Please select your home edition
Edition
V-DRY-X

Getting more people racing: Weekday club evening races thriving

by Rupert Holmes 9 Jun 2015 05:31 PDT 9 June 2015
Hamble River Wednesday Night Series A day 3 © Bertrand Malas

One aspect of big boat racing that appears to be increasingly healthy is weekday evening racing, which is thriving at many clubs around the UK, even where attendance at supposedly higher profile weekend events is declining.

There appear to be a number of drivers for this, one of the biggest being that it doesn't interfere with increasingly precious weekend time where family commitments are often over-ridding. Given that most clubs have held their week day racing on the same night for many years, even those with busy jobs that involve frequent late finishes, can generally organize their schedule to keep race night free. "We think the attraction is that it's local and a whole series through the summer," says Lea Bennett of the Island SC in Cowes. "It also breaks the week up and gives you something to look forward to."

Inclusive and welcoming

At almost every club there is a very inclusive atmosphere surrounding week-night racing that welcomes newcomers to racing, whether crewing for others or perhaps entering their own cruising oriented yachts for the first time. This undoubtedly helps with the numbers, while also offering owners the chance to sail with and train new crew in an environment that's less pressurised than that of key events.

"We get a mix [of entries]," says Lis Robinson, of Hamble River SC, "about half are cruisers who enjoy getting out with a slightly more relaxed fleet, the shorter race courses and the conviviality afterwards in the club house. The other half, who come from across all the classes, race weekends as well but you can't tell one group from the other back in the club. Everyone is out there for fun and the atmosphere after racing in the club house is always great."

In addition many clubs run local handicap systems that are cheap and easy to take part in for boats that don't have an IRC certificate. This represents another breaking down of barriers that keep many of those who own a cruising yacht that they would be interesting in racing from getting to the start line. Many of these local handicap systems – as with the RYA NHC scheme – are adjusted throughout the season so that the racing is closer and so that those who make a big effort to improve their performance are rewarded in the final standings.

An efficient use of time

Perhaps the biggest single reason behind the popularity of weekday evening lies in the increasing time pressures that many of us are under, both from work and from family commitments. There's a sense that an escape from work, an intense spell of sailing, plus some invigorating socializing can all be accomplished in four hours during an evening, instead of taking out an entire day during the weekend.

This is a point that Mark Jardine, editor of Yachtsandyachting.com, is keen to point out. "Since having kids, weekend time is at a premium and usually taken up with family activities. The convenience of weekday evening racing has made this my regular sailing activity during the summer months. It has definitely given me the opportunity to get out on the water without impacting on the other commitments in my life."

However, it's also important to note that too much of a good thing has the potential to be counter productive. If there are a number of clubs in a small geographical area, and if each one runs an evening series, the numbers in each race can become seriously diluted. This, in turn, results in a reduced incentive to get out on the water – after all, if the competition's not great, then what's the point?

This appears to be the case in one of the West Country ports, where it's possible to race almost every weekday evening, but often in disappointingly small fleets. On the other hand, this is an aspect in which Cowes sets a good example – the Island Sailing Club's Tuesday Evening Series has long been legendary, but by and large the other clubs don't seek to compete with it by organising their own weekday evening racing.

Finally, don't forget to publicise your racing – reading about it on YachtsandYachting.com, or in the sports pages of your local paper, is a great way to relive an enjoyable evening. It also serves in important purpose in reminding those who weren't there exactly what they missed.

About Haven Knox-Johnston

Run by boating enthusiasts for boating enthusiasts, Haven Knox-Johnston has grown to become one of the UK's leading providers in boat insurance. All policies are backed by the financial strength and security of Amlin Syndicate 2001 one of the largest Syndicates in Lloyd's.

Haven Knox-Johnston has over 28 years of experience in providing boat insurance for most types of craft including sailing boats and yachts.

Haven Knox-Johnston is a trading name of Amlin Underwriting Services Limited, St Helen's, One Undershaft, London EC3A 8ND which is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority.

www.boatinsure.co.uk

Related Articles

The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?! Posted today at 11:00 am
The power of tech
What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? Posted on 2 Jul
Some thoughts on provisioning for distance sailing
A new perspective on provisioning and time spent at sea One of the great joys of distance racing unfurls the moment that the dock lines are untied. Suddenly, the myriad packing lists that inevitably define most trip-planning efforts become about as relevant as a tax return from eight years ago. Posted on 1 Jul
Bill Guilfoyle on the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race
Bill Guilfoyle discusses the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race When it comes to offshore sailing in the United States, the biennial Transpacific Yacht Race reigns supreme for its distance and promise of off-the-breeze sailing angles. Posted on 1 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
One thing. One big, very fast boat
One thing that opened the door, another made us enquire some more - 50 knots! Yes. It was one thing that opened the door, as it were. One thing that piqued the curiosity enough to go, ‘I'll take a look at that!' One thing that when you're trying to crack in excess of 50 knots... Posted on 30 Jun
A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Harald Findlay on the 2025 Edgartown Race Weekend
A Q&A with Harald Findlay on the 2025 Edgartown Race Weekend When it comes to racing sailboats on the East Coast of the United States in the summer months, few places are as classic as the waters surrounding Martha's Vineyard's northwestern flank. Posted on 18 Jun
Sailing and the summer solstice
Celebrating sailing and the longest day of the year If you love long evenings and early mornings, this is one of the best times of the whole year, as the summer solstice (Friday, June 20) and the entire rich expanse of summer are about to burst into bloom. Posted on 17 Jun
Video Review: The Amazing Cure 55
Composite Construction meets Cruising Convenience It was two years ago at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show that I talked to Dave Biggar about his ideas and plans for the Cure 55. At the 2025 show I got to step on board the yacht and see how his ideas became reality. Posted on 17 Jun
Rooster 2025Cyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTERSwitch One Design