Category Archives: News & Events

2011-2012 Summer Series Race 3 Feb 19 Entries, Handicaps and Sailing Instructions (Posted 16.2.12)

Dear Skippers and Crews of the Vic Classic Fleet.

Our 2011/2012 Summer Series of races restart this Sunday, Feb 19.

This race will be conducted for the Association by Hobsons Bay Yacht Club Race Director Tony Dawson. The race will be conducted from the HBYC launch “Privateer”

Attached are the documents that carry the Entry list, assigned Handicaps and Sailing Instructions.

The long term weather forecast for Sunday is predicting light winds. At least we will be on the water, for once. Two races completed out of 5 attempts. Not good for our dreams of lee gunnel down.

On Sunday HBYC are also conducting a two handed race, starting at 11:00 am. If we have a very light wind issue, keep in mind the times of day for the Classic start sequence may change.

If the wind strength at 10:25 am on Sunday morning is deemed by the race committee to be too light for a Classics race start, a postponement AP flag with the Classic Pennant will be flown. If the wind is still deemed to be still too light for a Classic start but sufficient for a two handed race start, the HBYC two handed race will be started at 10:55am, with the AP over the Classics Pennant still flying. If the wind at 10:55 is deemed to be too light for any start, the Classic Pennant will be removed and the AP flag alone will remain hoisted.

Refer to the Race Signals section in the Racing Rules of Sailing Blue Book for the appropriate sound signals that will occur during these race control signalling sequences.

The HBYC race committee will determine the time interval between the two handed and classic start.

The Classics race 5 minute countdown starts when the Classics Pennant is hoisted.

The HBYC race committee will provide a race control status using VHF Channel 73.

The Classic Fleet finish line will be laid in the same location as the start line.

There’s an important change to the penalty turn requirements in our sailing instructions. If a penalty turn is required for exoneration from a protestable incident. The exoneration penalty is a one turn only. Penalty turns are to be logged and executed as soon as safely possible after the incident.

New Zealand Classic Yacht Regatta

Our team of members that participated in the NZ Classic Yacht Regatta report the event lived up to their sailing and social expectations. NZ classic yachting preparing for a days racing in the Auckland Viaduct marina was a spectacle. Classic yacht racing is alive and well in New Zealand. Visuals taken in daily were the line up of NZ built super yachts in the Auckland viaduct marina plus the Team NZ AC45 fleet with their helmet wearing teams, preparing for race training.

David Mackenzie, who sailed on some the oldest and grandest of the NZ Classic fleet, took out the Trans Tasman Trophy.

Our Association members presence was noted by the NZ Classic Yacht Association organisers and race committee as an important Regatta highlight.

Links to the videos and stills taken during the Regatta will appear shortly on our web site.

Some NZ visit side events our team took part in were a half day visit to the Traditional Boat Building School managed by Steve Cranch, a 5 hour visit to the Auckland Maritime Museum, the sight of the J boat Endeavour loaded on to a submersible ship transporter after an 18 month refit.

On water recreational and commercial activity on the Waitemata Harbour suggests we should not under value our Port Phillip Bay.

Regards to all and let’s have some decent sailing weather for once.

Peter Costolloe

CYAA Handicapper

Sailing Instructions

Entries and Handicaps

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2011_2012 Summer Series Race 3 Feb 5 Entries, Handicaps and Sailing Instructions (Posted 2.2.12)

Dear Skippers and Crews of the Vic Classic Fleet.

Our 2011/2012 Summer Series of races restart this Sunday, Feb 5.

This race will be conducted for the Association by RYCV Race Director David LeRoy.

Attached are the documents that carry the Entry list, assigned Handicaps and Sailing Instructions.

Although our race this Sunday is the  5th race of the series it’s designated as Race 3.

Postponements of our previous Summer Series races in 2011 for weather reasons have bought about this situtation.

In a race series, the race subsequent to a postponed race carries the race number of the postponed race until that particular race is completed.

One small note about the Sailing Instructions for this race.

Section 11 Radio Communication states the RYCV Race committee will monitor VHF Channels 16 and 73. If a yacht is required to contact the Race committee the process is to use channel 73 for the first call up attempt. If no response is received on Channel 73 and if the call up requires verbal contact with the race committee then Channel 16 can be used as the call up channel to the race committee . The Race committee is then to be requested to use Channel 73 as the working channel.

The Australian Maritime College web site has a pdf copy of the  Marine VHF Radio Operators Handbook

2012 Festival of Sails Results.

The overall winner of the Parks Victoria Trophy for the Classic Division of the 2012 Festival of Sails was Martini.

Consistent sailing by Ross Clark and Michael Williams, as a two up team throughout the series, allowed Martini to repay Ross and Michael for the time and effort they have given her.

Another piece of inspired sailing was that shown by Windward II in race 4 of Series. She gave Jim Woods and his team of crew members a line honours and first on handicap performance.

The Association was represented at the 2012 Festival of Sails by Windward II, the signature Classic boat of the series. Martini for the best of the series performance, Wanita with Richard Gates and his crew  performed better than expected in the prevailing wind and sea conditions and Ella, with Michael Mactavish, competed well when permitted to the RGYC sailing committee.

The Association is working with the RGYC Sailing committee and the Festival of Sails event people to make a notable Classics Association participation at the 2013 event.

A comment about start line barging

At the start of race 4 in the Classic Division of the Festival of Sails a serious barging incident that ended with the spearing of the race committee boat occurred.

This incident is a reminder our boats are displacement hulls. Because of forward way they are not easily turned away to avoid collisions.

The start of our races is one of the great moments of our Classic Yacht racing. Stirring and heart stopping stuff. That’s why we race our boats.

Barging incidents are caused either by too early a commitment to the start line or looking for clean air prior to the start and approaching to the start above the committee boats windward approach line. These start tactics will always lead to barging. At the last moment the person on the helm finds there’s no weather room to tack away. Boom goes the dynamite with right of way leeward boats required to take collision avoiding action.

As well as racing under the rules of the Blue Book that we all know and love, remember we also sail under the prevention of collision convention provisions and local marine safety regulations. These provisions and regulations apply all the time when either sailing or racing.

No one is in the right when a collision occurs.

That’s it for now.

Weather permitting we can hit that start line safely and on the dot of 10:30am

Regards to all

Peter Costolloe
Classics Association Handicapper

Sailing Instructions

Entries and Handicaps

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