NSSA Championships

Who needs Sailing Instructions?

Having run the event for a number of years, at the briefing I said the start sequence would be 3, 2, 1, go and duely did that. It was only on Sunday morning after running four races that I read the SI's and realised that last year someone had gone to the conventional 5,4,1 go and I had failed to change it back. Rather than let on I stayed with 3,2,1 - no one has said anything. Apart from this blog no one would even know about it - so what is the point in SI's?

More important the numbers in the Main Fleet are down below 50 - the Rookie Fleet keeps overall numbers respectable but the question of how we promote the event remains. The usual suggestion that it is the wrong time of year keeps coming up but the calendar is so full now that we cannot think of another date. Would a venue change make any difference? My opinion is not of itself, we need to promote the thing.

My idea is to get the young people to do the promoting. We should appoint NSSA Ambassadors - give them fliers, give them a distinctive badge to wear (the old yellow NSSA Race Team badges used to do that), give them membership forms let them promote the interest. What will be the objections - how long before it doesn't happen? (Cynical or wot?)

ET and cruising

It is over a week since I was at the Eric Twiname Junior Regatta. Saturday was cold and wet, sunday was just cold. As a Jury we didn't do much. There was enough wind that rule 42 was not a real issue and most protests were dealt with via Arbitration.

For me the big amusement was the reaction to my proposed chat - ready for no wind. The general opinion was that it was "too complicated" and the notes I had prepared were - as I wanted them to remind me of things I find complicated. No one seemed to get the point that unless you understand the definitions you cannot really understand the other rules. It seems to me that the definitions are ignored - even Trevor Lewis's new book just lists them - yet they are the basis of the rules and tweeks to them (as has been done this January) can have an enormous influence on the way we play the game.
Anyway being somewhat cynical I found comments like "don't tell them the rules are complicated" somewhat amusing. These kids are dealing with sailing - tell me that they aren't dealing with complicated situations and problems every time they go afloat. Give them credit - complicated things can be explained to them.

Anyhow yesterday three of us atempted to sail the Wayfarer to Porlock but ran out of time and had to turn around 2 miles short of Porlock. It was cold but fun. 27mls sailed in about five and a half hours. Roll on the summer.