Race 7 March 1 Pursuit start
Attached are the Race 7 Pursuit Race Group start times and Sailing Instructions.
Going to be a big final race of the Series. Will Ettrick be able to keep enough finishers between herself and either Boambillee or Mercedes III to take the series? The current points standing, while not as tight as before the previous race, are still close for changes. You never know when the Bradbury factor will start operating.
The current aggregate standings for the 1st 3 placings are
Ettrick 33 Points
Boambillee 41 Points
Mercedes III 45 Points
Sailing Instructions
Note: some changes to the Classics pursuit race Sailing Instructions have been made for Race 7
1. Only RYCV courses as described in the RYCV Sailing Instructions Green Book will be used.
2. The requirement to display the Alpha signal with the displayed course number pennants is removed.
3. The time of day requirement for the first boat to finish has been removed. Only one time now used, the race finish time of 1350 hours. Any yacht on course after this time will be DNF’d.
4. The wind speed of 25 knots that determines if a race is to be postponed to another day has been modified to be defined as a constant wind speed of 25 knots. Experience has shown when southerly based wind speeds of 25 knots are reported the Hobson Bay waters protected by the Williamstown break water report winds of 18 knots. Northerlies of 25 knots prevent most Classic Yachts from all clubs leaving their pens and racing will be postponed.
5. Racing will be abandoned if a Gale warning is posted during the race.
Race management announcements will be notified to the fleet by RYCV Race director on VHF Channel 69. Maintain a listening watch for shipping channel activity on VHF Channel 12.
Race 7 Group start times
Despite popular thinking, the allocation of Race 7 Group start times are not calculated with a dart board. The group start time assignments are based on the following inputs.
1. Results of Race 6
2. Performance of each starter during the conduct of Race 6.
3. The new ACH of each Race 6 finisher. This new ACH is based on the BCH and CCH average over the last 5 race performances. Stuff up’s noted during the race and after race stories overheard by the handicapper also play a role here.
4. The new overall ACH fleet average calculated after Race 6.
5. Expected race duration under the forecast conditions.
6. The corrected time of the vessel closest to the fleet average ACH is used as a reference for each individual starter with their new ACH to determine the allocated 10:30 am offset group.
All the above is done on an undocumented spreadsheet program. Because of the time between Pursuit races it takes awhile to remember how it all works. It allows immediate profiling of Group start times based on various race duration and individual ACH values.
The feature of Associations Series Pursuit racing is the work between the Handicapper and RYCV Race Director to select a suitable course to match the allocated race duration. Again not a dart board based decision.
Conducting a mix of mass starts and pursuit starts to give a fair series result is a challenge. The handicapper ears are already ringing and the race hasn’t started.
2015 Winter Series
The Notice of Race and the dates allocated for the 2015 Winter Series will be out soon.
We’ll have 3 Club’s conducting the Association Racing Calendar of 2015 Winter Series Racing.
While there’s more news below. This is where the handicapper leaves off.
The forecast looks a bit windy but should be OK.
To all the Skippers and crews. All the best for Sunday.
Thanks to the Classic’s Skippers and Crews for the support through the series.
Peter Costolloe
CYAA (Vic) Handicapper
2015 Cup Regatta
Friday October 30 – Monday November 2
Cup Regatta HQ
RYCV.
Cup Regatta Reception Venue.
The Royal Victorian Motor Yacht Club, Nelson Place
Williamstown
Cost
$35.00pp (6 different dishes plus refreshments).
The word.
Clear out your diaries now.
Make this Cup Regatta the show case event for Classic Yachting on Port Phillip.
Queenscliffe Maritime Festival
Friday 27 March – Saturday 28 March
Today the displayed poster is latest festival news received from the Queenscliffe Maritime Museum. Entry information will be published here soon.
The poster could not be attached. To big a file size for emailing with these notes, 8 meg. A reduced file size image of the poster has been attached. One will be displayed at the RYCV on Sunday.
The Tug Wattle 
Seen by all who pass under the Bolte Bridge Melbourne’s historic Steam Tug Wattle has been shore bound for some years under going a live preserving restoration. All that is about to change.
Melbourne’s Heritage Fleet supporters have put the word out. The Wattle will be soon relaunched.
A significant hull plate replacement program had put her refurbishment plans back big time after discovery of many unexpected structural problems. The pre-refurbishment survey showed to bottom hill plates in fine shape till the surveyor, much later on, asked for some concrete to be removed to be sure. Result: paper thin hull plates, several additional years refurbishment and a major sponsor funding drive. Why:the boys at Cockatoo dock had stuck all the yard scrap they could find into her ballast concrete.
It’s all been done and back to the water Wattle goes.
Sandringham Yacht Club Anniversary Regatta April 18
Last year in spite of the high winds on the day, several Association members took part in this event.
It’s on again April 18. More news on the event entry process via the SYC Top Yacht process later.
Alwyn and the HBYC 50th Port Phillip Sea Pilots Race
Gloaming &Tula with Alwyn racing on her beam ends in the Derwent Estuary Photo Courtesy of MMT
The Alwyn is being set up to be a starter in the Hobsons Bay Yacht Club’s 50th anniversary of the Port Phillip Sea Pilots Race, March.14. It’s a 44 miler around the Bay starting at 10:00 am. As the photo shows Alwyn needed at least 6 crew to handle her in her glory days. Today although de-rigged, when the wind is up she still races for glory in similar fashion. With winches 4 crew can do the task. The handicapper is looking for 3 more crew.
Race 7 March 1 (Pursuit) Start times
968 total views, 1 views today