One month until the Supernova Nationals

by Alex Collins 2 Jun 2016 14:47 BST 1-3 July 2016

Supernova racing © Caz Hand

With only one month until 120 Supernovas descend on Llandudno, excitement is clearly building throughout the fleet! This short report is to give a bit more information on the goings on at the nationals and what we have to look forward too very soon!

With new ideas and additions to the class which is in line with our aim of constantly improving the quality of the class, the committee has introduced some new ideas and events for the nationals. Below is a little run down of these new additions to the event:

Buddy System - One of the best things about our class is the social side of things and how members are always on hand to offer advice to others. The Buddy System means that 4 members will be allocated a Gold fleet member who will be there to assist and give advice whenever needed. The Buddy System has been put in place so that anything from what to wear on race day or what to eat to how to set up the rig can be answered by a familiar face. This system is to primarily encourage those sailors who may not have sailed on the sea before or in such a big fleet as the prospect of either of these things can be a bit worrying and together the idea can be a bit daunting to those new to it.
Gate Start - With such a big fleet, A gate start has been chosen as the primary starting procedure for the event, with a standard line start being a back up option. The gate start was discussed in detail before being decided that it was the fairest and most efficient way to get 120 boats away for a race. In keeping with aim of constantly moving the class forward, a gate start will be a new introduction to the Supernova class and there will be talks and information available to those un sure on how they work. Like course changes at last years nationals, the gate start is a new way of making the racing better and more interesting for those taking part.

With a record number of boats, the new Buddy System, Gate starts and a fantastic location, its easy to see that this year is gong to be a very memorable year for the Supernova Association. With brilliant sponsorship from Zhik, Hartley Boats and Allen Brothers, its fair to say that every single one of our members can't wait to get on the water and back to shore for great racing and socialising!

The Headline programme for the 2016 Supernova Nationals is as follows:

Thursday 30 June - Beer & Boat tuning session including gate starts
Friday 1 July - Races (1pm start) followed by the Commodore's Welcome drinks (7.30pm)
Saturday 2 July - Races (11 am start)
Saturday 2 July - 20th anniversary dinner (TBC time)
Sunday 3 July - Races (10 am start) followed by Prize Giving

The race programme is as follows:

Friday 1st July 2016
First warning signal: 12.25
Number of races: 3 back-to-back

Saturday 2nd July 2016
First warning signal: 10:25
Number of races: 4 back-to-back

Sunday 3rd July 2016
First Warning Signal: 09:55
Number of Races: 3 back-to-back

For any more information on this brilliant class, please visit www.supernovadinghy.org