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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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1st Race: Crew or Drive

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ilnadi
Captain

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452 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/12/2005 : 10:28:27

There is a charity race coming up in Oriental in September. Having never raced, I sent an e-mail to the local club to see if I can crew for someone. A few people wrote and said "just enter, its charity, this was our first race too". Other complication is that my crew (wife&toddler) are out of town. I have never raced (nor really interested in it) but it's a charity event and a weekend of food, BBQ, beer and bands, don't want to miss it.
SO:<ul><li>Do I take an offer (I saw a few) and race on a boat (probably a lot more serious than my boat would be, based on the e-mails) and gain some experience?</li><li>Do I collect a few friends (I asked around, it'll be easy to find a few more virgins like me) and just race and stay out of everybody's way

?</li></ul>
I know there is no one answer, but good advice and fun discussion usually ensues on this forum

Nadi ex-C25
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/enka
http://building-spindrift11s.blogspot.com/

Edited by - on

atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 11:06:08

Race your boat. Round up a few friends and go for it. Sometimes the guy who knows nothing has better luck than the serious people. The worst case has you out sailing with friends.

Tom.

Edited by - on

Don B
Captain

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USA
317 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 12:07:05

Race your boat! You'll have a great time. The couple of times I raced we got our butt kicked but we still had a fantastic time.

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 12:15:14

I agree with Tom, try it out. The basic rules are fairly simple but it's best to stay away from the spack at first. you need to know the following:

- Start: 10 minute countdown begginning with a yellow or white flag, followed after five minutes by a blue flag, followed in five minutes by the red start flag.

- Right-of-way - the boat on the starboard tack always has the right of way. This is particularly important at the start if you get caught in the pack at the start line.

Beyond these two basic rules is a whole mish-mash of confusing rules mostly regarding right-of-way. If you stand clear of the race fleet you will be fine until you get used to whats going on.

Enjoy

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 12:24:33

"- Start: 10 minute countdown begginning with a yellow or white flag, followed after five minutes by a blue flag, followed in five minutes by the red start flag."
Al - just about everyone now uses a FIVE minute sequence (not the old 10 minute one).
Time zero - Fleet or Class Flag (with a horn)
Time 1 minute - Code Flag P (white square in center of a blue flag) with horn
Time 4 minutes - Flag P down (with a horn)
Time 5 minutes - Fleet or Class Flag down with a horn - START!! At this point, if the RC are doing rolling starts, the next Fleet or Class flag is raised simultaneously with the 1st fleet flag coming down. This starts the 2nd sequence, and so on for each fleet or class.
Derek

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 12:33:17

Borrow this boat so people will avoid you.

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5937 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 13:13:34

If you race your own boat, be sure that you attend the skipper's meeting before the race. Important information, such as the locations of the racing marks, is usually given to the participants at the meeting, and you'll have a chance to ask questions.

I suggest you crew for someone else for your first race, preferably someone who has raced a lot, but isn't overly serious about it. Your objective is to learn, not to win, and you'll learn more from a skipper who is willing to take the time to explain things to you. A serious racer probably won't take that much time.

The things you need to learn are 1) how to start the race; 2) how to find your way around the racecourse (It could be embarrassing if you are the first boat around the first mark, and you don't know where the second mark is!); and 3) the racing rules.

Learning those things all by yourself, on your own boat, is daunting. If you sail with someone else first, who can explain what's happening and answer your questions, then when you race your own boat, you'll have a much clearer understanding of what's happening on the race course.

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 15:09:51

Derek,

Goes to show how serious we are about racing up here in the UP of Michigan. Actually our club has opted to stay with the 10 minute count down since we have new people entering our regattas a lot. From a safety and learning prospective, the 10 minute sequence gives them time to think about what is going on around them. In our opinion,the five minute sequence is too fast-paced for new racers.

We also have 22 footers racing with 25's, 34's, 40's, etc. The 10 minute sequence allows us to send the slower boats out on the blue, 5 minute flag and arrive at the finish close to the same time as the larger, faster boats. It keeps the races moving along rather than having to wait for the slower boats.

So, just in case ilnadi's group uses the old method, he has them both.

