# Wanting an over view of sailboat racing...



## JoCoSailor (Dec 7, 2015)

Okay so I live in Kansas and am still relativity new sailing and racing. I have gotten in involved in One Design beer night races. Having a great time, but I hear and read about a lot of other racing that leaves me with lots of questions. I know there also the world of ocean racing for now I'm just wondering about what I think is called buoy racing

Like what is the deal with America's Cup and New York Yacht Club?
Is America's Cup now just all about technology and who can make the fastest sailboat?
Is there for lack of better term is there a "circuit" that still sponsors monohull keelboat and racing skills?
Is there professional centerboard racing? 


Any thoughts or links to other resource .appreciated


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## SchockT (May 21, 2012)

Buoy Racing is just a generic term for inshore racing that is run on courses marked out with buoys. The levels range from the "beercan" racing that you got a taste of, all the way up to world championships and Olympics. Yes there are professional sailors at the higher levels of buoy racing, but the vast majority is amateur. Types of boats raced range from old cruising boats all the way up to state of the art racing machines and everything in between. If it sails somebody has probably raced it! 

America's Cup is just a development class for the ultra-rich! There are rules for every event that are determined by the defender of the cup. 

Sent from my SM-G981W using Tapatalk


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

There is so much out there. From Puddle Duck Racers to Volvo Ocean, Vendee and Americas Cup and everything in between. 

Yes, there are pro keel boat racers, I know a couple. They seem to pop up all over the place, they will be on a Transpac, then they show up on a Chicago to Mac, then next thing you know they are racing a beach cat or centre boarder in the EC.

Pro centre boarders? Yes, as far as I know, any athlete can seek out sponsorship.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

I should add, there are 3 major types of short course (buoy?) recreational racing that I know about.

One design. Boats that are all basically the same; all Hobie 16s, all J80s, Americas Cup.

PHRF. This is keel boat sailing with handicaps (time penalties for boats that are known to be consistently faster than others). In theory you could race a Compac 16 against a J24. In theory...

Portsmouth Yardstick or Portsmouth. This is for mixed fleet dinghy and beach cat racing with time handicaps. In theory, you could bring a Optimist up against a Tornado...


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## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

You mention a "circuit". Some one-design classes schedule races at different venues in the South during the winter months. Lightnings, Thistles, 505's, J/24's, Etchells, etc. Didn't see anything for Buccaneers, but some people charter instead of trailing their own boat, so you might try that, in a different boat from your own.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Most of the big offshore/ocean races draw professional crews, in some classes, and are often monos. The Newport to Bermuda, for example has an open class with one off racing boats. They also have a basic cruiser class with all the familiar monos and owner driven boats.

Of course, as I type this, I realize professional may take on different meanings. Some boats are skippered by their owner, but the crew is paid.


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## JoCoSailor (Dec 7, 2015)

Thanks for all the feedback! 

SchockT, "If it sails somebody has probably raced it!" 
yeah if I've earned anything about sailing/racing it seem any time there are two boats on the water there's a race 

paulk, "some people charter instead of trailing their own boat, so you might try that, in a different boat from your own "
I'll look in to this....would be fun to sail in something other than a Bucc 

Arcb "Portsmouth Yardstick or Portsmouth. This is for mixed fleet dinghy and beach cat racing with time handicaps. In theory, you could bring a Optimist up against a Tornado "
unfortunately these handicap are one thing I know all too well. My boats PS is .87 the best sailors around here sail boats with ratings .97 to 1.004. So in a 30 minute +/- race I have to be ahead by 4 or 5 minutes to win a race 

To answer my own question...I see US has tons of info on racing down to sea level.

Would still like to hear more thoughts about racing. Is it growing? Did covid set it back? 

Thanks again!
Lew


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

JoCoSailor said:


> My boats PS is .87 the best sailors around here sail boats with ratings .97 to 1.004.


Could be the best sailors, or perhaps the best shoppers. It's very common for racers to gravitate to hulls that are known to be able to outsail their PHRF ratings. ie slow rating, but a marignally faster boat than implied.


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## JoCoSailor (Dec 7, 2015)

Minnewaska.

LOL I think you you might be on to something there. There is one Laser sailor that uses the smaller sail on his boat Which changed his PY from .923 to .973....


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

JoCoSailor said:


> Would still like to hear more thoughts about racing. Is it growing? Did covid set it back?


Covid has had a big negative impact on boat racing of all kinds. Canoe, Kayak, sailboat, offshore power boats. 

There has been basically no international participation in 2 years. Canadians haven't been able to go to the US, Americans haven't been able to go Canada. UK has been shut out of both. I have had to cancel two one week race events in the US. 

In Canada marinas and yacht clubs were closed, for weeks or months, on more than one occasion. 

Capacity limits on outdoor gatherings. I have had 4 big sea kayak races cancelled outright because of limits on out door gatherings.

