I am still fairly new to this lark, but having entered a few open meetings this year, I have found them to be a great day out, with good racing against other sailors with similar abilities to mine, and the chance to get some top tips from some of the better sailors, I am keen to try to grow the attendance within our region for next year, so in order to gauge how to do this, it would be useful to get a feeling of why people don't go to these great events. 

 

Any input would be useful please 

Other time commitments 

Hi Andy, you probably know this already, but I’m still a keen and active dinghy sailor/racer. I still prefer Sunday club racing in my dinghy, so Sunday radio yachting events are out for me at present. Other family commitments (grandchildren) can restrict Saturday availability too. The above is bound to change over time.

I will be entering these events once my hips are fixed.

I decided to go to one even as only 6 months into the sport, and really enjoyed sailing on a new piece of water, seeing other very good sailors and also realising that the normal finishing order at club level was not replicated at an open. I have done more since and really enjoy a new competitive environment every few weeks. It hones your skills in a fresh way as it is a day of sailing, lulls you out of complacency that can set in at club level. More club sailors would benefit from some regional travel, and as you travel people recognise you and you get welcomed in. We need to encourage more. 
(it has also helped that at club level, we are used to have 8 or so on the start line and now up to 15 which is good prep for open meetings)

I co vo to open events very regularly only restdictec by event clashes between 6 metre and A class opens

20 hours ago, Stephen B said:

I decided to go to one even as only 6 months into the sport, and really enjoyed sailing on a new piece of water, seeing other very good sailors and also realising that the normal finishing order at club level was not replicated at an open. I have done more since and really enjoy a new competitive environment every few weeks. It hones your skills in a fresh way as it is a day of sailing, lulls you out of complacency that can set in at club level. More club sailors would benefit from some regional travel, and as you travel people recognise you and you get welcomed in. We need to encourage more. 
(it has also helped that at club level, we are used to have 8 or so on the start line and now up to 15 which is good prep for open meetings)

Totally agree with above.

Time commitments & my typical luck things clash. I have done one which must admit when turning up felt bitten off more than I can chew. But these fears soon put to rest as some of my fellow club sailors and the friendly helpful attitude of host club. The growing of local region travel easier plus getting a date out early so people can put it in diary. Not sure if Saturday or Sunday better personally the former but all different.

Asking the question means forward thinking wanting to make it easier. 

 

 

 

 

Simply to far for me to walk now never mind run I hear that people are walking miles up and down the bank. Would love to race but unless the control areas become restricted to say a metre or 2 per competing boat in each heat then I would be at a disadvantage. Not that I was any good when I could walk, but I did enjoy competing!

13 hours ago, ericatcse said:

Simply to far for me to walk now never mind run I hear that people are walking miles up and down the bank. Would love to race but unless the control areas become restricted to say a metre or 2 per competing boat in each heat then I would be at a disadvantage. Not that I was any good when I could walk, but I did enjoy competing!

Hi, and thanks for your response, I think the walking is down to the the individual,  the few meetings I have attended, there have been skippers that have sat in one place for all the races, there was the occasional hail needed for people to get out of the way !!, but all taken in good spirit, come to the next Huntingdon RYC event, we will provide a lakeside bench for you 

Why go to an open

less pressure, more space to sail, and relax into your sailing.

15 IOMs lined up on our start line for this Saturday, get me to an open, less pressure than this! (16 lined up)

or come to the club for some great racing, preparing you for the next open 

Edit someone asks which club.  https://hryc.co.uk

Edited November 12, 20232 yr by Stephen B
Question

56 minutes ago, Stephen B said:

Why go to an open

less pressure, more space to sail, and relax into your sailing.

15 IOMs lined up on our start line for this Saturday, get me to an open, less pressure than this!

or come to the club for some great racing, preparing you for the next open 

Edit someone asks which club.  https://hryc.co.uk

Looking forward to it.

I’ve been to open meetings all over the country since I started Radio Sailing and have always been welcomed and had some fantastic racing and met some wonderful people. I do appreciate that it isn’t for everyone but remember that not all open meetings are cut throat racing and full of intimidation. Most are just skippers from local clubs getting together to race with neighbours.

