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The Medway Yacht Club
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Cruiser Racing FAQ
Why not join in our Cruiser racing ?
The Medway Yacht Club
sponsors Cruiser Class Handicap racing.
All our races are open
events and all visiting yacht club members are always welcome.
There are several
questions we are often asked by new members or visitors wishing to join in our
racing.
Click on the Q by the
question or scroll through the answers listed below.
Common Questions :
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Q : When do you race ? |
Q : What handicap classes do you run ? |
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Q : Where do I find the program details ? |
Q : Is my boat eligible to race ? |
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Q : Where do you race ? |
Q : Which Class should I race in ? |
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Q : How long are the races ? |
Q : How do I get a rating ? |
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Q : Are there any prizes ? |
Q : Are there any safety rules or regulations ? |
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Q : When is the prize giving ? |
Q : Do I need special insurance ? |
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Q : What are the race entry fees ? |
Q : Can I just enter one or two races a season ? |
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Q : How do I enter ? |
Q : Where do I get the Sailing Instructions ? |
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Q : Do you use Declaration Forms ? |
Q : Who do I contact with any queries ? |
The Answers :
Q : When do you race ?
A : The Cruiser Class
organises races on most Sunday mornings during the season, usually starting at
10:00 am.
Q : Where do I find the
programme details ?
A : The Cruiser Class
race programme is published as a one page Summary Sheetand and in the MYC
Sailing and Social Programme booklet. Go to our Race Program on this site for details.
Q : Where do you race ?
A : The River Medway and
The river Medway between
Q : How long are your races ?
A : They vary according to the
wind and tidal conditions, but normally the courses set for the two main Spring
and Summer Series of trophy races are in the range of 20 to 35 miles. The usual
course average in a season is 25 miles for Division 1 and 22 miles for Division
2.
In terms of time, the fastest
boats averaged 3.5 hours and the slower boats 4.5 hours per race. Our normal
time limit on these races is 1600 hours.
Much shorter "in
river" courses, usually between 6 to 12 miles, are set for the Summer and
Autumn series, which also have shorter time limits.
Q : What Handicap classes do you run
?
A : We currently run two
handicap classes for Cruisers :
Cruiser Division 1 for RORC issued IRC ratings and
Cruiser Division 2 for MYA issued “
Q : Is my boat eligible to race ?
A : The Notice of Race for
each race or series of races defines which Cruisers are eligible to race.
Please note that only bone
fide "Cruisers" are eligible to enter MYC Cruiser Class races and
this does not include open keelboats or "day boats" such as Dragons and
Squibs. This restriction is primarily imposed for safety reasons ( see
paragraph below).
Cruiser Division 1 is open to all mono hull Cruisers
having a valid IRC certificate with a rating above 0.800 and an SSS above
9.
Cruiser Division 2 is open to all mono hull Cruisers
having a valid MYA PN certificate issued by the MYA. Sonatas have their own MYC Sonata OD sponsored racing class and a
maximum of two Sonatas are eligible to race in Cruiser Division 2 in most of
the races during the season. However any number of Sonatas are eligible to join
in the Division 2 Autumn series.
Q : Which Class should I race in ?
A : This is your choice, but
the more serious racers opt for Division 1 and have IRC ratings. This is
certainly the best supported Class with good regular competitive racing.
Also remember that most open regattas, (eg Ramsgate and Burnham Weeks) and
championship series (eg EAORA and Sail EAST) are run on the RORC IRC handicap
system.
Q : How do I get a rating ?
A : The IRC Handicap
Certificate is issued by RORC (Seahorse Rating Ltd). If you want to get an IRC
rating, visit their web
site or contact the Rating Office in Lymington, see Contacts page. The fee is about £7 per metre for
new certificates or revalidation.
The MYA issues “
Q : Are there any safety rules
or regulations ?
A : Yes, of course. We
all know that yacht racing can be dangerous and the rules and regulations
concerning all aspects of responsibility for safety issues are clearly defined.
Basically, the safety of
a Cruiser and her entire management including insurance is the sole
responsibility of the owner who must ensure that the boat and crew are adequate
to face conditions that may arise in the course of the race and must decide
whether or not to start or to continue racing.
The rules under which the MYC
organises our racing and we as sailors compete in races are defined in the
Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS 1997-2000 ) issued by the ISAF, with RYA
prescriptions. (Published by the RYA, booklet YR1 / 97).
