Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland race

This RORC event is a perpetual favourite and a strong fleet have returned to contest the race this year:

The race website:

http://roundbritainandireland.rorc.org/

The race tracker:

http://roundbritainandireland.rorc.org/tracking.html

Due to the prevailing weather conditions they have decided that the race direction will be reversed and will now be anticlockwise.

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia...125410&SRCID=0&ntid=0&tickeruid=0&tickerCID=0

In the Multihulls Damien Foxall of Oman Sail/Musandam are hoping to break the race record which is currently held by the Maxi trimaran BP5 at 3 days, 3 hours, 49 minutes, 14 seconds.

http://roundbritainandireland.rorc.org/newsblogsphotos/press-releases/267-as-tough-as-it-gets.html

 

Of course it is mainly a monohull race, which is why they had to postpone due to strong winds at the start.....

The big multihull race is the 2 handed RWYC Round Britain, remember the first one was won by Derek Kelsall in Toria. That has started in worse weather. And we started the 2 handed Azores and Back race in our Banshee in a full gale to windward.

The RBR was dominated by Dazcats this year, a light weather race for a change. You can see details here

http://rwyc.org/rbandi/

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

 

It's a conundrum on one hand I believe ocean capable boats should just go and race if the skipper makes the call on the nominated course but on the other hand I understand that it's a different legal landscape these days that the clubs are required to operate within. From my own limited experience on race committee work with the MYCV I can understand their decision.

http://youtu.be/Of3PWYQ-EPg

 

So clubs are criticised when they don't let multis in, and then criticised when multis ARE allowed in because (for some completely unexplained reason) it's said that the postponement was due to the presence of monos?

Where is the evidence that the type of boat had any relevance to the delay, Richard? OK, so the 2 handed may have started in worse weather, but so what? It's also a mixed mono/multihull race, so what relevance does it have?

If the "big multihull race" for the UK attracts just 5 entrants, maybe the multihull community should not be telling the "mono clubs" how they should run things?

Plenty of RORC races in the past have started with hard beats to windward; Fastnet '85 springs to mind. But as Corley notes, clubs have changed their attitude towards starting in hard winds, for reasons that have nothing to do with the type of boat. But the attitude of some people that clubs are damned if they do include multihulls and damned if they don't, doesn't seem to have changed.

You mentioned that race won by Toria. When Corley put up the old newsletter covering that event, it was disappointing to see that despite the fact that multis had been welcomed into that event, Kelsall couldn't stop himself writing arrogant and rude remarks about monos. Sad to see that the attitude hasn't got any better.

 

So Corley, what you'r saying is insurance companies will only bet on a sure thing ?

 

I think there are a number of factors at work RR not just insurance. Technically as members of a race committee you are indemnified from any legal recourse in the event of a fatality or serious injury but in practice it can be a protracted and unpleasant case to prove. It can also be a PR disaster for the club that runs the race and is seen to "send out" competitors into potentially dangerous conditions.

The other point and I think it's a valid one is that amateur competitors on the whole don't want to start in potentially boat breaking conditions. If your boat breaks near the beginning of the race then you don't even get a chance to enjoy the race and it's seen as wasted money and the competitor is less likely to return for the next edition. That can cause a long term decline in competitors and the events popularity.

 

I thought people reading the multihull threads would understand it was a (not very good) joke

The 2 handed race entry list was a big disappointment this year. Lowest ever entries. No one is quite sure why that was

The usual argument for not starting is that the boats will be bunched together the first night in bad weather and that's dangerous.

Richard Woods

 

Sorry, Richard, currently there are similar remarks over on SA that are not intended as a joke so I took it the wrong way. It did seem out of character for you so I should have realised.

 

An hour till the race starts.

 

A good fleet report, Musandam/Oman Sail is well above record pace at the moment.

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia...125461&SRCID=0&ntid=0&tickeruid=0&tickerCID=0

The official race start video by the RORC:

http://youtu.be/5eU_DZCPgSc



and a nice video by Sailing World on Musandam/Oman Sail Multi70 with some sailing footage of the start:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152371980818871&set=vb.73471073870&type=2&theater

 

A few retirements thus far Robin Knox Johnston forced to retire on the Open 60 Grey Power with mainsail damage. Concise 8 and Cat phone have also retired.

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia...125467&SRCID=0&ntid=0&tickeruid=0&tickerCID=0

 

See if you notice anything missing from Scuttlebutt's account of this race:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2...er&utm_term=Tough Night in North Sea Expected

 

Oops there's a really fast boat out there that doesn't rate a mention .

Wind and wave overlays from Passage weather attached for interest:

 

Somebody call CT249.......

 

The latest RORC update notes that the Multi70 Musandam/Oman Sail is approaching Muckle Flugga and is two hours ahead of record pace. It also includes a good round up on the rest of the fleet:

http://roundbritainandireland.rorc....eleases/295-record-pace-at-muckle-flugga.html