Bang & Back

Originally posted by Stefan Lloyd I get racing and I get sailing for fun. I don't get "light-hearted racing". What's the point? You race to win, don't you? So in this event, if I deliberately capsize, is that cheating? What if I'm just incompetent and capsize anyway. Is that OK? How can you tell the difference? What about not hiking hard? Is that cheating? What if I say I'm a lazy *** and I never hike hard? Would it be OK then? What if I tack on the lifts instead of the headers? Is that cheating? How does anyone else know anyway. What if I don't tack on windshifts at all? Is that cheating? Good luck writing your SIs - and enforcing them.

Come on Stefan lighten up - do you mean you will not take part in a race if you don't think you will win it?

Personally speaking all the downsides you have mentioned just add to the entertainment...

You have described loads of things that you would do to go slow whilst somebody finished the first lap - then clearly you would sail as fast as possible back to the line after the bang wouldn't you...and so would everybody else which is half the entertainment value for the spectators.

You could try to eliminate this by stating in the SIs that boats must be sailed in the same fashion in both outward and return legs.  Any boat caught using unsporting tactics will be disqualified.

The big problem I see is making sure somebody does the first lap as fast as possible - and I think the best way to do it is to give the first boat to the line a shorter course home - or 10minute correction to their finishing time.

Also I would suggest all boats would have to get around a minimum of two marks to qualify for the results...that will result in wonderful chaos as everyone tries to go back round the two marks to the finish.

have fun!

Originally posted by Blobby Come on Stefan lighten up - do you mean you will not take part in a race if you don't think you will win it?

Of course not. But I wouldn't enter one and not try my best to win it. I'd rather just go out and sail.

We are lucky in sailing to have a pretty clear set of rules. It takes effort to learn them but if you do, there are not many grey areas. You are either following the rules or breaking them. That's not true in all competitive activities I can think of and it causes a lot of grief and not infrequently, ill-feeling. What I don't much like about this proposed event is that there seem to be huge grey areas and a lot of subjectivity in what might or might not be cheating.

Am I over-reacting? Well to some extent this is a discussion forum and I try to keep things interesting - or at least what I find interesting. But I do genuinely think you should either compete seriously or sail for fun. I think "fun race" is an oxymoron.

 

Just a thought but if you set everyone off with a downwind start towards a large gate, add a 10% position penalty for anyone sailing in the wrong direction for the first half of the race, capsizing, trailing legs ropes etc or other rule infringements and then do the bang after a set time when everyone then has to race back to the start as quickly as possible. This would test ability to sail slowly as well as quickly. I wouldn't worry about handicap as it would be too compicated to use. Just a fun race that tests boat handling etc. I'm not sure I would take prize giving too seriously, perhaps just give everyone who finishes a completion certificate.

Course it isn't an oxymoron - well, at least it shouldn't be.  If it stops being fun, stop.  That goes for any type of racing.

Having said that, the "reverse" race does seem a bit pointless.

We're due to have our annual ladies and gentlemans races soon - special SIs include:

A boat helmed by a lady (and we do give the benefit of doubt in determining whether a female helm is a lady or not) ALWAYS has right of way over a boat helmed by a man (gentle or not)

Any man finishing with a corrected time faster than the first lady is disqualified withoout a hearing!