Race Training for Beginners
(Single Handed and Crewed)

The WOSC 2007 Programme of Events shows five Saturdays (21st April, 12th May, 9th June, 14th July and 18th August) where Race Training for Beginners (Single Handed and Crewed) is run as part of Saturday sailing and two days (Saturday 1st September and Sunday 16th September) as Race Days for Novices. The purpose of this article is to provide some background and to encourage you to participate.

WOSC is a great place for cruising, either alone or with the family, enjoying the fresh air and the peace of the countryside. It a relatively safe environment with no tides or currents and if bad weather blows up, it doesn't take that long to reach a bank and safety. So at WOSC, lack of sailing skills aren't life threatening and its therefore a great place for beginners. If you travel further a field to larger lakes or the sea, risks will be greater and your skill will be more important. Skill comes with experience and practice. One way of improving your skill is to race against others.

The first thing I realized when I started racing is that you get much closer to other boats than you do when cruising and people shout at you. It is therefore important to understand the sailing rules and how to keep out of trouble. The next thing you realize is that everyone else is so much faster than you. Race Training for Beginners is about starting you on the route to improvement. It won't turn you into Ben Ainslie overnight but it should provide some pointers and we hope it will be enjoyable.

What will we do?

The main purpose of the day is to have fun. It is not a boot camp!

Participants should be changed and have their boats prepared for going on the water by 13.00. We will start with a session in the club house on topics such as the sailing rules, boat handling, how to get boat speed and race strategy. I would aim to have us out on the water by 13.30.

For each session, I will set a triangular course at one end of the lake, leaving the rest of the lake for cruising members. The triangular course should give, if the wind direction doesn't change, a beat with the chance to practice tacking, two reaches and a gybe. Sailing round the course will give you the opportunity to practice these key skills. Experienced sailors will be on the water in one of the safety boats to shout at you and if we can, to give advice. From time to time and depending on the weather, we might try sailing in formation, stopping at a mark and roll tacking. If there is demand, we could try capsize practice!

We would have a break at around 14.30 for a cup of tea and a chat and then go back out on the water at 15.00 for some short races around the triangular course. The races would be organised along the lines of pursuit racing which means that you would not all start together (less intimidating) and I can tailor the handicapping to the boats and your skills on the day. I would aim to finish the racing at around 16.30

Answers to Questions from last Year

Can anyone join in? Yes, single handed and crewed boats are equally welcome. However, if the numbers are too great (greater than ~20 boats) I may have to think about changing the arrangements on safety grounds.

Is there an age limit? No. Over 70's are just as welcome as under 10's. However, I do expect every helm to know enough about sailing to be able to sail a triangular course (i.e. to be able to tack and gybe but not necessarily be good at them)

What does it cost? Nothing

Can I join in part way through the afternoon? Yes, but you could miss out on the theme of the day. Attend as many as you wish. This is not a formal training course with a set content. It is provided to help you to improve your sailing skills, suggest things that you could do at other times to practice and to introduce you to racing.

Do I have to attend all 5 sessions? No.

What if the weathers bad? We will sit in the club house and talk about sailing!

What if I don't have a boat? Club boats [ Wayfarers, Lasers and Toppers] will be available (Note that the Wayfarers are not available on weekends when the RYA Training course is running). Book early, it may be popular.

What if I don't have a crew? Let me know and I will see what can be arranged.

If you would like to get an introduction to racing by crewing, please let me know. There are always opportunities in crewed boats.

Do I have to sailing in the training sessions to compete on the novice race days? No, but don't forget that practice makes perfect!

What defines a novice? My decision on the day of the races. I will control the handicap system on the day so I guarantee that experienced sailors will not win!

If you have any other questions, please email me or better still, see me at the club on a Sunday in between the races.

John Ward (Commodore)