Racing / Skill Building

Skill Building Through Racing

2024 Spring Summer Regatta

1. Renton Sailing Center’s “Skill Building Through Racing” 2024 Season will begin on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Racing will be held each Tuesday through the Spring and Summer (provided enough members volunteer as Race Committee and Dockmaster) with the last event on August 27, 2024. 

2. Participation begins when the racer emails raceres@rentonsailing.org and asks to participate in the specific event. Email requests to participate will be accepted between noon Friday and 6 PM Sunday before the following Tuesday’s race. Participation in each weekly event requires a unique email request for that specific week. Different online sign-up systems are being looked into and notice will be given if the email system described here changes. Your RSVP is your commitment to show up on time to participate and not leave the race committee reassigning crews at the last minute. 

3. The Race Committee will form the race teams (crews) and will assign the boats. Crews and boats will be assigned based on the sailor’s experience levels, with the goal of maximizing learning opportunities (basic sailing, racing, and mentoring) with safety first. 

4. Skill Building through Racing relies on volunteers to make racing happen. 

  1. Members qualified as Dockmasters may volunteer or will be asked to serve as Dockmaster for Rigging, dock-out, dock-in, unrigging and securing all gear. 
  2. The sailing instructions and equipment have been modified so anyone qualified as Dockmaster may be Principal Race Officer after an orientation from a certified race official. PRO’s do not need a keelboat checkout if they elect to use the coach boat for a committee boat. Members may volunteer or may be asked to serve on the Race Committee.
  3. Any member or guest may be asked to serve or may volunteer to assist on the race committee boat. 
  4. Share your desire to volunteer in these key roles in your RSVP. 

5. The Race Committee reserves the right to alter the crew and boat assignments at the time of the race set-up, boat rigging, and during the race. 

6. PFDs must be worn at all times on the dock and in the boats, except for brief periods while adding or removing clothing. A range of youth and adult PFD sizes are available at the dock, but sailors should bring their own PFD if they have one. 

7. The following boats are available, and will be treated as one class for the races: 

  • 5 RS Visions (crew of 2-3) 
  • 2 RS Quest (crew of 2-3)
  • 3 RS Zests (crew of 1-2 each)
  • 1 RS Venture (crew of 2-4) (provided qualified skipper attends)

Note: members may be assigned to skipper or crew any of these boats. Please use the Open Sailing Events to become familiar with rigging, unrigging, and sailing all of these designs. Skill Building trough Racing is not the time to learn the basic rigging, unrigging and sailing of these vessels and can focus on sailing improvement during the regatta.

Rigging Guides and Videos are available at https://www.rentonsailing.org/sail/fleet/

Racers will need to understand the basics of setting, jibing and dowsing an asymmetrical spinnaker. Check out this video: How to sail with a Spinnaker on a small sailboat

8. Rigging of boats will begin at 5 PM. Plan to be at the dock at 5:00 to help rig boats. Parking at Coulon Beach Park can be crowded on a warm Tuesday afternoon so plan accordingly. 

9. Race Committee or Dockmaster will check rigging of each boat before the boat leaves the dock. 9. 1st race will begin at 6 PM or sooner if the fleet is ready. The goal of the Race Committee will be to have the last race end 20 minutes prior to sunset, leaving time for competitors to derig boats before dark. 

10. Members who are new to Skill Building through Racing Should watch our Racing 101 video for a basic overview of how a race is conducted at Renton Sailing Sailboat Racing 101

The Renton Sailing Center Board and the Race Committee are excited about another year of Skill Building Through Racing camaraderie and fun, and hope that you’ll consider joining us. Please read the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions for more information. If you have specific questions after reading those documents please email our Principle Race Officers, John Padgett maintenance@rentonsailing.org or Mike Jarvis michaelj@rentonsailing.org.

Links & Current Info

Notice of Race – Rules for our Tuesday night racing series.

Sailing Instructions – Information on how to participate. 

Suplement to Sailing Instructions Docking in/out added 06/28/2024

Sailing Instructions Addendum 8/12/2024 Rabbit Starts

Race Courses – diagram of possible courses the race committee may set.

Racing Rules of Sailing – RRS 2021-2024 

Please note:  These are the World Rules without the US Prescriptions (which I do not think have much effect on our ‘Skill Building Through Racing’)

A current copy of the RRS 2021-2024 with US Prescriptions can be found at https://www.ussailing.org/ either by joining US Sailing or purchasing a copy of the RRS.

New to Racing? Sailboat racing is a great way to become a better sailor fast. Whether you thrive on or detest compition you will learn a lot and all are welcome. Check out this Sailboat Racing 101 video so you’ll have some understanding of whats going on.

New to setting, dousing, and jibing the spinnaker? This video will orient you to how the asymetrical spinnakers work on the RS Vision and Quest

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