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by Steve Harris Several years ago, Sunday afternoons always meant sailboat racing at BLYC for the Harris family. Dad and his crew would race on Tan-Tar-A, I was typically doing race committee work (in the early days without all of the phenomenal helpers that we’ve got today) and Mom would usually come down and watch the races from the porch. I recall a story that she and Betty Snow (mother of Bob Snow on Salad Girl) were watching from the porch one day and overheard a conversation between some other members. Apparently a lady was describing to her friend how the sailboat race worked – or at least how she saw it. She said something to the effect of… “These boats all go out and sail around every which-direction while they fire cannons and put up flags and make a bunch of noise, then all the boats come together at the starting line and then scatter again!” Maybe not a bad description, actually. There’s a lot going on in those minutes before the start and, to the uniformed, the boats do all seem like they’re sailing around aimlessly. Hopefully, they all “come together” on the starting line right at the start signal, and then of course they “scatter” again as they look for their favored tack to make it to the first mark ahead of everyone else. So… what’s really going on? In this post, I will describe the signals and what they mean, but also what the Race Committee is doing at that time and what (hopefully) the skippers and crews are doing on board to put themselves in the perfect position to start. It’s a bit lengthy, but hopefully complete. Typically, about one minute before the starting sequence begins the race committee will sound a series of short horns to alert the fleet that we are getting ready to start a race. This is a courtesy and not required by the rules, but it is commonly done at most races At the Warning Signal, the Class Flag is raised with one sound. What exactly the “Class Flag” is varies. At BLYC, we typically use numeral pennants (the one shown above is “3”). Sometimes, it is a plain colored flag, or a flag with the class logo on it. Sailors know which flag is theirs as they are detailed in the Sailing Instructions they all receive. At the Preparatory Signal, the Preparatory Flag is raised with one sound. There are several different flags that can be used for the preparatory signal, depending on whether or not a starting penalty is being employed. Generally, for our Sunday races at BLYC, we use Code Flag “P” (above) which signifies no starting penalties. It seems like there’s a lot of time, but it will go fast and now’s the time to be perfeecting and modifying your plan. Remember – the goal is to start right on the line, right at the start, and at full speed. One minute before the start, the Preparatory Signal (likely code flag “Papa”) is removed with one long sound Now is when things get busy… Hopefully, a plan is in place and being executed well At the start, the class flag (warning signal) is lowered with one sound and the race has started Hopefully, you got off the line as close to the starting signal as possible but not before, at speed, and you’re sailing away from the fleet! Now is not the time to relax Get some good readings on the wind and make your plan for the upwind leg… Yes, there’s a lot going on in that 5-6 minutes before the start, but it very well may be the most important five minutes of the entire race, both for the sailors and for the race committee. I hope this helps – for the race committee volunteer, the sailor – veterans and newbies alike – and for the casual observer. This week starts the finals for the Prada Cup between INEOS Team UK and Luna Rossa Prada-Pirelli (ITL) to determine who gets the honor of challenging Emirates Team New Zealand for the 36th America’s Cup. America’s Cup racing isn’t like what we do here at Buckeye Lake (duh!). The major difference, however, isn’t equipment and training as you might expect. It is a totally different racing format – Match Racing. Most sailors aren’t all that familiar with it. It’s head-to-head, one-on-one, winner take all racing and has its own unique rules and strategies specific to the discipline. The following video is the first in a series (~ 45 min total) produced by Dave Perry & US Sailing. It will take you through the process so that you can better understand what you’re watching as you cheer on your favorite syndicate to win the Prada Cup this week. Races can be watched on TV via NBCSports. The live broadcast requires an additional subscription, but there’s typically a free replay overnight – set your DVR. Races can be viewed live on YouTube outside the US (use a VPN server), or replayed on YouTube after the day’s racing is finished (typically within an hour) February 13 February 14 February 17 February 19 February 20 February 21 February 22 by Steve Harris OK… that might seem like a silly question. Of course, the hull of your boat is