Racing FAQs
When are races held?
The race programme is viewable online here. It is also sent out to all members in the annual club Handbook and put up on the noticeboard in the clubhouse.
What boat can I sail?
Virtually any dinghy may be raced. We use a handicapping system to allow boats of different types to race against one another and still let the best sailed one win!
How good at sailing do I need to be?
So long as you know what happens when you waggle the stick at the back, you're good enough! Racing is by far the quickest way of improving sailing skills and every one of us started off knowing very little and we've all got more to learn!
How do I let people know I'm new to racing?
If you are a novice, you should check the box on the sign-up sheet for each race. If you have any concerns, have a chat with the Officer of the Day who is running the race, they will be able to give you advice and keep an eye on you while you are racing. One idea is to tie a coloured ribbon to your rigging.
What rules do I need to know?
A boat on port tack (the wind coming from the left, the boom on the right) gives way to one on starboard tack (wind from right, boom on left). A boat on Starboard tack with right of way may shout "Starboard" if you are on port tack and they think you are about to get in their way.
A boat to windward (closest to where the wind is coming from) gives way to a boat to leeward (the boat further away from the wind).
At a mark, the boat on the inside, nearest the mark, will usually need to be given room to round the mark without hitting it or you!
These basic rules should prevent most collisions. There are many more and as you become more experienced it is worthwhile investing in the latest copy of the racing rules book. (e.g. The Rules in Practice by Bryan Willis, published by Fernhurst Books). Rules can be downloaded from the ISAF website http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/ISAFRRS20132016Final-[13376].pdf
If you're displaying your ribbon then the more experienced sailors will be prepared for the fact that you are not familiar with the rules.
How do I enter a race?
The Officer of the Day (OOD), who is in charge of that day's racing, will put a signing on sheet on the desk in the Race Box. Fill in your name and the class and sail number of the boat you'll be sailing.
What course do I sail?
The OOD will set a course and display it on a board at the base of the Race box and on the side of the race hut visible from the Pill. The board will display the name of the mark to be rounded and the direction in which it is to be rounded. If marked with a P then pass the mark on the left side of the boat. If marked with S then pass the mark to the right of the boat. An approximate number of laps will also be displayed.
Take note, most races at TSC require you to sail through the start-finish line at the end of each lap.
There is a large map at the base of the race box showing the approximate position of the marks. If you are still unsure, ask someone to point out the buoys to you from the shore or even on the start line (we've all had this done for us at some point!). When on the water, follow someone who looks like they know where they're going!
How do I start?
The start line is a straight line extending from the centre flagpole of the race box through a transit pole on the foreshore. The limit buoy marks the outer end of the line.
The starting sequence goes as follows:
5 minutes to start hoot of horn and 1
st (warning) flag up. 
or 
4 minutes to start hoot of horn and 2
nd (preparatory) flag up. This will be a blue flag with a white square in the centre.
1 minute to start hoot of horn and 2 nd (preparatory) flag down.
0 minutes The start hoot of horn and 1 st flag down and the race is on.
At TSC the fast handicap fleet boats (handicap number lower than 1000) start first. The 5 minute signal for the slow handicap fleet (handicap number higher than 1000) normally occurs with the fast handicap fleet start.
What about those horrible crowded start lines?
When you first start racing, you could hang back a bit at the start, crossing the line after all the keen ones have finished getting in each other's way. However there is another way.... Pursuit Races.
What's a Pursuit race?
We run a Mid-week Pursuit Series from April to August and an Autumn Pursuit series on Saturdays from August to December. Pursuit races are also known as Hare and Hounds races. Using the handicapping system, the boats taking part start in order of speed, slowest goes first and fastest go last, with everyone else is spread out in between. The aim of the race is to overtake the slower boats and to prevent the faster boats from overtaking you.
For consistency, so everyone knows their start time in advance, we are using the YW Day Boat (PY 1200) as the starting boat. This means that if you have a boat that has a handicap of more than 1200, you will need to start before the official start time. The race lasts 90 minutes for a YW Day Boat.
The starts, because they are staggered, are much easier for the beginner. There will probably be only 2 or 3 other boats starting at the same time. The starting intervals are displayed on the notice board at the base of the race box. The list is also available to download at the bottom of this page.
How do I finish?
In Pursuit races, everybody finishes at once when the horn hoots, but keep sailing until the rescue boat notes your position. Your position is when the horn goes, so no overtaking afterwards please!
In Handicap racing, the finish line is normally the same as the start line. You'll either finish after the number laps on the course board, or if the race was going to take too long, after the OOD has sounded 2 long hoots on the horn and put up the shortened course flag (a blue square on a white background).
Each boat that finishes receives a hoot unless they were over the line at the start (OCS), have been seen not to have sailed the correct course, or have received outside assistance, that's to say you have been rescued!
How do I find out where I finished?
In Pursuit racing the results are as seen on the water the boat in the lead wins the race.
Handicap races, however, need to have calculations made by the OOD to make allowances for the different types of boat racing. This can usually be done on the day of racing. Results will posted on the Results page on the website as soon as possible.
How do I qualify for a series?
At TSC completing any race in a series qualifies you to compete for prizes in the series. Other sailing clubs demand that you complete a certain percentage, but we recognise that it is sometimes difficult to commit to 7 or 8 days out of 10. Nevertheless if you can turn up to more races you stand a better chance of winning a prize at the annual dinner dance.
PY Handicaps
We use the RYA PY handicaps for all races. The current handicaps are available from the RYA website - click here on look for "Current PY List".
The sailing secretary can usually answer your questions or ask anyone dressed in sailing kit at the club! They'll help if they can, or point you in the direction of someone who can.
Last updated 15:19 on 8 March 2024