Great Lochs Series?

   All the activity around the Great Lakes series had me pondering tonight if the same could be done up here in Scotland / northern England and lacking somewhere more suitable to float the idea I thought I'd stick it on here. 

The main difference I guess is there is not a pre-made series of one day events to combine into a series so it would need clubs and sailors to put on a few new one day events probably under some sort of RYA Scotland umbrella series. Obvious starting places would be those clubs who have winter sailing allready. I'm guessing Largs, Royal Tay, Helensburgh, Port Edgar and Dalgety spring to mind but I'm sure there are others too.

So I ask those northern sailors on here (and please ask others), do you think if this series existed would you and other sailors at your club support it and do you think clubs would make the extra effort to host one day events like this as part of a bigger Scottish Winter Series? (Not that I'd have the foggiest idea how to actually organise it of course!)

Edited by KazRob - 22 Oct 16 at 11:07pm

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KazRob Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 22 Oct 16 Location: Scotland Online Status: Offline Posts: 245	Post Options Post Reply Quote KazRob Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Great Lochs Series? Posted: 22 Oct 16 at 11:05pm
	All the activity around the Great Lakes series had me pondering tonight if the same could be done up here in Scotland / northern England and lacking somewhere more suitable to float the idea I thought I'd stick it on here. The main difference I guess is there is not a pre-made series of one day events to combine into a series so it would need clubs and sailors to put on a few new one day events probably under some sort of RYA Scotland umbrella series. Obvious starting places would be those clubs who have winter sailing allready. I'm guessing Largs, Royal Tay, Helensburgh, Port Edgar and Dalgety spring to mind but I'm sure there are others too. So I ask those northern sailors on here (and please ask others), do you think if this series existed would you and other sailors at your club support it and do you think clubs would make the extra effort to host one day events like this as part of a bigger Scottish Winter Series? (Not that I'd have the foggiest idea how to actually organise it of course!) Edited by KazRob - 22 Oct 16 at 11:07pm

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 23 Oct 16 at 8:36am
	I'm sure the Great Lakes thing only works because its bottom up. Indeed you could argue that only a tiny minority of competitors even care, because very few do enough events to constitute a series. Certainly in the days when I did the big events it wouldn't have motivated me to do more or fewer of them, what counted for me was which events my class was making an effort to go to. So I suspect needs to start with one or two clubs putting on events and seeing if it builds...

Sam.Spoons Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 12 Location: Manchester UK Online Status: Offline Posts: 3401	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sam.Spoons Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 23 Oct 16 at 10:34am
	Leigh and Lowton S C (near Manchester) runs a very well attended Winter Sunday open series. I raced my antique Ent at it a couple of times in the dim and distant past and, having joined, I hope to get a few Sundays racing the Spice there this winter. I'm not likely to travel though.

RS400atC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 04 Dec 08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3011	Post Options Post Reply Quote RS400atC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 23 Oct 16 at 11:28am
	Years ago I used to get roped into the Pompey Perisher. Generally it was easier to sail the event than to survive the endless committee hassle of trying to put on a big event when it impacts beyond the club, e.g. residents, other water users, other clubs, the council etc. e.g. where can you cadge 10 RIBs from? I'd say go for it, start by talking to other local clubs, try to build a good fun event for locals. The perisher eventually died IMHO because of the admin hassle, being cancelled too many times for weather, and the fact that you can now get winter sailing every weekend at certain nearby clubs. It would be easier to make happen at a lake venue (more self-contained, less likely to cancel), but you still need a good number of people to help on the day. For the perisher, that was not a problem, the club got stuck into it with a lot of camaradery and it gave the club a focus for the winter, a great day to be involved shore side. You need some good people to create that spirit. A lot of beer was sold. But most of the competitors were driving, so it must have been the locals drinking it....

AlanH Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Groupie Joined: 17 Apr 10 Location: Scotland Online Status: Offline Posts: 84	Post Options Post Reply Quote AlanH Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Oct 16 at 10:03am
	Agree you'd base it on what's already there. So if doing a mini series in west of Scotland, it would be Sun 18 Dec Strathclyde Xmas regatta Sun 1 or preferably 8 January Largs New Year race A Sunday within Helensburgh winter series. If doing one in East it would be Sun 18 Dec Strathy- easy to get to in middle country Boxing Day race Royal Tay A Sunday within ELYC winter series. Or something at Dalgety. Ullswater would be a good alternative option, they probably have a winter series. SSI could be asked to bolster the race management/ results service/ co ordination of series. Scottish Sailing or Scottie Soup to sponsor.

KazRob Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 22 Oct 16 Location: Scotland Online Status: Offline Posts: 245	Post Options Post Reply Quote KazRob Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Oct 16 at 12:53pm
	I wasn't thinking of it being split between east and west as Scotland really isn't that big. I think 4 one day events as a series over the winter might be something people would perhaps enjoy and they may need to have alternative days in case of weather issues. Of course I still have no idea how to float the idea further. Might try Facebook but I don't know the Scottish sailing scene as much as I used to