Canadians haven't even be able to freely travel within Canada for National events. Quebec border was closed to Ontario, Ontario border was closed to Quebec. PEI, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia were closed to the entire rest of the country.

Racing has been bad.

But, I beleive it will come back with a flurry once all restrictions have been lifted.


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## JoCoSailor (Dec 7, 2015)

Arcb said:


> Covid has had a big negative impact on boat racing of all kinds. Canoe, Kayak, sailboat, offshore power boats.
> 
> There has been basically no international participation in 2 years. Canadians haven't been able to go to the US, Americans haven't been able to go Canada. UK has been shut out of both. I have had to cancel two one week race events in the US.
> 
> ...


Wow...I've only heard some of what was happing in Canada. Thanks for filling me in. I hope you are correct about it coming back.


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hey,

In my area (Long Island Sound), the racing situation is kind of strange. 

In 2020 most of the big races were cancelled. Local racing continued. My local group, the Mt. Sinai Sailing Association (MSSA), cancelled the spring series, used +1 crew limits for the summer series, and removed all restrictions for the fall series. The Vineyard race was held, but no after race party.

In 2021 all the big races were back on. We did the local races plus a bunch of the big ones: 
Spring Off Soundings (attendance down but still pretty good, but no party and no trip to Block Island)
Block Island Race Week (huge number of boats attending, huge parties)
Around Long Island Regatta (attendance down)
Danish Race
Whitebread Race (lots of boats, small party)

We missed a few races due to scheduling conflicts (Fall Off Soundings, Vineyard Race, AYC Spring and Fall)

The local racing was down by a number of boats. Full disclosure - I am the vice commodore of the MSSA, so I run the racing program. I asked the members why the number of boats racing was down. Some was bad luck - mechanical problems, scheduling difficulties, etc but I didn't receive that many responses. Perhaps it was COVID related, or maybe they just didn't like the racing? 

Barry


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## Sailr (Dec 27, 2021)

JoCoSailor said:


> Okay so I live in Kansas and am still relativity new sailing and racing. I have gotten in involved in One Design beer night races. Having a great time, but I hear and read about a lot of other racing that leaves me with lots of questions. I know there also the world of ocean racing for now I'm just wondering about what I think is called buoy racing
> 
> Like what is the deal with America's Cup and New York Yacht Club?
> Is America's Cup now just all about technology and who can make the fastest sailboat?
> ...


The previous replies have great basic information. There is a club on Lake Perry (perryyachtclub.com) that has instruction and racing, also a junior program. I know folks who are members, but I live in OK. There may be other choices closer to KC that I don't know about. Just find whom to contact on the website and you'll probably get quite a bit of info that will help you decide what you want to do. Also, I think most Buccaneer fleets are probably in the Upper Midwest, IN, MI, etc. Maybe a fleet in Iowa. Fleet association websites are great sources of information, too.


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## nolatom (Jun 29, 2005)

I know zip about Kansas, including sailing/racing. Arcb has summed it up for you, various types of racing. Maybe this group could help?









Racing 101


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www.kansassailing.com






Personally I think there was a lot more racing, particularly one-design racing, back in the 1960's when I was growing up around Mass Bay. Lots of one-designs (Lightning, Snipe, Rhodes-19, 505, more). And we did "Frostbite" racing in the winter in Marblehead Harbor, in little 11-foot Interclubs. The competition was fierce, especially Frostbite, because the best all the various class racers from summer, were there, and no one could outspend you in the Interclubs.

Most racing now is handicap, meaning each boat has a 'rating" roughly representing how fast or slow it is. And it is fun to get out offshore in these big "overnight" boats, and sail her as fast as you can.
But you don't get to know who "won" and who finished where, until the race is over with, and the math guys figure out who sailed "above" their rating, and who among them, "won". And it's expensive, on big fast seagoing sailing machines.

Me, I liked, and like, one-design. If there are a dozen boats, and there three ahead of you, guess what, you're in fourth place ;-) You know how you're doing, whether you are slow, fast, or inbetween, and whether that tweak you made, or tack you split on, helped or hurt.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

Racing has continued pretty much as normal at my club on western Long Island Sound. We have a pretty extensive set of PHRF races (Wednesday series and Friday series) and an active group of one design Laser sailors that get out 2 evenings a week. Participation the last 2 years has been pretty much the same as pre-Covid. Some limitations on crew for PHRF in 2020.

I have seen a overall dropoff in racing over the 40 years I have sailed on LIS. Much less one design racing. And the major PHRF races have fewer boats. Club racing seems to be pretty strong.


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## fredbrillo111 (Nov 29, 2021)

Don't forget SORC (Southern Ocean Racing Conference) ..a series of ocean races in Florida and Bahamas.


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## Freddyj408 (12 mo ago)

I live in Kansas, also. I keep my boat at Cheney lake near Wichita. We have races every Wednesday evening and several other regattas during the summer. We have a real nice club. Google it: ninnescah sailing association.


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