The owner's responsibility for
safety is also highlighted in the Notice of Race, the Skipper's Entry Form Declaration (which all
skippers confirm when they submit race entry form 2007 ) and the MYC Cruiser Class
Sailing Instructions, Section 2.
The relevant rules include RRS
numbers 1 to 4 and RYA Addendum C to RRS Appendix N.
As far as the Cruiser and her
equipment are concerned, Category
4 of the ORC Special Regulations is the one that closest describes our
racing in the River Medway and Thames Estuary. For details see the annual RORC
handbook or RYA booklet YR9, Racing Yacht Safety. Any skipper joining in our
races should be aware of these guidelines and ensure his boat meets recommended
safety criteria. Because
of our concern for safety and the nature of the racing we organise, the
Cruiser Class will not accept entries from open keel boats or "day
boats" and the Committee reserves the right to refuse any entry.Other
racing rules and regulations are given in the Sailing Instructions.
Another safety issue is that
any boat that decides not to continue racing is expected to contact the
Principal Race Officer as soon as possible, by VHF or phone, and this
requirement is clearly stated in the Sailing Instructions.
Q : Are there any prizes ?
Yes, loads. Most of our major
races are for specific class trophies, plus place winners receive high quality
engraved glasses as keepsake prizes. In addition, there are prizes and trophies
for the Over-All winners of the various series.
Last year we gained three new
race trophies bringing our Class total to 24 and we spent more money on prizes,
giving away more than 130 glasses, plus two magnificent cut glass whisky
decanters for the winners of the Over All Division 1 and 2 Champions.
Q : When is the prize giving ?
A : The last series trophy race
is held at the end of October and on a Saturday evening in early
November we hold our Strood Plate Dinner and Annual Prizegiving evening.
This is a really fun evening,
organised specifically for the racing fraternity and we normally get around 60
to 70 skippers, crews and partners attending.
The Autumn Series has its own
prizegiving lunch, immediately after the last race in the series in November.
Q : What are the race entry fees ?
A : The race entry fees vary from
race to race and the details are given in the Notice of Race and Entry Form.
The "block booking"
entry fee for the whole season is currently £30 for both Division 1 and
Division 2, which covers all 18 plus race series from May to November, which
works out at £2.45 per race (less than a pint of lager?). Alternatively,
skippers can enter individual series for about £3 per race. These race
fees are only used to purchase prizes and the racing administration costs are
covered by the annual Cruiser Class membership subscription, which is currently
just £6 per annum.
Q : Can I just enter one or
two races a season ?
A : Yes, specifically to
encourage visitors and occasional racers, individual races can be entered but
the entry fee for an individual race is usually £3. For details see the Notice
of Race.
Q : Do I need special insurance ?
A : Yes, in the sense that you
must tell your insurance company that you are racing if you expect to be
covered for "racing risks" such as damage to your mast, spars
and sails whilst racing.
You must also have
"adequate" third party indemnity, (currently £2 million cover seems
to be the "norm" ).
Q : How do I enter?
A : The Entry Form and
the Notice of Race for the main
series during the season and the individual races are distributed in
April. Copies can be obtained on line or from Mike
Wallis or the MYC office. For details see Contacts
page.
Just complete an Entry Form, sign it and return it with your
Entry Fee to the address shown on the form.
You will need to include a
copy of your current IRC or MYA PN rating certificate if this has not already
been submitted.
NB : A signed Entry Form
must be received before the start of the boat's first race.
Q : Where do I get the Sailing Instructions ?
As soon as we receive your
entry, we will let you have our Sailing Instructions, Course Sheet, Declaration
Form and anything else you may need to compete in the race. You may also
browse or print our Sailing Instructions
(see Race Entry Forms for printing instructions).
Q : Do you use Declaration Forms ?
A : We do not insist on
signed declaration forms for most of the races finishing at the MYC line unless
the boat has infringed the rules in some way or finishes after the time limit,
in which case a declaration form must be completed with a report on the
incident or finish time. This includes infringements of the right of way rules
where the boat has performed penalty turns to exonerate herself.
There are some races which are
longer passage races finishing away from the Club when the need to submit a Declaration Form is highlighted in
Supplementary Sailing Instructions.
Q : Who do I contact with any other queries ?
A : In the first
instance contact Mike
Wallis, the Cruiser Class Race Organiser, or Roger
Griffith the Class Captain. All their details are given in our Contacts page.