It reads: "Racecourses should be set appropriate to the level of competition and are required to be set within USSA and FIS specifications regarding the number of gates, the width between the poles of each gate, the distance between successive gates, and the restrictions applied to vertical combinations (flushes and hairpins).
Course setting is an essential tool for the ski coach. Sometimes thought of as an art or even a philosophical statement, course setting is the decisive evaluation to the goal of ski racing. Essentially who can get from start house to finish line in the shortest amount of time.
The better the field of competitors and the more important the race, the more demanding the course should be. The U.S. Ski Team coaches set for the top 15 to 30. How should one set for very inexperienced or unskilled racers? Start with less offset, consistent rhythm, and fairly open distances.
Begin with measuring For slalom, a course setter's tape is helpful to measure distances. These clip onto the gate above, then simply slide down in the direction you plan to set the next gate and go to the distance you are targeting. Look back up and down the hill to check your offset.
Beer can races allow people to experience yacht racing in a more relaxed environment than that of a major offshore race. They typically offer races on short courses. Many restrict the use of spinnakers, trapeze harnesses, and the use of twin headsails.
Sailors and clubs across the world hold casual races on weekday evenings. In the US, we often refer to them as “Beercan Races”, supposedly because back in the day you could track the race course by the trail of beer cans floating in the bay.
In a typical regatta, A Fleet will sail 2-3 races and then switch with B Fleet who then sails 2-3 races, and so forth. The scores of A Fleet and B Fleet for each team are combined to determine the overall winning team. Team Racing - Two teams of 3 sailboats compete head-to-head.
1:1610:14Sailing Explained: Starting Sequence and Rules - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you're not in the starting fleet you should keep well clear of the starting area at the four-MoreIf you're not in the starting fleet you should keep well clear of the starting area at the four-minute mark another flag is raised in the cave which starting rule will be used to start the race.
A regatta is simply a series of short sailboat races, typically anywhere from 5 to 20. It is either one or two days long and held on a weekend. High school sailors compete as 4-person teams, with one 2-person crew sailing in the A division and one 2-person crew sailing in the B division.
As racing boats have developed overtime thanks to improved technology, they have become wider while remaining easy and quick to steer, meaning that dual steering is also needed to maximise the visibility over either side of the ship and to fully see the sails' reaction to the wind.
Generally speaking, a boat that breaks a rule (or doesn't race) is scored as if it finished “last place plus one”. If there are 10 boats in the regatta, you'd normally expect the scores to be 1 point (for the first place boat) to 10 points (for the last place boat).
The start sequence is the procedure by which a grand prix is started. Once the grid has formed following the formation lap, and the medical car is in position at the back of the grid, the race director, from a control box looking out over the grid, initiates the sequence.
This is called the "windward" mark, and it forces the competitors to start to windward and tack up the first leg, creating close racing. Depending on the type of course you are sailing, the next mark will be either a "jibe" mark or a "leeward" mark.
5 tips: getting a good start – and the 60 seconds after thatThe final tack onto the line. Potentially there is no more important tack in a race than the final tack onto starboard out of the port approach. ... Control out of the tack. ... Momentum and speed build. ... Mode off the line. ... Hiking for speed.
Finally there is a relatively cheap and easy-to-use device for getting leg lengths for setting courses! The answer in my humble opinion is the Gerber Mini GPS Track Back Device for around $100. It is small, portable and very easy to use. Note, no endorsement is provided for this device, but it is worth considering.
Note: Works with most phones, but Smartphone with GPS is best for accurate positions. Allow 6 seconds to hone in. Enter the Lat Long for the Reference Location Mark 3 or Mark 4 (for Trapezoid) or use the Geolocation Tool set it for your location when you are at the mark. Once the options have been entered a map will be displayed.
The aim of this Web App is to provide tools to help race officers set up yacht race courses. While there is a vast array of information and guides for setting courses, most rely on complex tables to get the bearings and back-bearings for the buoy locations for triangle, trapezoid and other options.
Shown above are the bearings and back-bearings for a Triangle course set at a 60 degree angle. The windward direction has been entered as 170 degrees, with a 5 degree bias to starboard. If the angles are right all legs are equidistant.
A Tapezoid Universal option is available for Trapezoid Courses. Users need to enter the windward direction and bias if applied. The reach angle must be specified. The distances for the Reach and Outer Beat need to be entered as percentages of the Inner Beat length. The pre-filled pages are easier to use.
In the Triangle Lat Long example shown above, the Windward direction is 90 degrees with no bias. The 'Myloc' button has been clicked and the blue color of the 'Lat' & 'Long' labels has changed to blue and the message below shows 'Location loaded OK'. The 'Myloc' button is now green.
In the Trapezoid Lat Long example, shown above, the Windward direction is 90 degrees with no bias. The reach angle is 60 degrees. The 'Myloc' button has not be clicked and the lat long for the reference point (Mark 3) has been entered. The distances for the Inner and Outer Beats and the Reach have all been set as 1000 m.