Racing Tips from the Archives

To mark 60 regattas, we’ve delved into the archives and come up with no fewer than four interesting and informative articles*.

They all date from the Noughties but the principles of sailing and the ebb and flow of tides remain constant so they are as relevant now as they were back then.

Which Way Shall We Go?

Co-authored by the late, great Roger “King of the Harbour” Palmer and the redoubtable, and still very much with us, Keith Walker.  Emphasising the importance of working the tides and being in the right place at the right time.

Racing in Fed Week, Tactics on the Ebb

Very pertinent. Roger again stresses the importance of tidal flow and how your strategy should adapt to wind direction.

Weighing up the Factors

Keith’s thoughts on where to position yourself on the course with real examples from Fed Week (now Race Week). And a cautionary tale to end!

By now you will have figured out that tide is all important when sailing in Chichester Harbour! The articles assume a level of local knowledge but fortunately Racing in Fed Week includes a chartlet of the racing marks (as they were then) so it should be easy enough to orient yourself. Though we now use inflatable marks the race area is exactly the same so, especially if you are a visitor, you may find it to your advantage to read and learn. 

And also observe the differences, and similarities, in boats and gear between then and now!

Finally we have the legendary Jim Saltonstall’s take on the winds and tides of Hayling Bay. Not so relevant to this regatta but nevertheless an amusing read in Jim’s inimitable style.

*All articles are PDFs and were originally published in Chichester Harbour Conservancy newsletters.

Regatta Communications

It’s a two way thing -

• The regatta organisers need to provide competitors with news and instructions. 
• Competitors may want advice and clarification from the organisers.

Communications from the Organisers

Official Notice Board

This is the place for key documents such as the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions.

It’s a virtual noticeboard accessible via the regatta website or directly at https://sailevent.net/noticeboard/zl

Notices to Competitors

Official updates that may be issued before or during the event. They are published on the ONB and promulgated to competitors by text and email.

Flags

Flown from the Race Box or on the race course. They have a lot going for them – visible, unambiguous, available to all. But you need to know what they mean. See the Know Your Flags, Know your Colours blog post here for a full explanation.

The UNofficial Notice Board

A WhatsApp group where regatta organisers post snippets of news to keep you in touch. Sign up via the ONB.

Push Notifications

Subscribe via the ONB to have significant things pinged to your phone. 

Communications from Competitors

It’s good to talk so if you have a question, need to report something or file a protest do pop up to the Race Management Office. It’s up the stairs behind the Race Box. Open on Sunday afternoon then daily from about 2 hours before the first start until well after racing has finished.

But sometimes digital communication is more convenient. You have available on the ONB:

• Protest forms
• Results query forms

Finally there’s a Contact Us form on the Regatta Information menu on the event website or simply email chrw@sailevent.net

 

 

 

Know Your Flags, Know Your Colours

Electronic communication is now universal yet in the sailing world we still rely a lot on good old-fashioned flags and for good reasons. Flags are simple and reliable, visible and obvious.

However flags are of no use unless you understand what they mean. This article explains all.

In addition to the signal flags described in the Racing Rules of Sailing, Race Week uses two sets of colour-coded flags and it is important to know which colours apply to you.

Series (aka group) flags

Each Series has its own coloured flags. They normally bear the Event letter.

   A    yellow - Series A

   B    green - Series B

   C    pink - Series C

   D    white - Series D

Series flags are only ever flown from the Race Box. They are used in two ways

• When flown over an RRS signal flag they mean that the signal applies to that series alone. For example, a pink flag over an L flag means there is a change to the SIs or other information that affects only Series C. Check Notices on the Official Notice Board on the regatta website for details.
• When flown on their own they mean that competitors in that series should stay ashore, usually because there is either too much wind or not enough.

Event (aka fleet) flags

Each Event has a coloured flag unique within its Series. They normally bear the Event number.

