Picture yourself surging through waves, spray flying, the rest of the fleet in your wake, sun just coming up over the horizon, the smell of bacon from the galley below, the finishing line in sight! How do your feel?
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 We have an opportunity for you to do 1 or 2 exciting Royal Ocean Racing Club races on a 72ft round the world racing yacht.Â
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These RORC races are a great opportunity to get a taste of what offshore racing is like and to experience the thrill of working as a team on a powerful yacht.
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1st Race
30 April – 3 May
CERVANTES RACE
Join the yacht In Portsmouth at 10am on Friday 30th April for a day of yacht familiarisation and race training. The race is to Le Harve in France and starts on Saturday morning. After completing the race on Sunday and depending on the weather and time there may be time to spend the evening ashore before sailing back on Monday to return by 1600.
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2nd Race
14 May – 16 May
DE GUINAND BOWL
Join the yacht in Portsmouth at 10am on Friday 14th May for a day of yacht familiarisation and race training. The race is around buoys in the Channel and starts on Saturday morning. Depending on conditions the race will be designed to last between 24 and 36 hours. You will finish back at Portsmouth at 1600 on the Sunday.
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The price for the Cervantes Race is £365.
The price for the De Guingand Bowl is £299.
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If you would like to do both races we can offer both for £597.
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The price includes all food on board, use of oilskins, all safety gear and insurance.
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If you would like to sign up do not delay, book today! by phoning or emailing Anne or Charlie on 0203 006 3717 or info@firstclasssailing.com
Feel the thrill of helming a 72ft yacht in an offshore race!
1 Comment » Col Reg Rhymes – An easy way to remember collision regulations
From Martin Bartholomew – one of our instructors.
Rule of the Road for Day Skippers and Yachtmasters.
(for vessels in sight of one another)Â Â
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Keep a look out at all times;
See a ship, and do your rhymes.
If the bearing does not change,
Then action’s needed (at long range). (more…)
Leave Comment » Col Reg of Week
Rule 17
Action by stand-on vessel. This Rule is in Part B, Section II and therefore applies to vessels in sight of one another.
(a) (i) Where one of two vessels is to keep out of the way the other shall keep her course and speed. (more…)
1 Comment » Col Reg of the Week
Rule 24
Towing and pushing.
Part C – Lights and Shapes
(a) A power-driven vessel when towing shall exhibit:
(i) instead of the light prescribed in Rule 23(a)(i) or (a)(ii), two masthead lights in a vertical line. When the length of the tow, measuring from the stern of the towing vessel to the after end of the tow exceeds 200 metres, three such lights in a vertical line;
(ii) sidelights;
(iii) a sternlight;
(iv) a towing light in a vertical line above the sternlight;
(v) when the length of the tow exceeds 200 metres, a diamond shape where it can best be seen. (more…)
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Col Reg of the Week
Both of these Rules are in Part C – Lights and Shapes
Rule 28 – Vessels constrained by their draught
A vessel constrained by her draught may, in addition to the lights prescribed for power-driven vessels in Rule 23, exhibit where they can best be seen three all-round red lights in a vertical line, or a cylinder.
Rule 23 – Power-driven vessels underway (more…)
Leave Comment » Col Rge of the Week
Rule 27 – Vessels not under command or restricted in their ability to manoeuvre. This Rule is in Part C Lights and Shapes.
(a) A vessel not under command shall exhibit:
(i) two all-round red lights in a vertical line where they can best be seen;
(ii) two balls or similar shapes in a vertical line where they can best be seen;
(iii) when making way through the water, in addition to the lights prescribed in this paragraph, sidelights and a sternlight.
(b) A vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre, except a vessel engaged in mine clearance operations, shall exhibit: (more…)
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Rule 23 – Lights and Shapes for Power driven vessels underway. This rule is in Part C Lights and Shapes.
Power-driven vessels underway
(a) A power-driven vessel underway shall exhibit:
(i) a masthead light forward;
(ii) a second masthead light abaft of and higher than the forward one; except that a vessel of less than 50 metres in length shall not be obliged to exhibit such light but may do so;
(iii) sidelights;
(iv) a sternlight. (more…)
Leave Comment » Ship’s Bell
References to a ships bell are often made in modern day parlance. The ship’s bell was primarily used for telling time on board a ship.  These days yachts have all sorts of watch systems. 2 hours on, 6 hours off. 3 hours on 3 hours off for example.  Probably the most common watch system is 4 on, 4 off. A ship’s bell, struck every half hour, used to indicate by the number of strokes the number of half-hours of the watch that had elapsed. The striking of eight bells indicated midnight. After midnight, one bell was struck at 0030am, two bells at 0100, three bells at 0130 and so forth until eight bells were struck again at 0400, at which point the above progression was repeated until eight bells were again struck at 0800. In this way eight bells ring rang four hours around the clock.
Leave Comment » Col Reg of the Week
Rule 7
Risk of Collision. This is in section 1 of Part B the Steering and Sailing Rules.  It therefore applies to the conduct of vessels in an y condition of visibility.
(a) Every vessel shall use all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions to determine if risk of collision exists. If there is any doubt such risk shall be deemed to exist. (more…)
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