P165 in sailboat race

[Shesaidno]

Short video from a sailboat race I participated in yesterday. Just two boats in the non-spinnaker category, me and a Beneteau 440. Just not that many boats that seem to want to race anymore, even though there are hundreds of boats sitting in slips.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6y5XWwDtg4&t=39s

[Brian N.]

Nice video Ron, as usual. Racing can be a big commitment time, crew, prep, equipment and sails. I think what ended  my 10 year race "career" was the boat's owner just was tired of the cost of sails and boat maintenance just to remain middle of the pack. Plus, in the end I was often the only crew member to show, and even though the Ensign is not a big complicated boat, racing was always more successful with full complement of three crew plus skipper.

Often on calm days my crew is more interested in getting a tan
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[Shesaidno]

Brian, I know what you mean about crews, time commitment, expenses, or simply no interest in racing, but I just find it personally frustrating. Clubs have even tried simplifying races, no race committee boat for example, but participation just keep dwindling. Ah well. 

[DBthal]

When I moved into my neighborhood on a Maine bay, there was a Rhodes 19 fun race every Sunday. They welcomed other non-class boats to join in the fun.

Unfortunately, the person that ran these races got older and participation was getting sporadic, so this long time community race fell apart. I could have learned a lot by crewing or tagging along in my boat.

[tjspiel]

I've never had much more than a mild interest in racing. I've participated in a few over the years and enjoy them but it will likely never be a regular thing for me, at least not in a boat I own.

My brother donated an Ensign to a club on a neighboring lake and negotiated a 10 year free membership for me. And I know a guy that works there so I could skipper an Ensign in the Wednesday night races even though I'm not officially checked out on them. It is a good way to hone your sailing skills if nothing else.

Since the club maintains the boats it takes the financial aspect out of it and their Saturday races are well attended from what I understand. They also have a bunch of 420s and sponsor a high school team that races them from May through November (brrr).

Honestly I think the future of racing and sailing in general will be helped tremendously by clubs like these. You don't need a boat nor a place to keep one. They provide the boat, the storage, and the water

The trick is that you have to make clubs like these self sustaining. Often they are passion projects of one or two individuals and when they move on the club falls apart. "Youth Sailing Resources" on my lake is really popular with kids but it's hard to find adult volunteer skippers and I don't know what's going to happen when the old guys that run the whole thing get tired of it.

[Shesaidno]

All good points!  On the recent Catalina sail with a total of ten small boats, the average age was quite high as it is with nearly all club events I participate in. For example, races by this very nice yacht club are run by the same person year after year. I know that having been over-involved in other programs, I am now very careful about how many volunteer activities I say yes to. 

[Quantico Frank]

I wonder whether to some degree the "age" issue has always been with us, though? I, for one, never had a boat with a cabin until the kids were out of college, and I had both the time and the money.

[Brian N.]

Agree that often races, youth clubs, and similar are the passion of a few individuals who volunteer their time. I saw this with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts with about 20 years commitment. However, it is difficult to find people who don't already have a broad range of commitments and spare time.

[Riggerdood]

As someone who is far more interested in camp cruising than racing, I think a lot of the same things that have been mentioned apply to both. Getting younger folks involved is a challenge. At age 59, I was one of the youngest sailors on the Catalina cruise, not counting the teenage granddaughter of the organizer and her friend. For me, even if there were more such activities scheduled, time and distance constraints limit the number of events I can attend.

[tjspiel]

I wonder whether to some degree the "age" issue has always been with us, though? I, for one, never had a boat with a cabin until the kids were out of college, and I had both the time and the money.

Sailboat racing requires time and money so certainly people without kids or whose kids have grown up are more easily able to participate.

While my kids were young I played soccer during the spring/summer/fall and broomball during the winter. There was some volleyball mixed in there too. But the commitment was only about an hour a week. Yes, maybe you'd stop someplace before or after the games but that was optional and could skipped as needed.

The closest sailboat races to me happen Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings. It's at least 3 hours each day and probably more by time you factor in boat rigging and putting away. There might also be weather delays.

And you are penalized for the races you don't compete in.

People with kids don't typically have that kind of time to devote to something like sailing.

The informal races on Wednesday nights are better. Just a single race but it's still takes a couple of hours from time you get there util you leave.

[Shesaidno]

Wow, first I have heard about getting penalized for races you don't do!  In Ventura Harbor the most active racing club requires boats to have lifelines and a PHRF rating in order to race. But SoCAL PHRF has a rule that a boat must be 18.5 feet for a skipper to get a rating, yet they have no idea why that rule was set. So I am excluded from racing in those yacht club races. If you want more participation, you need fewer rules or rules that are reasonably set. 

[tjspiel]

Wow, first I have heard about getting penalized for races you don't do!  In Ventura Harbor the most active racing club requires boats to have lifelines and a PHRF rating in order to race. But SoCAL PHRF has a rule that a boat must be 18.5 feet for a skipper to get a rating, yet they have no idea why that rule was set. So I am excluded from racing in those yacht club races. If you want more participation, you need fewer rules or rules that are reasonably set. 

Think of it like a football or basketball season. You're given points based on where you finish each race and they are added up at the end of the season. The fewer "points" the better. When you don't compete (race) I believe what they do is give you one more point than the last place finisher. So if there were 10 boats that raced, anyone who didn't show would get 11 points, - something like that. I've only crewed at that yacht club and that's how it was explained to me. Maybe you get to throw out your worst 3 races or 3 DNCs. Otherwise the unemployed single guys would have a huge advantage just by being able to show up.

[DBthal]

Posted by Shesaidno  - Today at 01:02 PM
But SoCAL PHRF has a rule that a boat must be 18.5 feet for a skipper to get a rating, yet they have no idea why that rule was set. So I am excluded from racing in those yacht club races.

That's 'cause you'd probably smoke 'em!   

[davepowell]

Diminishing fleet sizes seems to be a problem everywhere. I have some thoughts on the reasons which I'll post in a separate thread.

I am a frequent PHRF racer. In my experience, a series such as a weekly race allows a number of drops, that is some number of races do not count in the series standing. This recognizes that sometimes life interferes with sailing. The number of drops usually increases with the number of races. The races you can't make are the first to be dropped. So you're not totally penalized for missing a race. Of course, if you compete in all races you can drop your worst finishes.

[Straander]

I have not yet participated in a race with my P165, though I am very interested.
I think the main barrier here in Seattle is that all the open-class races I know about are on weekdays and not close to boat ramps. In order to show up for the start, I'd essentially need to take the day off of work to setup my boat, launch it, then motor to the race location. And then the I'd have to skip the after-race social event on the water just to race back to the boat ramp so I'm not tearing down in the dark. Would be very stressful. I think the races are primarily organized for people who can afford marina slips.
That and the other issue Is I really want someone to crew with me on my first time who has racing experience. I am very  nervous about being "That guy" who causes problems because he doesnt know what he's doing on the water.