Why not start a small inter club series with local clubs as an introduction to sailing with “strangers”😝

That’s exactly what our Eastern District opens are 👍

I have  an IOM and a RM that have had new sails and therefore are no longer certified.

The nice thing about my DF65 and DF95 is that they don't have this certification problem.

I’ve been mulling this one over. I do go to open meetings but not as many as I’d like! 
 

Gating factors are: 

1. Walking. I’m with the person above for the most part - my mobility is much reduced these days so any venue that requires a lot of walking is beyond my capabilities. I did the Radio A nationals at Gosport this year, walked a lot less than most which put me at a disadvantage and I suffered for a week afterwards - still a brilliant weekend! I can’t cope with Fleetwood though! To be clear, I am not criticising the venues in the slightest they are amongst the best in the world, but this is about why I don’t go! 
 

2. Expense. Multiple day events are very difficult to justify- it’s not as if I’m going to win one! 

3. Distance. I live in the bottom left hand corner of the Met and Southern region and there are few events in the area (especially not for my favourite classes). 
 

4. Family commitments. I do have commitments and am very happy to have them - if they clash with events, so be it. 

Having said that, thank you to Gosport, Poole and Bournville for the events I have attended there this year (and hopefully Two Islands if the weather cheers up!) it’s been great fun and perfect examples of why we should go to events. 

Edited November 14, 20232 yr by Downbytheriver

And finally… 

Measurement. Doesn’t apply to me, I go out of my way to get everything ship shape and Bristol fashion, but a lot of club racers don’t. Not only sails, which is a fairly straightforward thing to rectify but how often are certificates checked at club racing? If the club tolerates it there could be whole fleets of unmeasured boats. This will stop anyone going to opens. Sounds easily rectified? You try to get a six metre measured at the moment… we need to make sure that every class has a suitable provision for measuring. 

The measurement comment is very interesting in that the need to attend an RYA sail measurement course at a cost of £150 approx will mean that there will be an increasing number of boats which have a number but are not measured. In my own club we have I would estimate 20 or more IOMs that are in this situation and most of these owners  will not consider racing at other venues or joining the MYA despite persuasion simply because its a pain to get boats measured and they see the MYA as putting barriers in their way. I have been told that the requirements for measurers vary depending on which part of the world an owner happens to live, if this is correct should we register boats in other countries?

I am currently finishing a new IOM but am not looking forward to travelling a considerable distance to get it measured, 

We have received a plea from our secretary to vote at the AGM. I value the commitment of  our representatives but on this issue we have been miss led and the apathy of the membership would appear to support my feelings, I/we perhaps should have put a motion to the AGM that the MYA funds the cost of the RYA course?

 

Stephen

I believe anyone who wants to be a sail measurer can claim the course fee plus an agreed mileage allowance for travelling to the course.

See the main web site for information on becoming a measurer.

Eric

On the subject of OPEN Events ...............................The entries have just opened for the Fleetwood Twixman DF95 &  IOM OPEN events.

Festive fun in the sun!!!

First entry already in from an Eastbourne member.

All are welcome!

Merry Christmas.

 

Derek

 

On 14/11/2023 at 15:43, Downbytheriver said:

And finally… 

Measurement. Doesn’t apply to me, I go out of my way to get everything ship shape and Bristol fashion, but a lot of club racers don’t. Not only sails, which is a fairly straightforward thing to rectify but how often are certificates checked at club racing? If the club tolerates it there could be whole fleets of unmeasured boats. This will stop anyone going to opens. Sounds easily rectified? You try to get a six metre measured at the moment… we need to make sure that every class has a suitable provision for measuring. 

I am one of the "new" sail measurers.  The course was paid for, my mileage was paid at MYA rates and my reason for going through it was because I was already an RYA member due to being an instructor.  I'm not sure what the situation now is about RYA membership, but the course was good (other than I didn't enjoy scrabbling around on the floor measuring 420 sails) and you do become qualified to measure whatever class you want to measure including Optimist to IOR!!! I'm only doing IOM's!

Already looking at dates for IOM Eastern open meetings so I can hopefully get to as many as possible. Something to focus on see what progress I can make 🤔