Cruiser racing - part 2
Offshore or inshore racing, one-design or club racing –there is plenty of choice if you thinking about getting involved.
Racing – how to get involved
The racing community is always looking for more people to get involved, either as a skipper with your own boat or as crew for other skippers. The type of racing across the country varies from the highly competitive to the more relaxed, from offshore races covering a weekend to inshore races that take up just a day. There are regattas through the country which offer a fantastic mix of racing and social activities.
Here are a few of the ways that you can get involved.
Local clubs
Most yacht racing is carried out via sailing and yacht clubs. A quick look at the club notice board or website is a good place to start. There will usually be details of upcoming races together with a contact name of the person organising the racing.
Have a chat with them as they will be able to help you identify which type of racing would best suit your boat, experience and aspirations or, if you were looking to crew, those skippers looking for people to join their boat.
Many clubs have a crew register or a notice board where you can advertise your availability and experience.
Series racing
Some clubs, or a combination of clubs in an area, organise a series of races held over a number of weekends. They could be named by a sponsor or by a season such as the Hamble Winter Series held in the Solent.
The clubs will have an area on their website or a dedicated website with information about the races including entry requirements and crewing opportunities. Racing can be interesting and varied as the weather conditions change from one weekend to the next, especially those at the beginning and end of the season.
Local/national one-design
Racing one-design yachts is exciting; its close and competitive. All boats race under the same rating or handicap; so the first across the finish line wins! One-design yachts tend to group together around a club or area in order to create a sizeable one-design fleet and some boats will travel great distances for national events.
One-designs usually have an active class association and details of races and fleets are found on the association website. The RYA website has details of all RYA affiliated classes.
J24’s racing near Poole, Dorset
Regatta weeks
Nearly all regattas take place during the summer over a week or long weekend. Popular regattas such as Cowes, Cork and Dartmouth attract a large number of entries. Regattas are great fun with plenty of entertainment off the water as well as action on the water. Because regattas cater for many classes of yachts they are busy racing arenas and can therefore be daunting for first timers. If you haven’t raced before it would be wise to get experience in local club racing first. Most large harbours and ports hold a regatta during summer months.
Rick Tomlinson, Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week (Monday 8th Aug)
JOG/RORC
The Junior Offshore Group (JOG) and the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) organise various inshore and offshore races in the UK and overseas. Offshore races can be more challenging; requiring additional navigating and watch keeping skills. Some races, such as the Fastnet, have pre-requisites such as completing a number of offshore races and additional training. Both JOG and RORC have details of the races on their websites.
Editors note: I spent a few years racing with the Junior Offshore Group and it was fantastic. Everyone involved is friendly and helpful. It runs a great mix of racing combined with a strong social ethos. I learnt a lot when I was JOG racing, was overwhelmed by how friendly everyone was and met some fantastic people, including my husband!
Regional organisations
Some clubs join together to form a regional racing association which organises inter-club racing and social events in the local area. These associations are a good starting point in identifying what type of racing is run in your area.
Marinas/Berth Holders Associations
If you are in a Marina/Berth Holders Association then you may find that they organise racing amongst the berth holders. Many marina and berth holder associations have been taking part in the RYA Active Marina Programme which is helping berth holders arrange and compete in fun racing.
Training Centres
A number of RYA sailing schools offer berths and training for both one-off events and for a series of offshore races. They offer the comfort of a professional skipper and a pathway to learn the ropes whether you are a skipper or crew and put you in touch with other people.
Crewing
A good way to initially learn about racing is to crew on other boats. This offers an opportunity to learn about the racing events in your area; how a skipper organises and manages the crew and the different roles on board. Getting in touch with any of the contacts above is a great place to find a place on a boat.
Crew sitting on the windward rail during a race
Written by Simon & Vicky Jinks, RYA Instructors at SeaRegs Training
Contact UsArticle Published: December 09, 2011 11:24