Club members have probably heard the conversations about racing Victory’s. Racing is a lot of fun, and it is a great way to improve your sailing skills. We race in four different fleets, A B C & D. Everybody starts in D fleet with a rating 8.00 and as you beat other boats in the fleet to the finish line, your rating goes to a lower number and if you beat enough boats, you move up to the next fleet. If you are in A B or C fleet and enough boats beat you to the finish line, you moved down a fleet. It is an arrangement that keep you sailing against sailors with about the same skill level.
RACING RULES
Attached is a set of the international rules for sailing and local rules that the Victory fleets race under. There are a lot of rules but the basics are simple and many of the rules never apply.
You need to go around the course as directed by the committee boat. The course options are described in the local rules. If you hit one of the course buoys it is a minor infraction, and you are obliged to do a 360° turn before you get to the next buoy.
Next, just like in kindergarten, don’t hit anybody. Avoid collisions with other boats.
On the racecourse the basic rules of sailing apply.
- Starboard tack boats have the right-of-way over a boat on port tack.
- If both boats are on the same tack the leeward boat has the right of way over the windward boat.
At the leeward mark, things can get a little confusing so the course you will take going around the leeward mark is determined 3 boat-lengths away from the buoy.
- If two boats are overlapped when the boats are three boat-lengths from the mark, the boat closest to the mark can call for “room at the mark” regardless of which boat is ahead in the overlap, or what tack they are on, or which boat is the leeward boat. The outside boat is obliged to give the inside boat room to round the mark.
There are times when mistakes are made a boat that does not have the right-of-way interferes with a boat that has the right-of-way. This can result in the boat that had the right-of-way raising their red protest flag and hanging it on the boom. Interfering a right-of-way boat is a significant infraction of the rules and the offending boat is required to do a 720° turn (two complete circles) before the next mark if that is practical or after rounding the next mark if it is not practical to do this before the next mark.
The details of how to do the above rules are in the attached documents along with a lot of other rules that seldom or never apply. If you want to take a course on the rules of sailing, there is one offered by San Diego Yacht Club that covers the rules in detail.
Racing Schedule
The monthly races are held the first Saturday of the month and the following Sunday every month but December. There are also Ocean Races outside the bay, Team Races where groups of boats get a common score, and the Victory Nationals that are held each year here in San Diego or at other locations.
RACING CLASSES FOR NEW RACERS
TPSC does provide racing classes for new racers. These are scheduled as needed. If you are a TPSC club member interested in racing or interested in racing lessons, please let Fred McDougall know.
Fred MacDougall
TPSC Racing Chairman
Racing Photos