the “boat” part, right? Everything but the mast & sails? Maybe? Because of some (fairly significant) changes to the Racing Rules of Sailing this quadrennial, this becomes a question that needs some more specificity. And, it is important if you are to understand the RRS and how they apply to you – particularly in regards to starting and finishing. In previous versions of the rules, both the definition of start and finish included the phrase “… any part of her hull, crew, or equipment.” As an example, if just about anything on your boat broke the plane of the starting line, you had started (properly or improperly). If, for instance, you had a crew member forward in the bow pulpit sighting the starting line and letting you know how close you were and he or she decided to look over, smile, and wave at the Race Committee (it happens), but their arm was forward of your hull and broke that plane, you would be OCS and subject to recall. Perhaps the more significant example is while finishing. The definition of finish added an additional requirement… “… any part of her hull crew or equipment in normal position…” This was more important as you couldn’t purposely do something to edge out your competitor by a couple of inches – let out a foot of spinnaker halyard, reach out over the bow, etc. – to gain an unfair advantage. While we all sailed under these rules for many years, it was, at times, a bit confusing and given the wide variety of boat designs – sprit boats, wings on skiffs, etc. – it made for some confusion on exactly how the Race Committee should call the start and finish lines. The new definitions attempt to eliminate this confusion by simply referring to the “hull” instead and eliminating “crew and equipment.” A likely future advantage of this change is technological. More and more frequently, GPS trackers and other electronic devices are being used on racing boats and being used to track starts and finishes. The new definitions will allow for those electronic devices to be mounted to the forwardmost part of the hull and, therefore, satisfy the rule without the need to change these definitions (which, incidentally, is not permitted.) It should also make it easier, at least more clearly defined, for race committees in calling the line. The front of the hull is easier to identify and at the same vertical location as the mark being sighted. Hopefully, close starts and finishes will become less subjective in nature. World Sailing offers a Q&A feature on their website. Their explanation of how “hull” is defined is below. Now, just to confuse things more, I would contend that your rudder and your outboard motor also not a part of the hull – but, then, if you’re starting or finishing stern first, you probably have bigger issues to consider. 🙂 US Sailing welcomes Terry Hutchinson and Andrew Campbell of American Magic to The Starboard Portal for an interview with Gary Jobson. American Magic recently placed second overall at PRADA America’s Cup World Series Auckland. Next up for American Magic is the PRADA Cup Challenger Series beginning January 14, 2021 in Auckland, New Zealand Visit the Helly Hansen Web Shop (www.hellyhansen.com) from January 15 to February 22. All American Magic Supporter gear items will be discounted up to 30% off. We plan to hold a couple of “seminars” this spring to review these changes. At this time, due to social distancing restrictions due to COVID-19, we are unsure when those sessions will be. Stay tuned!Starting Sequence – RRS 26
The “Wake-Up” Signal
What is the Race Committee doing?
What should the Sailors be doing?
The Warning Signal – 5 minutes to the Start
What is the Race Committee doing?
What should the Sailors be doing?
The Preparatory Signal – 4 minutes to the Start
What is the Race Committee doing?
What should the Sailors be doing?
Removal of the Preparatory Signal – 1 minute to the Start
What is the Race Committee Doing?
What should the Sailors be doing?
REMOVAL OF THE WARNING SIGNAL – THE START!
What is the Race Committee doing?
What should the Sailors be doing?
FINAL THOUGHTS
GET INVOLVED!
Most skippers are usually looking for crew and willing to take people along who want to learn
Race Committee Volunteers are always appreciated
SEE YOU ON THE WATER THIS SPRING!
Match Racing & The America’s Cup
Click Here to view the full series on YouTube
Races 1 & 2
Races 3 & 4
Races 5 & 6
Races 7 & 8
Races 9 & 10
Races 11 & 22
Race 13What is a “Hull?”
American Magic Update from US Sailing
WATCH NOW:
Terry Hutchinson & Andrew Campbell of American Magic
on The Starboard PortalHelly Hansen American Magic Supporter Gear Sale
CLICK HERE TO SAVE ON AMERICAN MAGIC SUPPORTER GEAR
Changes to the Racing Rules 2021-24
The new Racing Rules of Sailing for 2021-2024 are here!
There’s a whole of lot to unpack here, but generally speaking the changes are minor clarifications more than anything else. See the pdf file below for a summary of these changes from Dave Perry & US Sailing