Umpire for Team Racing

I‘ve volunteered the Can Opener to help out on the umpire boats at an upcoming Red Tabby Team Racing Regatta.

It’s a great way to give back to a good club and to bone up on the sailing racing rules at the same time.

Why do we need to know the Racing Rules for Sailing if our real focus is on cruising?

Team racing means lots of close quarters manoeuvring. It’s a great way to participate in what in many ways is a totally new (to us) sport – while continuing to hone critical boat handling skills. 

And if you play the game, you’d better know the rules.

 
Have you ever tried umpiring a team racing event? How’d it go?  

–Captain Cat  

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Update: The umpire training day and regatta were postponed due to icy weather. Hopefully, we’ll get another chance soon…

Update 2:  Looks like this won’t be rescheduled till next winter season. We’re looking forward to joining in then…

Team Racing

 How to hone your boat handling skills with maximum efficiency? The most learning in a few moments of your valuable time? Try team racing. 

This past weekend I took the Can Opener out for Team Racing training and a regatta with the Red Tabby Yacht Club. 

Team racing is two boats sailing together against another team of two boats. A whole different ball game from traditional fleet racing. The object is to have your team finish with the best combined result per race. 

Here’s how you win 
If your team finishes the race in: 

• 1^stand 2^nd, you win
• 2^ndand 3^rd is also a winning combination 

but 

• if your team finishes 1^st and 4^th – you lose.

Moral of the story?  
Don’t be last. 

This means you might even need to sail against the direction of the race to help out your teammates if they get trapped under a competitor ‘downstream’. It also makes for some hairy and aggressive start sequences – our kind of fun!

The race course is set up to compress the action – with short start and finish lines and short course legs. This increases opportunities to make use of team racing tactics… and means a lot of close quarters manoeuvring. Great for improved boat handling! 

If you’ve mastered the basics of sail trim and points of sail, and have already done some round-the-cans fleet racing, think about trying out some team racing. It’s a great way to participate in what is in many ways a totally different sport – while continuing to hone critical boat handling skills. 

Have you ever tried team racing? How’d it go? 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Captain Cat Approves of J80s

We didn’t go as fast as these guys – but it felt like it!  

Spent this past Saturday doing on-the-water boat handling, spinnaker drills and practicing short course races with 5 other boats and coach.

I must say that Captain Cat surpassed himself on helm. Dennis Conner watch out!

–The Can Opener

(supervised and approved by Captain Cat)
 

J80’s – Going Sailing!

We’re going out in one of these on Saturday – Whoo-hoo!

J80s. Can’t wait!

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)