The initiative at ASC to promote double-handed events is definitely working well. There have been two events so far this year that I can recall, and this past weekend was magnificent.
Regardless of the outcome—although Lynda and I are over the moon with the result—the most important thing is that it created an opportunity for teamwork.
Single-handed sailing is great, don’t get me wrong, but to a certain extent it doesn’t attract many beginners onto the water. It can also be challenging to get juniors sailing competitively unless they are all of a similar ability level and are confident sailing a Topper, Optimist or small-rig Laser.
What Sunday’s racing showed us was the opportunity to pair sailors who are keen to learn with more experienced and competent sailors. Seeing that many boats on the water and the tight duels right across the fleet was fantastic. When Kev and Malcolm arrived on the water, suddenly a Comet Duo was in the mix at the first mark of Race 3. Seeing so many newcomers, along with existing members who may have been nervous about venturing out, was amazing.
The course set by the Race Officer was perfect, making full use of the wind direction and sending us across the width and breadth of the lake.
Racing in a one-design, fully-crewed boat is the ultimate team sport. It requires physical effort, awareness and concentration. Lynda regularly reprimands me for my lack of concentration! What it also does is bring your sailing skills into play. Many times I have left the club feeling despondent after Sunday racing. That’s not the club’s fault; it’s simply the reality of handicap racing and the challenge of competing in fleets of very different boat types. What was particularly pleasing to hear afterwards was the enjoyment fellow sailors got from watching the nip-and-tuck duel between James and Heidi and Lynda and me. There were lead changes throughout the course, lively negotiations at mark roundings, and the usual snakes-and-ladders effect of sailing at ASC, with multiple wind shifts and gusts constantly changing the order and requiring awareness of the boats around you. The discussion and conversation during the break and before the prize-giving were engaging and, I believe, beneficial to everyone.
Congratulations to the Sailing Committee for promoting these events, and to the single-handers who ventured out in pairs—thank you for making up the numbers. Three races in a day is fantastic. The opportunity to practise starts more frequently will benefit all members. A discussion about shortening races to two laps is worth considering for this type of event, where the possibility of four races and one discard could make for an interesting day’s competition throughout the fleet.
Finally, I really think that, given the luxury of having six Visions available to sail, we should be encouraging double-handed entries on Sundays alongside the established single-handed fleets. More double-handers will enhance participation across the club.
Parents, I encourage those of you with children to take them sailing with you. If possible, let them steer while you handle the mainsheet, jib and hiking. Many great sailors started exactly this way.The more people we have on the water, the more our club will thrive.
Regarding the Vision handicap rating, I believe we should review the number used for Sunday racing. The current rating should apply to Visions sailed with a spinnaker, while a revised rating could be introduced for non-spinnaker participation.
Finally, it’s great to see new faces enjoying the camaraderie that a sailing club can provide.
If you want to join in the fun! The next Double handed event is Sunday 9th August
Report by Anthony Spillerbeen (Spillers)
Results can be found here
