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14:44 Tuesday 5 May 2015 Rupert HolmesEntering the cruiser class for the first time at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week

photo: Rick Tomlinson

The cruiser classes at Cowes Week offer an increasingly popular introduction into racing at the regatta as an alternative to the core IRC classes that typically consist of optimised raceboats.

The cruiser fleets are therefore an excellent way in which to enjoy all the benefits of competing in Cowes Week, without needing to spend undue time and money on modifying your boat for racing. You don’t even need to have a spinnaker.

While the emphasis is firmly on friendly competition, there are some good sailors in this fleet and winning remains a big challenge. Nevertheless, competitors in the cruiser classes invariably find it a rewarding experience that’s both enjoyable and helps sharpen their sailing skills. The cruising classes use an inexpensive and simplified, but well proven, rating system – the Cowes-based Island Sailing Club’s ISCRS. The procedure for getting a rating is simple and straightforward, with only a few measurements needed, many of which can be derived from manufacturer’s data. Find out more here.

On the water

Part of the attraction of inshore racing is the frequent manoeuvres you have to carry out and the benefits gained in doing these to perfection. It’s therefore worth spending a little time practicing short tacking and gybing with your crew in advance of the regatta, as well as setting and recovering the spinnaker if you carry one.

However, the most important single factor is to be sure that the mainsheet can be controlled efficiently. In particular, it’s vital to be able to dump the sheet quickly to enable the boat to bear away when manoeuvring in close proximity to other vessels. It’s also worth checking out the Racing Rules of Sailing and digesting the Sailing Instructions for the event. The latter have recently been significantly simplified and are published a few weeks before the regatta starts.

Boat preparation

It’s no secret that good boat preparation is essential for success in regattas and top teams invest a serious amount of time in this. However, many of the benefits the professional crews will get from their boat prep can be achieved with a lot less effort simply by checking that all the deck gear, running rigging and sails are in good condition and that there’s no risk of breakages.

It’s also important to check that your boat complies with Category 4 of the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations. While many cruising vessels may be equipped to a generally higher standard than this, it’s incumbent on the skipper to ensure that nothing has been missed from the list. Find out more at: www.sailing.org/specialregs

Finally, don’t underestimate the benefit of a clean hull – even a thin layer of slime that would not make much difference to passage times when cruising can make a big different to race results. It’s therefore well worth having a scrub the week before the regatta, but book early as demand is always high just before Cowes Week.