Upwind/downwind right of way

This is a good debate although in my mind I have a recolection that we've discussed all of this before. Indeed it even spurred Andy Rice to highlight it in his Roll Tacks column 3-4 years ago.

I think race officers with a bit of experience can avoid these problems, although the restrictions on some inland waters does make life difficult. At larger opens such as the 9er inlands its a question of timings. Regarding gates, they tend to cause more problems than they solve especially when they are halfway down the course. The approach used in the Olympics where the gate only exists as the leeward marks makes for a much safer piece of water.

With handicap races with a mix of assy, sym and non spinnaker boats you need a good race officer, and you need to be looking a long way ahead to spot potential problems, typically though handicap courses (that I've sailed) tend to force you one way, ie left down the run, and everyone is going the same way and its predictable, bar the occasional crossing of legs somewhere.

The worst cases are where multi-class open meetings are taking place on the same windward leeward course where competitors split across the entire sailing area so no predictability and varied boat speeds.

So to conclude my ramblings dont run multi-class open meetings on the same course and make sure the courses dont overlap. Difficult I know, but it solves the problems.

If, as you say, "Skiffs aren't dangerous", then what is the issue? The bottom line is in any powered up asymmetric in a breeze you are not in control. You get a gust you go downwind. You have no choice. Now that just isn't safe in my opinion.

I sail an asymmetric vortex and I'm very conscious of how dangerous things can be on cramped water with mixed craft. I took the spinnaker down the other day as I just didn't feel it was safe to sail over the top of a Thames barge in a gusty force 5!

I've sailed at grafham in their asymmetric fleet and It just isn't safe, heading downwind in a blow against fleets of lasers and flying 15s coming back the other way. Just a matter of time before one of these situations goes horribly wrong.

Should the rules change? I don't know. Would it make a difference? Downwind gates are definitely a bad idea, perhaps their should be a rule stating you should NOT sail through the startline downwind and have it as an upwind gate only, at least that gives some seperation.

Me, I'm probably going back to an non asymmetric (anyone got a decent Contender for sale??), at least you've got some control and some visibility with only one sail.

 

The Ovi inlands can be a bit of a nightmare!

I dont think you can change the rules, as the lad in the 4.7 said earlier, whats stopping Assy's  flying round the downwind leg screaming for water!  I think the issue with mixed skiff events is there should not be a downhill gate. FACT

Sorry if I sounded a bit blunt about this, but I feel when a club is running a multi class event they should always consider what happens if one fleet completes a lap before the other fleet has started. Also having fleets or boats meeting at onepoint on the course from differnet directions is never a good idea.

This can be done by having a start line that is not part of the course after the start. I appreciate at some inland clubs space is limited and this is not always possible.