looking for crew for a race or two. Give you an idea of whether you enjoy racing and the standard of the fleet.

michael_w · 2 Feb 2024

I enjoy offshore racing in my big boat, but close quarters stuff in the Flying Fifteen is much more fun. It's a fair bit cheaper too!

michael_w · 2 Feb 2024

michael_w said:
I enjoy offshore racing in my big boat, but close quarters stuff in the Flying Fifteen is much more fun. It's a fair bit cheaper too!

rogerthebodger · 2 Feb 2024

Daydream believer said:
Do you not mean " contribute to the running of the club"?

No as I said contribute to Racing section and any other racing associated sections like the national sporting federation

I have no problem contributing to the running of the club as I do by using many of the club facilities

The club provides facilities that I use and in fact one of the reasons I joined the club (moorings and haul out facilities

I have no interest in any form of racing so I don't see why I should contribute to any Racing facilities but I have no issue with any one who is interesting to contribution. I their choice

Daydream believer · 2 Feb 2024

rogerthebodger said:
No as I said contribute to Racing section and any other racing associated sections like the national sporting federation

I have no problem contributing to the running of the club as I do by using many of the club facilities

The club provides facilities that I use and in fact one of the reasons I joined the club (moorings and haul out facilities

I have no interest in any form of racing so I don't see why I should contribute to any Racing facilities but I have no issue with any one who is interesting to contribution. I their choice

As a member one should be contributing to ALL sections of the running of the club. It is a bit like asking why the racing fraternity should contribute to your mooring & haul out facilities, or your use of the showers ( you do wash i assume) access roads, electricity, rates. & toilet facilities.
Ask yourself- If all the racing fraternity withdrew from the club, would it survive? Similarly the same for the social members. As club members, each should be supporting each other. Having a 2 sided club does not bode well for its future. If you have a thing about the racers then perhaps you should ask yourself if you are a good club member. There are 2 types of member. Users & contributors.

No different to a persons contribution to part of a nation's taxes for libraries & social care etc even if they drop dead before they get old & cannot read

Chiara’s slave · 2 Feb 2024

Our social members bring their mates along to the club on Sunday lunchtimes, watch the racing, eat and drink, and cheerfully subsidise us sailors as entertainment and prestige. May God bless them.

rogerthebodger · 2 Feb 2024

Daydream believer said:
As a member one should be contributing to ALL sections of the running of the club. It is a bit like asking why the racing fraternity should contribute to your mooring & haul out facilities, or your use of the showers ( you do wash i assume) access roads, electricity, rates. & toilet facilities.
No different to a persons contribution to part of a nation's taxes for libraries & social care etc even if they drop dead before they get old & cannot read

The yacht racing fraternity do contribute to your mooring & haul out facilities as they also use these facilities. The club has a bar and restaurant as most do and if I use then I do contribute by buying food and or drink to which the club will generste some income

The fact that I have to contribute cy club rules to the national sporting federation a separate association who provide no facilities for cruising and social members who also have to pay is to me unacceptable.

There is also a fishing section and I hate fishing as I think it's cruel to the fish but that's just my view

Daydream believer · 2 Feb 2024

rogerthebodger said:
The yacht racing fraternity do contribute to your mooring & haul out facilities as they also use these facilities. The club has a bar and restaurant as most do and if I use then I do contribute by buying food and or drink to which the club will generste some income

The fact that I have to contribute cy club rules to the national sporting federation a separate association who provide no facilities for cruising and social members who also have to pay is to me unacceptable.

There is also a fishing section and I hate fishing as I think it's cruel to the fish but that's just my view

Out of interest- Which national sporting federation is that?

RunAgroundHard · 2 Feb 2024

Try it and see if you like it, that is the best way to understanding something.

I used to race a lot on other peoples boats. When I bought my own boat I did not race as I have always preferred cruising to my own time table and destinations.

Racing was great fun and the big regattas I though were very exciting. Racing brought a discipline to all aspects of sailing that could be lacking in cruising. Hence, it is great way to hone skills such as sailing to windward efficiently.

If you are going to race, understand the handicap system and how it applies to your own boat and the boats you are racing against, giving time or taking time from you, then you can benchmark performance. For example, I tended to pinch going to windward thinking I was optimising pointing, when actually all I was doing was reducing VMG. Once I had that sussed, the handicaps started working for me i.e. dont blame the handicap, blame yourself for poor performance.

All the best, whatever you choose.

baart · 2 Feb 2024

Wow, thank you for so many comments. Joining PYRA then

Mrs co-skipper doesn't seem very impressed though that this is what we will be doing now

Chiara’s slave · 2 Feb 2024

baart said:
Wow, thank you for so many comments. Joining PYRA then Mrs co-skipper doesn't seem very impressed though that this is what we will be doing now

My co skipper is reluctant until the sails are up, nervous at the start line, then desperate to make the boat go faster!

dunedin · 2 Feb 2024

rogerthebodger said:
The yacht racing fraternity do contribute to your mooring & haul out facilities as they also use these facilities. The club has a bar and restaurant as most do and if I use then I do contribute by buying food and or drink to which the club will generste some income

The fact that I have to contribute cy club rules to the national sporting federation a separate association who provide no facilities for cruising and social members who also have to pay is to me unacceptable.

There is also a fishing section and I hate fishing as I think it's cruel to the fish but that's just my view

You are at liberty, if you don’t like the rules of your club, to leave and set up your own club that works to your own rules.
Otherwise, if joining a club need to adhere to the rules the majority of members choose. And of course you should join the committee and help run the club, then you could propose refinements to the club rules.

Neeves · 2 Feb 2024

fredrussell said:
Honestly, what utter nonsense. As long as people are enjoying themselves, dare I say even having a laugh, it’s just a fun day out on the water with mates. A beer or two, a bit of banter - what’s wrong with that?

If its a RORC race its serious and if you are a skipper and do not take the rules seriously your are menace and liability, specifically at the start line and at marks, if buoys (which is why you need racing cover on your insurance).

Of course if the start line is intimidating, you hang back till the melee has cleared, and you round marks giving good clearance - you are no longer a liability - but then you are not really part of a race. As you colourfully summarise you are just out for a few beers and some laughs - go for it.

Jonathan

fredrussell · 2 Feb 2024

Neeves said:
…- but then you are not really part of a race. As you colourfully summarise you are just out for a few beers and some laughs - go for it.

Jonathan

But what if you’re racing the other boats that are not deadly serious about it? You’re part of a race still.

To race or not to race ? that is the question

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