Coastal 2020

[RushMan 27]

42 minutes ago, 44forty said:

3

There seem to be a lot of boats DNF in the results

[44forty 90]

30 minutes ago, RushMan said:

There seem to be a lot of boats DNF in the results

Still got a handful of boats out front here at taiharuru/ngunguru bay tacking back and forth . It’s super light 5Kts max 

[Tamure 357]

At this stage it's fishing and finding a nice bay for the evening

[Fogg 177]

Pretty disappointing coverage. The official CC website news hasn’t been updated since first boats crossed the line early on Sat am.

And nothing on LSD since the start either.

So a bit of a non-event for competitors and followers alike. How did the coverage die such a death from what it used to be?

[ex Elly 51]

I guess with Covid, there were no big flash overseas boats.  No chance of a record.  Most boats pulled out. So nothing exciting for the media to cover.

However there was an admirable battle by a bunch of boats to make the 3pm deadline, which could have been worth mentioning...

 

[KM... 820]

2 hours ago, Fogg said:

Pretty disappointing coverage. The official CC website news hasn’t been updated since first boats crossed the line early on Sat am.

These days if you aren't a 60ft + rocketship or have foils you don't really feature in the minds of race organisers any more. That's why the offshore race fleets have been decimated.

Am I reading the results right in seeing only 17 boats finished inside the time limit? Man o man what a drifter it was.

[Fogg 177]

I wasn’t expecting front page Herald coverage but just sone updates to the official CC website.

In previous years the organisers had a pretty slick media machine that issued regular updates to the website (and here on Crew) plus media press releases.

This year it seems like they sent their comms team home straight after the start gun.

[Fish 594]

I think the PR team was let go when HSBC ceased sponsorship. Certainly I understand there was a big change in budgets recently, which is manifesting itself in the lower tone of social media and website comms.

I personally don't mind it returning to a yacht race event as opposed to a media event or party event preceded by a yacht race. I know this year was an outlier for weather, but I saw 37 boats finish out of 170 something entries?

It is a shame to have a cut off so early. A light wind race brings out a number of classic yacht racing attributes. Patients, perseverance, the ability to concentrate and helm well at 3 am, the psych games in the dark and light airs, and real tactics. There is such a preconception that the Coastal must be a downwind slay ride with a 25-35 SW up the chuff, that when it is some other kind of yacht race it is a bad thing.

There is a big focus on the party at the end, and prize giving, that must be held on the Sat night. But that precludes a number of boats finishing (every year), hence the party preceded by a yacht race comment. I think it would be good to see the party de-enthusized and the racing elevated by substantially extending the time limit. But then I do sail an older, slower boat, so maybe I'm biased.

Prize giving used to be on the Sunday morning didn't it?

[harrytom 261]

"Fish" and there lies the problem, sponsorship. Did the pybc 2 handed race a few yrs ago.Friday night start to Ponui.No time limit.Saturday 9.00am start to kawau.cut off time 6.00pm sponsors BBQ Sunday Back to Panmure.Cut off time 4.00pm

You have paid your entry fee You should have the right to finish,maybe take your own finish time??Seems to me we cater for the fastest not the average.Sure race control cannot control the weather gods. Cannot shorten a race once there are finishes though. Could the race control look at the weather and say we will shorten at cape Brett??No the intention of the race I know.

[DrWatson 222]

So, 119 NM in 28.5h if you’re in div 5. 

If it’s upwind the whole way, which we know is not likely as you’d normally get a reprieve if and when you round Brett, but just for argument‘s sake let’s say it’s on th now the whole way. That’s 167.8NM (?) sailed meaning you need to stay above 5.93kts... 

Of course that’s not taking into account leeway or currents, and assumes your boat points well at 45 true, which for a number of  at least the classics is not going to be the case.  Averaging 5.9-6knts for 28h in the light is not about sailing a well prepared boat well, it’s about having money (or a multi).

It’s not hard to run simple routing numbers and when you do it’s pretty clear that if it’s 10knts or less and N to NW most boats might as well stay home. 
 

In my view, one could be forgiven for feeling that closing the race at 1500 on Saturday, and not having or showing the flexibility to keep it open even when it’s clearly a drifter is pretty much a big FU to anyone not sailing a large top end race boat. So much for making sailing and racing/the sport accessible and for welcoming all comers. Happy to take your 200-300 buck entry fee but not nice enough to let the race run to give folk a realistic chance to actually finish. Yes I know they are volunteers on the finish boats, but nonetheless, 1500h? stick it out a bit! - God knows the crews out there certainly are!

is it that hard to organise a finishing crew to take over at 1500? You can see all the boats coming on the tracker.