Am I the only one that feels our current event reports can at best be described as monotonous?

Rarely are boats finishing outside of the top five even mentioned, and generally only extremes of weather make for interesting reading! For the most part they are only of interest to that Class, or even worse, only to the elitist few finishing at the front of that Classes event.

I thought this one put a slightly humorous view on the weekend’s proceedings and did make a change to the norm, even though once again only the leaders were generally deemed worthy of a mention.

http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=23350 - http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=23350

Anybody got links to other reports that attempted to break the mould or felt to be worthy of a chuckle? Doesn’t have to be a Y&Y report - does it? Perhaps the worst of the worst deserve a mention as well by way of a contrast?

Try this one

http://www.skiff.org.au/States%20and%20Interclubs/States200607.htm - http://www.skiff.org.au/States%20and%20Interclubs/States2006 07.htm

made my eyes water ,

perhaps the major could embellish on the 5.9  nationals if he can remember that far back as no one else seems to be doing it

I so agree with Port End Flyer about most reports being dull, and only mentioning the same few every time.

This link will be sent off to our club report writer at once for future guidance! Hopefully they can use it for our Soling Open Meeting in October.

In the Contender class it's the 4th placed sailor that writes the report, the theory being that they see at least some of the rest of the fleet. Even then it's usually the top placed boats that get a mention because that's who the 4th placed boat is sailing against all weekend - they just don't see what's happening on the rest of the course. Maybe there should be 2 reports 4th from top and 4th from bottom?

Anyone have a better way of choosing who writes the report?

Thanks

It never fails to amaze me how our antipodeans friends can rip the sh*t out of their mates like no one else in the world, not take it to heart still remain mates, then blow the froth off a few together afterwards!

Think you're getting a bit obsessed with this now Don't forget that the association is run by volunteers who also have lives to lead...

naw jist winding , i'll shurt up , being someone wot wrotes regulilly for clubs,classes etc i gnow whit you mean . jist looking for a bit more mirth from the major fella ,breath of fresh hair in this dull existence , though i expect to projuice scribblin  of such a calibre takes time .

more power to the ole majors dexterous  digits

always wonderid about this 4th place cistern , seems pop in lots of classes , seems a shame thart poor bugger who comes fourth and has no glory has to do the scribe on those thart beet him/her , prob incentitive not 2b 4th !

Hi everyone,

We had an open meeting at my club last Sunday and after the prizegiving this topic cropped up, I don't know how it was finally resolved but I have noticed that a report has not appeared anywhere yet.  Personally, I think that it is not a good idea that a competitor writes a report.  As has already been said, competitors are too busy getting on with the racing to have to later think back through all the races as to what happened and then write a report.  It's not surprising that the reports tend to concentrate on the top crews in the final results, or what happened immediately in the vicinity of the crew who were tasked with writing the report, just because of their placing (fourth overall??).

As nobody knows what the final results will be and, therefore, who will be tasked to write a report because of their placing, surely it is a better idea to have a previously nominated person, who is not a competitor, to write a report. This person could be on the committee boat, spare RIB, on the shore (depending on the venue) or wherever, who knows what they have been tasked to do beforehand and can make relevant notes throughout the various races, include interesting incidents throughout the whole of the fleet rather than just the people at the front.  Some people would call it 'forward planning'  but it will save people having to try harder to come third or less hard to come fifth just so that they do not have to write a report.

On a personal note, I don't like to see reports that just include sail numbers and no names.  I also feel that crews often get a bad deal as it is often just the helm who gets all of the recognition. Even worse is when the crew is not even mentioned in the final results. Please can we have the full names of the helms, crews and sailing clubs in the results so that we all know who everyone is and where they are from.  I mention 'clubs' because they are often abbreviated to initials and 'B.S.C.' could be a sailing club from Broxbourne, Brightlingsea, Beaver, Bassenthwaite or elsewhere.

We all know that it is not an easy job to write race reports but with a little forethought the standard of the reports should improve and nobody is 'dropped on' just because they were lucky or unlucky enough to come fourth.

Ian  (Yorkshire Dales S.C.)

Some events I've been I've assumed that there was a professional writing the report and factored this in in the entry fee.

Seriously though, who could it be? part of the race team? Photographers mate? WAGs?

it could be that the person who finnished (insert prefered position here) in the last open is given the job of writing the report for the next of the classes open meetings. they could sit in a RIB or watch from ashore or whatever and still be given average points for that weekend. this would mean they see the hole picture and seeing as they know the people who race could include a bit of banter in the report. i like the double reports idea too.

We use the class website (which is a wiki that members can edit) so anyone who was at the event can add things they remember or correct things they think are inaccurate.

It means we get good, accurate reports eventually, but we often have to send out ones that have only been edited by a handful of members as the deadline for Y&Y etc is very close to the event.

My favourite ever event report is one we wrote by a round robin email before the wiki was being used. Unfortunately it was far to rude to make public, but the members' email list enjoyed it greatly!  

far canal it seems your causing a bit of a stir on the hurricane forum. the real reason there is no 5.9 nationals report is that there was no one there to write it

that should stir them into action

ok callum, i agree i would be realy put off if i had to sit in a rib for a report. maybe there isnt realy a perfect way to get a report. unless you have a realy keen person in the fleet perhaps there is no way round it.

Isn't the idea to try as hard as possible?

Some parental contribution for reports about the RYA North West Junior Travellers Series - latest can be seen at http://www.caldo.co.uk/llscjuniors/NWJTT_2006_delph.htm - http://www.caldo.co.uk/llscjuniors/NWJTT_2006_delph.htm

who won not as important as who had fun!

Ahhhh! That's my idea of a report: from the shore! Everything's in it: bit about sailing, interspersed with sensible dietary advice (20p for a jam doughnut, he said? And what about Anne Baldwin's "delicious homemade tart"? We didn't get any when she came to Lancing) and useful onshore tips (snoozing in the car will soon be made compulsory, I hear).

We need more reports like this one, thank you!!  

Do you think Greg Eaton has read this thread before writing this:

http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=23601 - http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=23601

 Well done anyway!

Last event in the NWJTT

http://www.caldo.co.uk/llscjuniors/NWJTT_2006_westlancs.htm - http://www.caldo.co.uk/llscjuniors/NWJTT_2006_westlancs.htm