Following the gale warning last Wednesday 14 February that saw the Afternoon race cancelled and the Twilight race run, we thought it would be a good opportunity to review the Racing Rules and Club procedures with respect to cancelling races due to inclement weather. According to the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) Rule 4, it is the Skipper’s decision alone whether to race or not.
The Race Officer may postpone or abandon a race; (a) because of foul weather, (b) because of insufficient wind making it unlikely that any boat will finish within the time limit, (c) because a mark is missing or out of position, or (d) for any other reason directly affecting the safety or fairness of the competition.
The assessment of the conditions will take into consideration the overall forecast and local conditions including wind strength and sea state. For example high wind strength and flat water conditions may be considered safe, while high wind strength combined with a rough sea state would be considered unsafe.
Signals will be displayed on the Club’s flag mast, and notices on the Clubs Race Noticeboard . This can be said to be the source of truth. However, to assist Skipper’s decision making and organisation, the Club will, when possible, post the notification on the home page of the RYCV Website so that it is more accessible.
In addition, the Club’s Membership & Sailing Administrator will send an SMS to entrants approximately 3 hours beforehand.
It is important to note that this is not notification under the RRS and will only be to the registered Skipper and to the details as provided in the race entry. It is the registered Skippers responsibility to communicate with their crew.
And, remember… Sailing is on, until it is not on! When in doubt check the Club’s website home page and assume sailing is on, unless there is a notification in accordance with the RRS.
Jane Richards, Club Captain