Last year there were 120 odd boats and they wanted more, this year so far less than 40 have entered. I enjoyed spectating last year and I hope it works out. Mind you there will be 4 x 18 foot Skiffs to admire!

Let us hope it is a fun weekend with good sailing!

Of course that is a good point. For the classes having their Nationals at Sailfest then it is after all their Nationals. For others it is just a fun sail and a costly one at that!

Went last year and enjoyed it, would go again for but for the fact that it was 50% further for us than Itick and there is an as yet untried Bank Holiday sea regatta much closer to home.   

I wasn't trying to do a competitive A is better than B because....., just saying that Fed Week provided a 'Festival of Sailing' atmosphere, with lots of competitors and lots of different classes.

And Cherub......

http://goo.gl/z5Mz6b" rel="nofollow - http://goo.gl/z5Mz6b

With the 18ft Skiff,  Byte and ISO Nationals, handicap racing,  lots of shore side activities there will be plenty going on for all,  spectators welcome to drop in.   Calshot is great destination,  in addition to the activities centre there is the C16 castle and plenty of evidence of the former historic flying boat base.  The hangars themselves are some of the oldest in the world. 

Calshot is at the mouth of Southampton Water,  with a great viewing point.    It is Southampton Maritime Festival this weekend,  so we should a flotilla of historic boats passing the SailFest doorstep and a Hurricane and Spitfire fly past.  It will also be a busy weekend for Cruise Ships,  which certainly look very impressive at close quarters.  

Garmin will be on-site to demonstrate some of their products.

Yes entries are lower than hoped,  judging by promises various people are making looks like we will be around 50 boats.  Looking at other sailing events,  there is certainly a trend of later entries and also a yoho effect on numbers across years.  

In terms of entry fees,  not the cheapest nor the most expensive.   Important to look at the overall cost,  for SailFest we have a package of 4 days sailing, coaching from a multiple National Champion,   3 nights on-site B&B (2 people with sea views) and velodrome cycling for £371.    IMHO this is very good value.

Hope to see you all at the weekend

We are drifting down on Friday, look out for two Bytes face to face on a trailer being towed by the 'former boys' 107. Stuffed inside the car will be two lads and a wizened old man......The journey could take some time!

Good luck guys, i am sure someone else will see that as good value, but i couldn't justify £371 to my wife.  Let alone the £80 fuel.

Im sure people that attend will have a great time though.

People starting to arrive,  heading over shortly for the coaching day with North Sails and Charlie Cumberley

you'll love it.  Maybe not enough to hang your kite up just yet, but if you don't find a thoroughly lovely little boat, I'll eat my hat!

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1 ISO

2 Laser 4.7

3 Alto

4 Icon

5 Finn

Quite a breezy day in the end,  lots of tired and smiling sailors

Were available during the afternoon via the early report, now linked to main template,  sorry didn't to add earlier due to connection issues

I did enjoy myself however (as a spectator) Meeting Daniel Holman, the Massive Booterscooter clan!, Blaze 720 and others.

 

As mentioned,  as the weather changed we adapted the schedule.  It was great to see all the demo sails and people swapping boats,  with Iso sailors in Altos,  Laser helms in D-Zeros etc.  The Icon fleet giving an exhibition of the Icon Match Racing.

We were able to deliver four days of coaching,  racing,  socials, demos, activities and workshops etc,  with accommodation and meal packages to bring everyone together.  We have lessons to take on-board,  but it was great to see all the support and enthusiasm from the various organisations involved in SailFest.

It was good to meet a few of the people who hang out here and chew the fat,  even though not always quite sure which forrumite you were actually talking to.  

Back to drying out all the kit

The after sailing activities were largely ignored because most sailors were just too tired, although I know that the Booter-clan enjoyed them all!

The casual racing on Sunday after the main event had been called off may have been fun for some but the Byte class requested those races because it was their Nationals and they needed more than three races. There seemed enough space for more than two marks and the Bytes had presumed that they would have a start of their own...what a surprise when six Iso's et al piled onto the short line! A young man sailing a D Zero demonstrator called water on the leading Byte when he was not even racing!

It seemed to me that one reason for no 'official' racing on Sunday was that the racecourse was so far away. Had the course been set nearer racing was perfectly possible (as you chaps proved). Calshot Activity Centre is not a sailing club, it has a sailing facility. Calshot Sailing Club is further back down the spit and they sail local to their own club.

I think the event needed more people to give it a 'buzz' but could a lot more boats have been handled? I wonder. I do think that the Sailfest staff ran themselves ragged and made every effort but circumstances were against them.

Course area - ideally this would be close to the slipway but given the tides for the weekend,  and with some near record low waters there was only really one viable sailing area that could be used across the whole day.  

It's a sports event ... you are meant to be tired after ... but a few amber recovery drinks usually gets people going again ...

We saw sailors from several classes (including some of the faster boats) give the Veledrome Cycling a go,  also Brenda managed to take time from the race office to do a few laps.  

