Words of encouragement - go racing!

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Words of encouragement - go racing!

Postby klb67 » Sun Jul 13, 2014 10:11 am

This post is a bit premature/off-topic as it applies to the DS, as I haven't raced my DS yet, but I will next year, and this message applies regardless of the boat.

Our local club has about 13 races each summer, Saturdays, starting at 10:30 or so, done by 1 or 2 depending on wind. Flying Scots are the common "big" boats - there are 3-6 of them, typically. We are a newish Sunfish fleet and 2-3 Sunfish (including me) have been showing up (I will make about half of the races this summer, and this is my first summer racing). The open class gets 2-3 boats typically - a Buccaneer, a Hunter 170 and a cabin boat of some sort are regulars. 3 boats in the same class get their own start, after the Scots.

Yesterday we had 8 Sunfish, including several first time racers. It was a lot of fun, a few of the new racers did well, and I'm sure everyone learned something. It was only my 4th race, but seeing the new racers made me realize how much I've learned already this summer in boat handling, strategy and overall sailing. It also affirmed several things that new racers should know:

1. Just go try it. Find an experienced racer to get the lay of the land and how it works, and join in. Tell the steward or whomever is running the race you are new. I would especially ask how they start the races before you go out on the water - that will ease a lot of anxiety as flags are raised and lowered and horns are sounded, since you'll have an idea of when you are supposed to start.
2. It's perfectly fine to lay back at the start to stay out of the way and follow the leaders, if that makes you more comfortable. You'll learn something to hopefully apply it next time. I started like that and in just 4 short races, now I'm at the line with a few others trying to make a great start.
3. There are lots of rules, sure, but as a beginner, you don't need to know them all, especially if your approach is #2 above. Just don't hit anyone, stay out of their way, and learn the starboard/port tack rules, windward/leeward and that you need to give room around marks if you are the outside boat. You can avoid trouble if you know those, and learn the rest as you go along.
4. I took a cheat sheet out on the boat with me of the start sequence and the possible race courses, in case I forgot.
5. Our club does a few learn to race seminars over the summer, and they have the power point slides on the club website. It's a great overview and refresher for the basics. I studied it before the first race and it helped a lot. See if your club has something similar.
6. I guarantee that any sailor who is new to racing will improve their sailing by racing.

I don't plan to expand beyond our local club races, at least yet. My next step is to get better in my DS, find a crew (wife hopefully, if the kids can go to grandma and pap pap's house) and race it locally next year.
1976 DSII - #8039
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Re: Words of encouragement - go racing!

Postby GreenLake » Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:46 pm

After nearly a decade of being a confirmed "cruising only" sailor, I effectively followed klb67's points.

#1 - I decided to join the local mid-weeks and having found out about their season opening party, went to find out more. I managed to snag crew and meet with experienced dinghy sailors who have become good friends.

#2 - Definitely did #2. It took me a bit longer than 4 races to get decent starts; learned that having good, easy to read watch is key.

#3 - Our midweek races are sailed under the IRCPAS (formerly Colregs), not the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS). However, I had read up on both before, and that paid off because some people familiar with RRS still wanted to apply them, so knowing the rules helped me understand their expectations. For the racing rules, the ones to focus on initially are the right of way (port/starboard, windward/leeward) and the rules at the mark, these are rules 10-18 (and the definitions that they refer to). The rest comes later.

#4 - Knowing what to expect at the start is really helpful. Get someone to walk you through the procedure.

#5 - The number of resources out there is near infinite. Here's an animated quiz that shows diagrams of the situations covered by the rules.

#6 - Most definitely. Once you have the basics down, of how the race works, who to keep clear of, etc., you might profit from somebody sailing with you or alongside you to give you tips on sail trim. Most racers are actually interested in helping you improve your game, because it's more fun to have skilled competitors.

I would add #7

7. The point of the exercise is to have fun. It's not about winning at all costs, but to have a regularly scheduled occasion to be out on the water, meet new people, and honing your skills. Club racing, or open "race what you brought" races are perfect for that. I'm sailing in a local open race that has no handicaps, so, the DS not being the fastest boat for the conditions, I'll have to make do with one of the last places, usually, but I enjoy the company, and having a fixed time, I get more sailing in than otherwise. And I've seen a definite improvement in boat handling, so yes, after having tried it, I fully agree with @klb67: don't be afraid to dip your toes in that particular water.
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