Event flags are primarily used as class flags for starts. So, for example, if you are sailing a Flying Fifteen (Event 2) and you see a    2    (yellow) flag flying from your committee boat then you know the next start is yours.

Event flags may also be used to indicate that individual fleets are being shortened. So, if you see an S flag over    16    (pink) and    17    (lime green) flags, it means that ILCAs and Fevas courses are shortened. Everyone else carries on.

What colours are my flags?

You can find out in words in the Race Programme document on the Official Notice Board, and in colour on the Entry List, both available on the event website. 

Key Takeaways

• Know your Series, its letter and its flag colour.
• Know your Event, its number and its flag colour.

Know these and you will know which flags to look out for and what they mean. 

Other Flags Seen on the Water

• Orange start line and blue finish line flags have a large letter A, B, C or D to indicate the Series to which they apply.
• A boat displaying a red and yellow flag is a patrol boat.

Important: if anything said here conflicts with the Notice of Race or Sailing Instructions then the latter are deemed to be correct.

A Quick Guide to the Regatta Website

For 2024 we have given the regatta website a major overhaul, pared back to the basics with no unnecessary images or styling gimmicks.

Have you ever had the frustrating experience of sifting through endless webpages to find the event information you need, like entry forms and results? We have and that’s why we’ve put these key components right up front. Specifically the Official Notice Board, entry list, entry form and, ultimately, results are just one click, or tap, away. The ONB is the place for all official communications to competitors from the regatta organisers.

And then there’s the Regatta Information menu.  There you can find lots of useful advice and background, this blog, photo galleries from previous years and the results archive. Relive past glories in pictures and numbers!

Scroll down to read about 60 Race Weeks and marvel at the way amendments to the NoR were published in those happy days.

Last, but far from least, there’s the list of our sponsors who contribute so much.

We hope the site works for you and, if anything needs adding or correcting, please do get in touch. The Contact Us form is in the Regatta Information menu.

About Sail Numbers

There can’t be much to say about them, can there? Class and sail number uniquely identify a boat, don’t they? You put the number that’s on your sail on your entry form, it appears in the entry list, it gets recorded as you cross the finish line and it appears in the results. And that’s the way it is for just about everyone, except...

Typos There are always a few, usually digits transposed, like written as 1683 when it should be 1863. Easily done but it causes chaos when working out results – what’s this new boat, what class, who’s sailing it? So please take a moment to check the entry list and correct if necessary.

Hire boats can mean that you don’t know your sail number till late on so you left it blank when you entered. Not a problem but as soon as you do know your real number, please fill it in on your entry form. No sail number = no results!

Substitutions So far we’ve been talking about ‘official’ sail numbers, the ones that appear in results. But there are occasions, hopefully rare, when, in mid regatta, you have to switch to another sail with a different number – perhaps your original was damaged on a breezy day. This is where Alternate Sail Number on the entry form comes in. Put your substitute sail number in the Alternate box. That way, when your alternate number is seen on the finish line, it is automatically mapped to your original number and you appear correctly in the results. Alternate Sail Number is available on entry forms only during the regatta.

Not sure how to update your entry form? See Using the Online Entry Form in the Information section of the Official Notice Board on this website.

Safe Sailing in Chichester Harbour

 

With 5000 registered dinghies and 2000 registered yachts and powerboats the Harbour can be busy! To avoid conflict it is essential to understand that all vessels have rights and there is no such rule as “power gives way to sail”. Non-racers have no obligation to avoid racers just because they are racing, and if two vessels collide both are at fault.

The Harbour Master has published a helpful guide that is recommended reading for all Race Week competitors especially visitors:

Rules of the Road in Chichester Harbour

Avoiding collisions and navigating safely. A simple guide to the collision regulations that have particular significance in harbour settings.

In addition, Chichester Harbour Federation, the organising authority for Race Week, publishes a Race Code of Conduct that applies to all racing in the Harbour.

Race Code of Conduct

Scroll down for the section that specifically applies to competitors.