A Quick Guide to Pursuit Racing

For those who have never taken part in a pursuit race before here is a quick guide so you know what to expect.

Unlike traditional handicap racing where you all start together at Go and then the timings are calculated after the race has finished. In a pursuit race you will all set off at a time which is relevant to your boat, starting with the slowest boat.

The slowest boat currently in our fleet are the Tera Sports, so for these sailors they will see the usual 5-4-1-Go and begin racing around the course at Go. For everyone else, you will see you have a Start + time allocated to your class. This signifies how many min:secs you start after Go. The Race Officer (RO) will sound the horn each time it is a boats turn to start but only for those classes taking part.

For Example: A Topper would start 03:09 after Go, a Lightning at 11:50 after go and a Laser at 14:15 after go. This means that for some of you the wait for the start could feel a little long (but be warned, the start time will sneak up on you).

Your job once you start is to catch up and overtake the slower classes. If you overtake them on the water then you beat them in that race (assuming you stay ahead).

Everyone will then finish at the same time and the RO will give some blasts on the hooter and raise the shorten course flag. There is no need to sail to the finish line but please try to remain in your positions for a short time so that the RO and team can ensure they have everyones positions written down.

Last updated 14:12 on 2 August 2024