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Racing in no wind |
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Jon Emmett 
Really should get out more 
Joined: 15 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 988 |
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 Topic: Racing in no windPosted: 22 Nov 04 at 10:38pm |
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After sailing the last race in the 49er class at the Olympic Classes National Ranker at the weekend in no wind (we had to drop our spinnakers downwind), I have to ask the question: Why do we race when there is no wind? Surely headlines like "A miserable weekend at Warsach" say it all and isn't sailing with no wind making a mockery of our sport! Please do not get me wrong, you can have fair racing in very light winds... What I am talking about is sailing in NO wind (and there is a very definite difference!) Answers on a postcard please...
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Blobby
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Joined: 07 May 04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 779 |
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Posted: 23 Nov 04 at 1:46am |
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Because if we didn't race in no wind we would all become board sailors and the definition of no wind would keep rising to the point where it is only really worth sailing when its blowing 25knts and the sport would be dead...
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sailor girl
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Joined: 13 Jun 04 Location: Spain Online Status: Offline Posts: 1031 |
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Posted: 23 Nov 04 at 6:54am |
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and maybe we are just dedicated to our sport....and it shows skill to do well in very very light winds
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Sailor Girl, Queen Of The Forum!
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Garry
Really should get out more
Joined: 18 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 536 |
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Posted: 23 Nov 04 at 9:06am |
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Maybe its because the race officer thinks he would be hung for abandoning a race half way through? However, in no wind the race becomes a lottery and can't really be considered fair (especially if its handicap racing)! What about the 90 degree windshift half way up the beat (if you're on the right side you're away, but unfair in a one or two hour race. Or is it? some shifts are predictable given a good forecast!
I think we do tend to run races when its too flukey to give fair racing, but I think its because the sailors want something having made the effort to turn up. It will be interesting to see what develops in China in 4 years where it's reputed there is very little breeze! |
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Garry
Lark 2252, Contender 298 www.cuckoos.eclipse.co.uk |
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Jon Emmett
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Joined: 15 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 988 |
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Posted: 23 Nov 04 at 9:53am |
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Please do not mis-understand me. I am not talking about very, very light winds or even very, very, very light winds! I am talking about NO wind, and people drifting over the finish line (many hitting it) due to current alone... Regards the race officer: the whole fleet (including the 'race' winner) where shouting at him to abandond the race before it even started and throughtout the race (especially when very close to him at the finish!) Very different situation but I feel that 90 degree windshift there is no choice to abondand the race. At the Radial Nationals this year Steve Cockerill put in a protest when there was a 30 degree shift 6 minutes before the start (because you could not sail from one end of the line to the other in that time). |
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Sarah B
Groupie 
Joined: 15 Mar 04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 92 |
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Posted: 23 Nov 04 at 10:49am |
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It was a bit ridiculous, but at least you guys got more than one race in. The second sausage on the Europe course was just silly, i could have paddled quicker, and then it meant that 6 boats didn't finish inside the time limit, as the front three of us were quite a long way in front. Half the problem on our course was the Europes were on the outer sausage in a different wind to the Finns on the inner sausage, and it was probably quite difficult for the committee boat to see what was happening on our course.
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A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
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Jon Emmett
Really should get out more
Joined: 15 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 988 |
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Posted: 23 Nov 04 at 12:29pm |
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My point was we should not have had three races!!! The second race was very, very light and they should have called it a day there and then as the wind had completely disappeared.The fleet asked the race officer if he had lost his abondandment flag and he simply stated that there were three races planned... so we had three races. I have never been at a regatta where 49ers had to be towed in! The really frustrating thing was on the way out to the race course we were twin trapezing but when we got there only one mark was set and we had to wait while the course was layed and the wind gradually died. It took 40 mintues to lay the course which would have been plenty of time to have a 30 minute race in decent wind! |
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Garry
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Joined: 18 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 536 |
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Posted: 23 Nov 04 at 1:54pm |
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Bad race officer or club? Don't go back or rebook?
The trend now seems to be for there to be a competitor committee who liaise with the race officer. |
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Garry
Lark 2252, Contender 298 www.cuckoos.eclipse.co.uk |
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Scooby_simon
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Joined: 02 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2415 |
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Posted: 23 Nov 04 at 3:58pm |
How can it take 40 minutes to lay a course ? I assume you were doing updown ? Even with a Spacer in that is only 3 (well 4 as I assume you had a gate at the bottom). Surely, get the windward mark in and then lay the others as you were going up the first leg.....
Edited by Scooby_simon |
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Wanna learn to Ski - PM me..
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Harry44981!
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Joined: 26 Aug 04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 736 |
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Posted: 23 Nov 04 at 4:23pm |
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I just get on eith it when that happens. A lot of people geet really stressed about how theres no wind , meaning you drift faster than them!!! If its a series, then if its long then the results should even out, and if its only 2 days- then any one with any sense will realise that the results are no true reflection of skill. But I think why Jon is frustrated is because it was the holt ranking thinghy? with £50000 involved and a national ranking? or a squad selection event? But good race officers should know when noone will benefit from having a pointless race in no wind / 90 degreee shift. |
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