When using the “O” Olympic (Triangle followed by windward leeward), “T” Triangle, “W” Windward Leeward and “M” Modified - mid course start/finish line the course board will show the letter O, T or W followed by the number of laps, 1 or 2. You do not need to number the marks on the course board or show PYC if it is used as a mark. The letter says it all.
Full Answer
May 2002 [email protected]. Setting a Course. After you have been racing a while, you will probably notice that most sailboat race courses are slight variations of a few basic themes. The starting line is square to the wind, the first mark is directly upwind from the middle of the starting line, the marks are left to port, and the course itself is a combination of triangles and straight …
• The committee boat is very heavy and the anchor line should have plenty of scope or it will drag. • The port end of the line should be favored (Up wind by 3 to 5 degrees) to spread the fleet. RECORDING THE RACE • As you set the line and proceed with the start, record all the boat numbers and type in the vicinity that plan to start.
Good tactics for upwind sailing requires you to make observations on 3 different aspects of the race course. Wind speed, wind directions and your competitors. You should aim to sail the lanes of the upwind with the strongest wind, the smallest possible angle to the windward mark and with the least amount of traffic from your competitors.
These are, in order of importance, Rule 16.1, Changing Course, Rule 14, Avoiding Contact, and Rule 15, Acquiring Right of Way. You can either aim for a …
The first step to getting into racing, like many things, is simply to do it. As you do so, however, it’s not a bad idea to ease yourself in. Take your time. Realize that if you’re sailing a cruising boat with standard sails and equipment you probably won’t be the first around the mark—and that’s OK. Over time, and with some upgrades, you can improve your chances of getting first place, or a “bullet.” But in the beginning, just go out and have fun.
All yacht clubs or sailing associations that host regattas (be it a championship regatta or Wednesday night races) need adequate insurance coverage for the event —US Sailing says that at a minimum the club or association needs a Regatta Liability policy. However if you really want to be protected, US Sailing recommends that clubs or associations have a more comprehensive program, one that will cover not only the club and its assets but the board members, flag officers, volunteers and employees as well. Chances are that your local sailing association or yacht club will have plenty of insurance, but if you’re looking to get into racing asking about the details of the policy can’t hurt.
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.