Data Reference 

Information useful to race officials includes speed charts, 'sailing wind' angles and offset requirements for marks when working in tide, course setting charts, etc.

Speed Charts

Available are charts for Olympic classes, Youth classes, IRC keel boats and Cowes Week White Group keel boats.

Olympic classes and Youth classes charts are in Excel spreadsheet format and are shown on the right side of this page for download.  They are continually updated as more information is obtained.

Bob Milner developed 'Speed Carpets' for IRC rated boats and keel boats that race within White Group at Cowes Week (these include XODs, SB3s, Dragons, Darings, Flying Fifteens, Squibs, Redwings, Mermaids and Sonars).  They are pdf files as as the originals are no longer available the quality is not fantastic.  They will however be redrawn in due course.

Working in Tide

It is well known that the wind a boat sails in is influenced by tide and the resultant 'Sailing Wind' can be calculated accurately.  However, the amount of tide across a leg of a course may vary considerably so the judgement of the race officer is vital.  Sailing Wind produced by tide of 1 or 2 knots at right angles to the Ground Wind (or Gradient Wind) may be downloaded on the right side of this page.

Just as the Sailing Wind is influenced by tide, so is the course and speed a boat travels overgound.  In order to accommodate this both the windward and leeward marks need to be offset downtide.  The amount of offset varies according to windspeed and cross tide.  Charts showing the offset in uniform tidal conditions when it runs at right angles to the gradient wind, can be downloaded from the link on the right side of this page.

Course Setting

This is relatively straight forward for windward/leeward courses and sausage triangles.  When working in tide in a situation where the race officer has only marks enough for one windward mark and a gate at the leeward end, it is impossible to provide a perfect beat and a perfect run on the same course without moving the marks.  An acceptable compromise is to set the course on the 'Sailing Wind'.  The Sailing Wind can be seen, for varying conditions of wind speed and cross tide of 1 and 2 knot, on the right side of this page.

Trapezoid courses offer a greater challenge.  The reference system of laying a trapezoid course was developed at the Olympics in China in 2008.  Having defined the reference point, which is in the middle of the gate at mark 4, mark layers use the tables for the type of course being set (60 or 70 degree trapezoids) and lay each mark in the position shown in the table.  Classical methods should then be used to confirm that the position is correct.  Tables for this system can be downloaded from the link on the right side of this page.

Working in tide and course setting are aspects of race management covered in the Race Management Seminars.  Click here to see availability of both Regional and National Seminars.