Other sailors were seen burning calories in the bar,  something for everyone at GJW Direct SailFest 

Thank you very much for sending the photographs, that was really kind.

The North Sails Long Distance Pursuit Race was binned due to lack of even short distance visibility in the awful Bank Holiday Monday Weather.

But given we had plenty of prizes,  a top race team, North Sails coaches and some keen sailors,  we re-invented the day into the North Sails Short Course Regatta with Cameron Tweedle (Finn) winning from Tim Keen (RS300)

But what about all the other sailors there ?,  at 11 boats the Bytes were the largest class but not the majority and two other classes were also hosting their Nationals 

Rupert. I believe in the class, I believe that if I can enlighten others it will be better for them. I feel quite Evangelistic on the subject. More than half the fleet were women who love the boat. The Hartleys father and son came down to see us with a new boat which had interesting tweaks. They are full of enthusiasim, we are full of enthusiasim, we will succeed......just you wait.....fatties!

And...surely Minisail gets the nostalgia vote? 

Gordon 

The Race Team set up station near the Meon Shore,  and for quite a bit of the morning were recording more tide than wind.  Early afternoon when we gave up on that idea,  we were able to set-up some ad-hoc racing near Calshot Slipway which had a bit of breeze,  but a falling tide so ran out of water later in the day.  With 20:20 hindsight we probably should have made that call earlier,  but with the range of boats (18ft Skiff to Feva) we had to fit in needed a big course area.

Moving dates certainly under consideration,  any thoughts on Whitsun Bank Holiday/Half Term ?

Having sailed at WPNSA last year and again this year at Calshot, I think The Sailracer team should be congratulated for trying to do something a bit different!  This year was particularly difficult with both the weather and disappointing take-up. 

We were able to treat the weekend as a superb family get together, with good racing,  though the only times I got ahead of the grandchildren was when they capsized!!!

As Simon has said, 20-20 hindsight can be useful, and I am sure he will be using that to tune next year's event.

To club sailors who don't travel very often, this could be THE event to go to, without some of the perceived issues that are associated with some large class championships.

Many thanks again to theSailRacer team and sponsors for a great weekend!

Perhaps a big inland venue would work which could support multiple courses and camping.

That's how the http://nationalwatersportsfestival.com" rel="nofollow - National Watersports Festival works, except it's obviously not 'inland' as that would be utterly rubbish....  some folks pussy out and go and find a B&B to get a decent night's kip... 

There's a new kite surf brand there this year- I've no interest in the product, but apparently the guy on the stand is a famous yachtsman from Kent.  

That looks like a proper festival of sailing ... perhaps SailFest should annex the NWF ... add some dinghies into the mix.

Then actually combine it with some bloody sailing.... I never understand you guys who go to the Dinghy Exhibition.  Why would you lose a sailing pass to trudge around an exhibition hall in North London?  Now if those stands were at a 'Big Event' e.g. Sailfest, now that would surely be a far better footfall, and also provide a fantastic demo opportunity for gear & boats.  

I contacted Allan Cross (the organiser) about running a 'special dinghy fleet' this year doing some slalom racing.... my interest wained when I realised I wouldn't actually have one (yet).  

If Rodney and/or the RS boys are reading- my idea, which wasn't discounted by Allan the way, was to get an invitational for RS Aeros, D-Zeros and Lasers (8.1s welcome)... no PY, one fleet- run what you brung.   The Aeros would have killed it, y'know, not needing launching trolleys or anything. 

Maybe 2015?  (Anyway, this isn't meant to distract or take the thread O/T... someone start a new one if there's interest, or they just want to rubbish the idea please)

I know I have grumbled about the Byte problems but the real culprit was the weather so forget about that. How about a 'Festival of Classes'? There are many small Nationals turnouts out there, FD, Europe even Ruperts Minisail! Perhaps a less isolated venue with easier courses for smaller boats, hell! you could even have the FOM!

good point.... it was a duff idea.   

Anyway, I've got my racing attire sorted for this year, something a little more action hero to match my new board.  Last year I was a Heineken bottle, bobbing along on a barn door of a thing. (That one made an appearance at the FOM once if I recall... )

It all sounds rather silly to me. Are people drunk and then sick? Do they slap each other on the back and say what fun it was? When it's all over do they go back to jobs in Swinton Insurance or Halfords?

It has been very encouraging to receive all the positive comments from competitors across the various fleets at SailFest 14,  but also the enthusiasm from the all organisations and sponsors that were involved.   Importantly juding by comments on forums such as this one and social media,  there is clearly interest in the SailFest concept.

This year compared to last was particularity challenging for a variety of reasons,  it was great to see all the various stakeholders pulling together to make SailFest a success in the difficult conditions.  

