Beginners Guide to Racing
When are races held?
We have dinghy races every Wednesday evening, on Saturdays or Sundays according to the tides and on Bank Holiday Mondays. The Wednesday races start at 7pm, except at the beginning and end of the season when the days are shorter and we start at 6:30pm. We have one race of about 45 mins, racing in 2 fleets, Trios and Handicap. As a variation, the first Wednesday race of the month is a combined fleet race series called the King Cup. At the weekends we have 3 races of about 40 mins, unless we go out to sea, when there are only 2. Weekend racing usually means about 3 hours on the water. On Bank Holiday Mondays this year we will race as a single fleet in a Sprint series. The racing programme is published on the club calendar .
What boat can I sail?
Any dinghy can be raced although we have some established fleets, e.g. RS 200 , RS 400 , Trio , RS Aero and Supernova where you can race within a class and have more fun. We also have a fleet of club boats which can be hired for racing . Please talk to our Club Pro about how to do that. Our handicap system allows a variety of boats to race and allows for their differing performances characteristics to calculate the winner.
How good a sailor do I need to be?
As long as you know what happens when you waggle the tiller, you’ll be ok. Racing is the quickest way of improving all your sailing skills and we all started off knowing little and needing more practice.
When do I turn up?
Allow yourself time to rig the boat, get changed and sail out to the race area. You’ll need at least an hour if we are racing in the river and about 1 ½ hours if going to sea.
How do I let people know that I’m new to it?
Ask to talk to the dinghy captain when you arrive in the dinghy park. He can introduce you to others, sailing similar boats, who can guide you. Ask him to let the safety boat know who you are and to keep an eye on you. They will be only too happy to help.
What rules do I need to know?
A boat on port tack (wind coming from your left, boom on the right) gives way to one on starboard tack (wind from the right, boom on the left). A boat on starboard, with right of way, may call “starboard” if you are on port and they think you are in their way.
A boat to windward (closer to where the wind is coming from) gives way to boat to leeward (the boat farthest downwind).
At a mark, the boat on the inside, nearest the mark, will usually need to be given room to round the mark without hitting anything.
These basic rules should prevent most collisions. There are many more and as you become more experienced you should learn them. A copy of “The Rules in Practice” by Bryan Willis (Fernhurst books) is a good investment or you can play a rules game on the internet.
How do I enter a race?
Follow the entry process on the Exe SC website. The Race Officer for the day will place a sign-on sheet under the balcony. Fill in your name and other details. You will need to know the sail number of your boat so that they can keep track of you.
What course do I sail?
First take a look at the dinghy course card . This shows the courses for Wednesday evenings when the races are started from the start box. It also gives a guide to interpreting the course board when we use a RIB as the committee boat. The Race Officer will write the intended location of the course on the board by the sign on sheet. (There is a chart of the river in the downstairs room and a diagram on the dinghy course card.) When you get to the start area, sail past the committee boat (orange flag) and look for the course board. If you need to, ask one of the other boats to clarify it for you. (Try not to ask the race officer, he/she will be busy getting things ready.)
How do I start?
The line is from the committee boat’s orange flag to a yellow buoy/channel mark designated on the course board. Start, going in the direction of the first mark. The starting sequence is; 5 minutes to go – horn hoots and Class flag up. For Trios this will be a flag (red white blue) like French flag. For others it is a white pennant with a red spot. 4 mins- hoot and Preparatory flag up (blue flag with white square). 1 min- hoot and Prep flag down. Start- hoot and class flag down. If you are over the line at Start time, go back over the line (carefully avoiding other boats!) and sail back through it again.
What about the nasty crush on the start line?
When you are new, perhaps you should hang back a little and cross a few seconds after the more practised sailors. That will also allow you to see what the best sailors do. Initially, try to be less than 3 or 4 boats lengths from the line at start time.
How do I finish?
The finish line is usually the same as the start line. You sail the number of laps indicated on the course board going through the start line each lap and then the race officer flies a blue flag. As you pass through the line he will toot you, to indicate that you have finished. Occasionally the line will be moved, but it will either have been shown on the board or you will be advised by a safety boat. If the race was too long for the conditions, then it will be shortened by the race officer tooting once and flying a white flag with a blue square. If you do not get a toot and believe you have finished, then hail the committee boat for advice. Perhaps you have sailed an incorrect course or had outside assistance; (you had to be rescued!).
How do I find out the results?
The times of all the finishers need to be put into a computer and our Results Secretary will publish them on the website. After you have got ashore and tidied up, go upstairs to eat or drink and chat to the sailors who were out with you in the race. They will be happy to share their thoughts about the day and you will hopefully learn about the style of races we run and make some new friends.
How do I qualify for a series?
If you just keep turning up, you will automatically be registered for a series with your point score overall being shown on the website, every week.
What else?
If you have any other questions, do just introduce yourself to anyone in sailing gear at the club and ask. They will be very happy to help…really they will. Otherwise read the Get Racing page on the website and introduce yourself to the Get Racing co-ordinator, Andy Seymour, or one of the other Fleet Captains.
Have FUN!
Last updated 12:34 on 30 April 2024