Introduction
Club racing is run in the sailing area off the clubhouse regularly on Wednesday nights from 7:10pm (summertime only) and races on Sundays from 13:55 (April to October), with open series (for both club members and visitors) in the early spring and late autumn. Racing is open to all club members with sailing memberships. Each type of dinghy is allocated a Portsmouth Yardstick handicap by the RYA, and this is used to adjust the finishing times so that different types of boat can race against each other. All types of dinghies are welcome from Optimists to Hurricane 5.9’s.
Race Organisation
The racing is organised by volunteers, who organise the starting, and record the results. Others go out on the water in support boats to set the marks and keep and eye on the racing. The rota for volunteers is done through the Dutyman system which helps to keep track of who is on when, lets you arrange swaps, and sends out reminder emails. If you want to help, but don't know how to do it you can put your name down as assistant, and learn the ropes that way. The handicap fleets start and race separately on Wednesdays, with faster handicap boats having longer courses than the slower handicaps. The races through the year are split into series; over a series you can discard several races so if you miss a weekend it does not ruin your chances. For specific information about how the racing will be run, the notice of race, and sailing instructions are at the bottom of this page. To enter a race all you need to do is turn up and enter your details onto the entry sheet, which will be on a table in the Lookout Lounge next to race organiser, who can help explain the course and how to take part. After racing, the results will be published in the clubhouse and here on the web site in the calender entry for the series. Prizes will be awarded after each of the series to the top three boats in each class.
Benefits of Club Racing
It is a great way to meet and socialise with likeminded people, helps to develop sailing skills, means that you are sailing in an area that is monitored, in case you get into trouble. Talking to the more experienced sailors can help you quickly develop your skills through additional race practice and seeing different techniques. And finally it is FUN!
Social Sailing
Social sailing is really the use of the outside facilities of the club to allow sailing in a non-racing format. This has proven to be a popular activity as it can be undertaken at short notice alone or with friends any time outside races. The Social Sailing section on this page explains the guidelines for using the club slip, dinghy park etc outside normal club opening times.
