grafham

The answer is that all the big opens whether Optimists, RS or Cat upset the non participants! . Most members would accept though that the club benefits not just financially but in attracting new members etc. Doesn't stop them (or me) grouching about it from time to time!

As we are unlikely to be able to make Grafham any bigger or stop the ff’s sailing on a Sunday (Grafham may be a sailing club but it is very different from the ones that a lot of us sail in!) I think that the best way would be to highlight those areas that are felt to cause the most boat on boat confrontation and see if they can be resolved, here is my attempt.

 

1.    Windward spacer mark

Problem - Gybe hoists can be a problem as the crew are involved inside the boat and may miss boats approaching the windward mark on port that they should give way to.

Cure – Ensure spacer mark is further away (1-200 yards?) from the windward mark so separation is increased and that hoists should be complete and full control regained before confrontation.

 

2.    Leeward gates

Problem – R/H mark is starboard rounding most manuals say that these should be avoided because port layline boats have an overlap on starboard boats and therefore water to round this mark and will be requiring to gybe in the process.

Cure – Remove this mark = No gate

 

Problem – Boats on differing tacks crossing at the last possible moment dropping kites or gybing or both. Also last second changes of mind over which mark it is best to round.

Cure – This is an unnecessary conflict point when boats may not be in total control, again remove the gate, should reduce this dangerous conflict area close to the two boat length area.

 

3.    Leeward mark (port rounding)

Problem – Starboard layline boats claiming water far to late for the conditions, this is really marked when differing fleets meet, leaders of one trying to bully back markers of another!

For a boat to give water they must be given ample time and opportunity to respond and/or have boats that must also give them water be able to respond to them in time as well. There is no requirement to pre guess the situation - hails for water must be in ample time - could they be heard from half way up the course when gybing on to the starboard layline?

Cure – Have a few protests. Change the RRS?

 

4.    Clearing Leeward mark.

Problem – Tacking off on to starboard to gain clear air, then finding that they have tacked in the water of the starboard approaching downwind boats just adds to the mêlée at the mark

Cure – Put in a spacer mark, similar to the windward one, could be a on the closed hauled line (difficult to lay and adjust for wind shifts) so a reach may be easier.

 

If 1 and 4 were adopted we would basically have an oblong course - yes we don’t reach anymore but would 1-200 yards top & bottom make a great difference and may gain some separation similar to Tornado Si’s solution?

 

5       Start - finish line.

Problem - Fleets completing a lap when others are starting + Conflict over rights of way when boats are continuing racing and others trying to finish especially when in differing fleets.

Cure – Ensure the start - finish line is remote from the leeward mark, could be a reach or just a continuation of the downwind leg, would require RO to lay a differing mark to starboard or just use the existing start line?

 

6     Downwind leg.

Problem - Kite boats (mainly) not seeing (or wanting to see - especially if the other boat is not in their race) other right of way boats when kite is up.

Cure - ???????????????????????(I would like to suggest taking them out - but as Oz Man’s tale  showed no matter how big, you will usually come off worst because their bows will hit you square on your beam!

Originally posted by Major Iyeswater 2.    Leeward gates Problem – R/H mark is starboard rounding most manuals say that these should be avoided because port layline boats have an overlap on starboard boats and therefore water to round this mark and will be requiring to gybe in the process. Cure – Remove this mark = No gate   Problem – Boats on differing tacks crossing at the last possible moment dropping kites or gybing or both. Also last second changes of mind over which mark it is best to round. Cure – This is an unnecessary conflict point when boats may not be in total control, again remove the gate, should reduce this dangerous conflict area close to the two boat length area.

After sailing in many major regattas I can say that leward gates are far safer than single leward marks as it reduces the traffic around each mark.

There is no real problem about people coming into the mark on port claiming water as long as people are inteligent enough to keep their eyes out of the boat.

If there was only one mark then you would have twice as many boats trying to gybe on the mark claiming water.

Originally posted by redhotchilicat . Please understand though that you are not the only ones giving up sailing to pull a duty or two so as to continue to promote and grow your club. I

Of course I understand that and I'm not saying that GWSC has any different pressures from other clubs. I am only trying to explain in the context of earlier emails that it is not feasibile to ask the Club to halt club racing for the Cat Open and it is not Club policy to pay volunteers as one strand suggested.( re courses: The Club also has to accomodate the needs of the Residential Centre which might well have compressed the course further as a result.)

 As for the feedback, the Grafham  Fast Cat fleet will take it on board and discuss with the club how to make the event better and safer for for next year. I certainly agree with the crits  on the results  which fell below the standards our visitors had a right to expect - I was wrongly DNF'd myself!. Not sure why this happened but I can assure you that the Club will try and learn the lessons. We would hate the event to shrink  as seeing 200 odd cats in one place was quite a buzz.  

Originally posted by Worthy Originally posted by Major Iyeswater 2.    Leeward gates After sailing in many major regattas I can say that leward gates are far safer than single leward marks as it reduces the traffic around each mark. There is no real problem about people coming into the mark on port claiming water as long as people are inteligent enough to keep their eyes out of the boat. If there was only one mark then you would have twice as many boats trying to gybe on the mark claiming water.

In theory I would agree, and if every body had your experience and ability all the boats would round without problems. But some of the boats  I would guess were not at your level, for some it may have been their first open meeting.

 

Putting yourself in their shoes for the moment approaching the gate on starboard in a force 5 gust and probably sh1tting themselves, are you expected them to know that

-If they are going to end up within 2 lengths of the L/H mark they have right of way to gybe, drop and round (if the other boats are given room and opportunity)

-Outside 2 lengths even though they are right of way they cannot alter course or gybe if a port boat is manoeuvring to avoid them, and would have to make further alterations due to their actions.

-If going to round the R/H mark they are starboard and right of way boat but still have to give way to all port boats that will be within 2 lengths of that mark

-If they change their mind and gybe they loose rights whilst manoeuvring and may not necessarily gain rights even if inside another boat due to that boat being already “about to round”.

 

With just one buoy to round things become far clearer, even though there may be twice the number of boats rounding (in practice gates are never that evenly laid I have found). With a little practice they should soon learn that approaching the mark on port isn’t a good idea most of the time if they want clean air up the beat.