Again with 20:20 hindsight we may have done things slightly differently,  but ultimately SailFest delivered four days of sailing,  3.5 Nationals Championships,  multi class racing,  demo sails,  coaching,  shore side activities and displays,  accommodation packages and socials etc

There are various debriefs under way with the representatives of all the organisations involved and looking at plans for 2015,  so keep the ideas flowing.  

The National Fleet runs on the standard UKWA slalom rules- basically I think the kit has to be production kit (so no special customs) and there is a width limit on the boards and a max sail area.  The sort of kit I'm talking of is, for arguments sake, as highly tuned and tested as the 20 grand Merlin or latest head-tuner in the Moth fleet.  It doesn't suit your average pleb like me... it might be quick in the right hands, but it lacks comfort and control, meaning it's dead slow for someone who just grooverides around and fancies the competitive element of the NWF.  You also need to be sh*t-hot at rig tuning- slalom sails have a very narrow wind range, it's not uncommon for sailors to rig up three sets even with a stable forecast.  I'm not dissing this, in fact I wish I was good enough to participate, and who knows, one day I might be. A full slalom set up is going to set you back between £10 and £12k new, although anyone good enough to justify that kind of spend is probably on a trade deal anyway.  

They also observe a tighter rule set- mainly for safety, than tactical usage like a dinghy race.   Coming into a mark at 35 knots is not something for rules nerds to throw their crap about in.  I think a similar attitude seem prevalent in any Moth racing I've seen- they just seem to play sensible at marks.  

The freeride fleet is open to all, and all boards are welcome- anything from the 1970s to the slalom gear above if you want to spend 'megabucks', but heed the warning above, spending that kind of money is not necessarily going to result in the performance gain you might think.  Last year was won by a guy on 1980's longboard equipment- he sails inland near Milton Keynes.  It is utterly fun, but lacks the structure we would think is essential for 'proper racing' in dinghydom.  Last year I was in the water at the gybe mark- middle of the pack there was no way anyone was going to get around cleanly and on hindsight I should have held back and/or rounded around the outside... but my timing was poor and I ended up in the drink with 20 other sailors, booms, sails and upturned boards everywhere.    

So what happened?   I've been in wing mark pile-ups in dinghy events and the language is ripe, the red flags are getting pulled out of those camera film cases and everyone gets really wound up and argumentative- it's just not fun, not unless you are mentally retarded and like that sort of thing.  When faced with that situation, I've just hoped I've not been tthe poor sod who appears to have drifted to outside of all this.... you'll be up before the beak for not 'giving water'  (which in itself sounds like a Victorian medical sample.)

But at the NWF everyone laughed, we helped each other to make sure no one took a boom on the bonce, I even held the tail of one fine young women's board so she could get on and uphaul cleanly.  She had a nice bottom, does admitting that break Rule 2?  A guy I know called Steve 'popped' the head of my sail to speed up my own uphaul process.  He then gave me some pumping tips back down the next leg.  I know, I know, I should have retired... outside assistance, rule 41, but he beat me and we had a laugh about how knackered we were from it.

The prizes are donated by the industry- and the best prizes go to the Freeride fleet.  I saw one guy win a £700 sail last year just for winning one race sponsored by that loft.  He said a big thank you, but he gave it to the kid who won the U21 category.... cue jokes about no one wanting that brand, but in truth it was just a very generous gesture, and demonstrates the goodwill at the event.  

So it's a different vibe from dinghy events- which in itself doesn't make it better or worse, but it's certainly a festival of sailing.  

How can it be a Festival of Sailing without dinghies?  Hmm, you really need to ask???

 

'smocks' are in themselves fine attire, but make sure you get one with an integrated head covering.  

Oh, and call it a hoody, before someone laughs at you....

Anyway, as I said, it's a different vibe- not necessarily better or worse.  I'd imagine the 'serious racer' would probably be in National Fleet anyway.... and sponsorships are won or lost in that.    

Having come from more a Dinghy and Yachtie background,  attended/organised 00s of events quite an open opener to see how other types of water sport operate.   They have a main stage,  with music and DJ,  party games and shore activities as they wait for the perfect wind,  then short races and back ashore for more partying.  

Not suggesting this would work at an event like SailFest but certainly some good ideas that could fit,  even for those in smocks.  

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mistral-Malibu-windsurfer-complete-possible-use-as-paddle-board-too-/261572252411?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Windsurfing_CV&hash=item3ce6ebd2fb" rel="nofollow - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mistral-Malibu-windsurfer-complete-possible-use-as-paddle-board-too-/261572252411?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Windsurfing_CV&hash=item3ce6ebd2fb

 

Is roll tacking bad too?

It's bad because Paul Henderson says so, so there....  

regarding windsurfing, specifically the Kona Class, Joachim believe(s/d) that one of the reasons why recreation race boarding went out of fashion was the free and liberal use of pumping. 

They handle this through the SIs, not the Class Rules:

http://vimeo.com/99573440" rel="nofollow - http://vimeo.com/99573440