Windward/Leeward courses?

[GBR19]

Hi All,

What course should we be sailing when we go to Open Meetings/Championships?

I admit, personally I’m not a great fan of Windward/Leeward courses in the Finn. At HISC this year we only got a good blast along on a reach/broad reach on the way back to the club after the race had finished!
The benefits of W/L courses are clear for Olympic/International events, but what about for our home fleet? Is all we want from Finn sailing to be beating and running?

I’ve discussed this with the Chairman and Secretary and agreed to post this question on the Forum. We can then use this feedback to influence next year’s events.

Opinions please…

Thanks,

Simon

[GBR-61]

Hi Simon

There was a good triangle / sausage/ triangle course at the Thorpe Bay Open last weekend that you would have enjoyed, in warm and sunny conditions with a perfect 14 knots on Sunday.

The courses vary with each host club so the answer is to join in the Travellers Series to enjoy the full range of venues and courses the series has to offer.

Many thanks to the TBYC organisers and race officers for fitting in all 6 races and for a great meal on Saturday night! (We won’t mention the rugby….)

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by GBR-61.

[cygrisley]

Hi Simon,

Having sailed at all but one of the travellers event this year I would say that each host club have offered either triangle/sausage or straight windward leeward courses. I think it depends on the conditions and sailing area. What I would say is having sailed travellers this year I have had some fantastic sailing and would say that each club has delivered excellent racing for the fleet, none more than TBYC last weekend where they pushed us all with a fourth race on the Sunday in perfect conditions, great fun but I was broken on the drive home.

I would recommend you come join in as the more boats on the water the better the racing. Bring on Warsash….

[Richard Sharp]

A bit of triangle /sausage is fine if there’s some breeze (even though there’s not normally much place changing on the reaches) but the reaches can be painfully ‘follow the leader’ in light airs

They were fun at times at TBSC but there was still not a lot of place changing

Also the course has to be set very well to avoid one tight reach and one that is almost a run

A bit of variety is always good though I guess ?

[Peter Vinton]

I too am not a great fan of windward leeward courses and appreciate a bit of variety. Contrary to Richard’s experience I had a disastrous start in one race at Thorpe Bay and finished 10th, with all the places made up on the reaches. This was helped a lot by the tide and that too always adds some interest. The best courses I’ve sailed are at Salcombe week and on the Blackwater, lots of variety and tide. At least though none are as bad as the courses we used to sail in the 70s, always 5 miles offshore, a triangle sausage with beats of well over 1.5 miles and race lengths of about 3 hours.

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