Edited by - aeckhart on 08/12/2005 15:21:29

ilnadi
Captain

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452 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 15:18:58

There is a skipper's mtg in the morning of the race, I had assumed I'd have to be there. If I got to a mark first I'd probbaly assume I was last and follow the first cruiser I see down the ICW

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Steve Milby
 If you race your own boat, be sure that you attend the skipper's meeting before the race.

how to find your way around the racecourse (It could be embarrassing if you are the first boat around the first mark, and you don't know where the second mark is!)<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
There is a bright light blue boat in our marina, I always assumed that would be the most visible sailboat. I stand corrected. Don't they have rules against looking like a CG vessel or is that a CG sailboat?

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 18:32:53

Al - thanks for the explanation. Personally, I prefer the 5-minute sequence, it doesn't give you enough time to screw up royally!
Derek

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 18:39:48

As Derek mentioned, that 10 minute start hasn't been used in quite some time. The only thing I might add is that instead of a P flag, you might see an I flag, a Z flag or a Black flag. If its a charity event, you probably won't see those, but if you have a bunch of "false starts" or over early calls, the committee might throw it up out of necessity.

grab some friends and have fun.

Nadi - I am fairly certain that there are rules against painting your vessel to look like a military vessel. Although if that boat is in an inland lake, the coast guard is never coming by.

Edited by - on

frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 18:57:01

IMHO you get some friends a cooler and you go race. Attend the Captains meeting, find out the course, lay back on the start and have fun chasing the other boats around the course with your friends.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 19:05:27

It is a private boat for sale on eBay.
[url="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/27-foot-sailboat_W0QQitemZ4567897146QQcategoryZ63730QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]Tyler Yacht[/url]

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2005 : 20:02:58

We do have the Coast Guard Auxiliary on Canyon Lake - they are a bunch of good guys and endeavor to keep those $%^&*@# jet skis in order.
Derek

Edited by - on

tmhansen
Captain

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USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 08/13/2005 : 00:22:21

I think it would be fun to take your own boat as well. To ease the tension of your first race see if you can find someone who has raced in the past to come along as crew. Lot of former Hobie racers out there.

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ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 08/13/2005 : 10:03:38

I am going to assume that pictured boat is NOT in Florida. Because in that lovely color, any occupant would be done to medium (if not well) in minutes, if they went below. Fair winds, ron srsk Orion sw fl

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/15/2005 : 11:54:58

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Derek Crawford
 We do have the Coast Guard Auxiliary on Canyon Lake - they are a bunch of good guys and endeavor to keep those $%^&*@# jet skis in order.
Derek
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Key Word there is Auxilliary Derek. Up here the auxillary is used for Vessel checks, education, and very little policing. Although they do some policing during big events on the water. Do they do that sort of activity down on Canyon Lake?

I have a feeling your Auxilliary guys don't have one of these on their bow -

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 08/15/2005 : 12:11:38

Duane - there are times when I wish I had "one of those" on the bow of "This Side Up"...
Our Coast Guard Auxiliary do boat inspections, give safety lectures and other educational things - but also do some policing especially during the Summer when the idiots are out in full force.

Derek
P.S. On holiday weekends we have the Coasties, Parks & Wildlife (who have more power than god!) and the Sheriff's department out on the lake.

Edited by - Derek Crawford on 08/15/2005 12:13:34

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/15/2005 : 13:53:14

Sometime after but still relatively close to 9/11 we had the Tall Ships – or at least 12 of them in town. The Coast Guard was enforcing a 2000 feet rule (or whatever it was) they had the m60 and 50 cals (I don't know my firearms too well, so call them Big Guns) mounted on the orange Zodiacs along with the regular border patrol boats. The auxilliary’s job was to direct the recreational traffic inside the breakwall away from the Tall ships. The fact that they had the cover off the guns plus had it manned by some 19 year old was enough to keep me away – with or without the AUX.

On any given holiday, we get Ohio dept of natural resources, USCG, Sheriff (though rare), and any number of city boats, depending on location.

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 08/15/2005 : 15:06:30

Duane - one of my worst memories after 9/11 was when I was playing golf the day after and kept seeing a vic of 3 F-4's (or some such) flying circuits around San Antonio (they would fly over us about every 20 minutes) and they were loaded with missiles under their wings. With Randolph AFB in town (home of Air Training Command), we see fighters on training missions almost every day - but never with missiles...
Derek

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