RACING
Come Join Us!
Racing is a truly wonderful way to learn the art of sailing and, with the South Winds Sailing Club, is a casual affair that everyone can enjoy. Granted, you can definitely enjoy raising some Dacron and gliding across the water on a beautiful day but randomly bouncing around the lake will only get you so far.
Racing, with a set of navigational buoys defining a course you sail around and other boats to compete with, will enhance your skill and confidence in sailing more than you would believe. This translates into more fun and comfort when randomly sailing around and/or cruising on some beautiful waters. So, please consider joining us for some great fun this year or, at least, ask one of the racing club members to buy you a drink and answer your questions about racing. See you on the lake!
Fleet Structure
As in the past, we will be racing an "A" fleet and a "B" fleet. The "A" fleet is composed of the more experienced racers or those who just think they are. While still a friendly bunch, expect to hear the word "STARBOARD!" yelled at you followed by an evil chuckle. The "B" fleet is ideal for those who are new to racing and/or not wanting to have "STARBOARD" yelled at them with any frequency. A great place to learn racing especially since, not being a competitor, the "A" fleet skippers will be more than willing to give you great advice.
At the Southwinds Sailing Club we give you more than a pat on the back when you do well on a race. Yes, you get a beautiful plaque or trophy to proudly display on your wall or shelf! For the special races run during the year, like the 4th of July race or Turtle Rock, all fleets are combined into one for purposes of winning the trophy. The other races are Skipper of the Year (SOTY) races and the person who gets the highest score gets to be the Skipper of the Year for their respective fleets ("A" or "B"). All of these trophies are awarded at the Commadore's Ball in November.
One more thing, to keep the "B" fleet for those new to racing, winning two "B" fleet Skipper of the Year's in a row moves you automatically to "A" fleet for at least a year.
Leveling the Field (i.e. handicap and scoring)
We will be using the Cox Sprague scoring system and the Portsmouth Yardstick handicap. This handicap system allows all boats to be competitive whether they are a flat-out racing boat or a comfortable cruiser so you have no excuse not to participate at least once based on your boat. All you have to do is submit your form online here or hand the completed form to me, Scott Widmier, and I will do the calculations for you. The scoring system is rather simple with points awarded for the order the boats cross the finish line. The Fleet Captain reserves the right to require any boat and skipper combination who is too fast (i.e. faster than the Fleet Captain) to have to drag a sea anchor behind their boat when racing. This rule automatically applies to George Manners!
Race Committee (Free Points!!)
Ever want to put on a three cornered hat with lots of gold lace and rule on the seven seas? While I can't give you that, I can offer a temporary rule over Allatoona and only over skippers participating in a race. (If you can figure out how to rule over power boaters during race days I will give you an extra special trophy at the Commadore's Ball.) I will also award you with a point towards SOTY which is equivalent to placing first on one of the races that day! If you haven't done a committee before don't worry. It is very easy to do, I will give you all of the forms, and for the appropriate refreshments you can find plenty of experienced members to help you learn the ropes.
As temporary rulers over Lake Allatoona, the race committee has sole discretion over the race course, how the race is run, delaying the race for hope of wind and cancellation of the race due to weather. I would recommend aiming for a race duration between 60 to 90 minutes and calling the race if two hours is exceeded. Also, it may help logistics if you run a shorter race for B fleet.
Now for some important bullet points that I know even the experienced racers will read:
- In order to qualify for a SOTY award each skipper must serve as committee for two SOTY race days.
- The most number of points you can get for serving on SOTY racing committees throughout the year is 3.
- You can earn an additional point (over and above the 3) for serving as committee on a special race day such as 4th of July race or Turtle Rock to name a few. (Ladies and small boat races do not count though we really do need member support and committee for these races as well).
- The maximum number of races that can count towards SOTY this year is 18. If you race more than 18 times I will take your highest scores.
- The only sail we will be adjusting handicap for is if you anticipate flying a spinnaker.
Fees & times
The racing fees are $4.00 for a single race day and $8.00 for multiple race events on a given race day. Fees are for SOTY Race Events. All other races, long distance races, and the special holiday regattas are have NO Fees. Most (please see SWSC Calendar) on Saturdays and will start the Skippers Meeting at 11:00 AM at the bath house and a prompt starting time of 12:00 on the water. All Thursday night races will start at 6:30. All Sunday Races have a skippers meeting time of 1:00, with starting time as soon as possible. Starting in May, we start informal Thursday night "Beer Can" races. No fees, or race committee required; just show up and be at the starting line at 6:30. The starting line will always be the imaginary line between the end of the "super-dock" and the reef marker across the channel near the island. The course will be determined on the spot and we will use existing markers/ buoys on the lake. See SWSC Calendar
