Eurocat 2014, Count Down, 6 days to go (European Champ)

[Robert]

Just getting round to organising some travel insurance. The first company I looked at (TopDog) covers sailing but not racing. Anyone got any ideas for a reasonable cost insurer? Presumably I should get travel cover to include the sailing activity - guess WH boat policy is not sufficient....

[Erling]

I am told by WH Insurance that we are covered up to 30 days, so not a problem if you have insured through them.

[Robert]

Thanks Erling.

[Robert]

WH Insurance definitely cover us for the Eurocat event but this is not "Travel Insurance" per se. For health, baggage, cancellation etc. I am currently looking at "Essential Travel Insurance":
http://www.essentialtravel.co.uk/travel ... tAodLEwASg
I have sent an email specifically asking about racing and await their reply.

[stevepetts]

I can see that Paul has got a number of people ready to set sail in France for the Eurocat event next May 2014.
I am looking at getting the time from work to attend, and would be keen to buddie up to travel to the event, and get some accommodation.
The listing has some 15 people going and a couple of possibles. Does any one have a spare room in a chalet/ Eurocamp site?
Not finalised with everything at work yet, but let me know if there is a chance of a lift share and stay over.
please make contact. Steve Petts

[Mark Aldridge]

Hi Steve.

Try Simon (1970) as I think he has a chalet booked.

Steve/Thomas and myself are planning a triple decker if we can get it all on and have a chalet booked too - should be a good do and glad you're coming.

[Robert]

WH Insurance definitely cover us for the Eurocat event but this is not "Travel Insurance" per se. For health, baggage, cancellation etc. I am currently looking at "Essential Travel Insurance":
http://www.essentialtravel.co.uk/travel ... tAodLEwASg
I have sent an email specifically asking about racing and await their reply.

I am pleased to report that Essential Travel's underwriters are prepared to provide travel cover for this event as follows:

"Dear Mr England,
Our underwriters would be happy to cover this as a grade 2 and subject to you wearing all the appropriate safety equipment and having experience of participating in such an event.
Regards
Shenaz Musafir"

Sports Grade 2 - Activities like bungee jumping, safari and motorcycling (and more) require extra sports cover to be added to your policy.

About £30, or less, possibly, for those with less birthdays under their belt(?)

[simon]

Hi

Is anyone planning on doing the "Long Distance Race" , I notice you are required to carry a tow line, 2 red hand held flares and have an extra long handled paddle.

Simon

[Robert]

That's a good question, Simon. Maybe our "agent" (Brian) might be able to provide some information regarding this part of the event?

[Brian Phipps]

Hi all, great to hear and read all the on going action in the run up to the event it will be just great for the Sprint 15 sailors and the back up teams!!
Yes the longdistance race does need those safety parts .
They have yet to catch up with the real needs and limitations of single handers but that is for the future.
Right now I suggest
1) Tow line , yes as per spec
2) Flare /s yes the purpose is one flare for each person on board flare to be carried on the person , in case you got seperated from your boat !! you could try and argue as a single hander one flare.
3) Padddle ? the praddle is problerbly the most practical paddle for a single hander , but they may not understand that! I suggest you take a couple of team / fleet paddles with shafts for registration.

When you register at the start of the event, in the past, if you are doing the long distance race , you would need to show all this at registration, normally their are flares to buy if yours are out of date!! or you do not have some. I have seen a lot of flares being past around teams in the past for registration !! but if you are spot checked you are expected to have the kit required. I have never seen spot checking.

The long distance race in a small cat in light winds is a challenge , but it IS A GREAT, GREAT EVENT TO BE PART OF AT LEAST ONCE even if you are directed to do the shorter course during the race. Junior Hobie Dragoon sailors have done it so I am sure older cat hands will have no trouble. Approx 200 cats on the start line fast cats one end, slower cats at the other and a mixture in between!
Brian

[Robert]

Maybe the Long Distance Race would be the one to do in Sport mode, even if the others are sailed una-rig?

[simon]

Hi

Having followed this topic the suggestions as to whether to sail una, sport or 2up has arisen, I would like to suggest we sail all three, reason being
, we are all going for the racing and to show case the boat, if we sail in all formats we will be showing off the versatilite of the boat and not showing just the one side of the boat

Simon

[Bob Carter]

With the Sprint Sport Nationals or whatever they're called now in early June - would it be an idea for us all to agree that Carnac is a Sport format event??

I could do with the practice pre Instow and we may get more from the event if we're 'on the wire'.

Thoughts folks..

Hi Mark
This is not a very good strategy on a couple of counts:

1) The Sport mode gets a very poor handicap. The FFVoile Rating is a formula based handicap system vey similar to SCHRS. In fact many of the FFVoile ratings seem to be just 1000 times the SCHRS rating. As I have pointed out previously the Sport mode does not perform to the formula. The formula requires the Sport mode to be 8.7% faster that the standard una-rig mode yet we know from > 20 years of data that it is typically only 4% faster than the unarig mode. The Sport mode also needs to be no slower than 1.3% slower than a Dart 18 which is pretty tough.

2) If you enter in Sport mode you get put into Group 3 and have to complete against Dart 18s and all sorts. If you enter as a Unarig boat you will be put into Group 4. They say "If entry numbers are limited in a group they may amalgamate groups such as 3 and 4" and I think in the past it is Group 4 that has had small entries. If however we turn up with 15 Sprint 15 in Group 4 it seems to me that it will be much less likely to be merged with another group making it a predominantly Sprint 15 group. It is a good ploy for those with a crew to enter 2-up as Simon has spotted 2-up boats do get a better rating.
Cheers
Bob

PS An even worse thing to do would be to take a DX rig on their handicaps. If you did the DX would have to sail 16.6% faster than a unarig Sprint 15 AND 7.5% faster than a Dart 18..............

[Robert]

Yes, the Dart 18 SCHRS/FFvoile handicap is very soft indeed andmakes the craft an unattractive competitor. However, am I right in my understanding that the Long Distance Race is a separate event? If so, and judging from Brian's gentle hint about the length of the race (especially in lightish airs) taking advantage of a slightly quicker rig might be more comfortable, even safer, for those who are so inclined.

[Robert]

PS An even worse thing to do would be to take a DX rig on their handicaps. If you did the DX would have to sail 16.6% faster than a unarig Sprint 15 AND 7.5% faster than a Dart 18..............

The DX rig seemed to suffer a heavy disadvantage during the SCHRS re-ratings at the beginning of 2013. Prior to this it was rated about the same as a Dart 18. However the D18 inexplicably softened whereas the DX15 hardened significantly. This was reduced slightly from 1.159 to 1.18 (DX) when a correction was applied. This was due to the class being mistakenly treated as a new one with modern hulls. The Dart 18 SCHRS currently stands at 1.221 which has a 'PY Lookalike' of 846 compared to 817 for a DX 15. Hence the warning given by Bob, above, because this will be the figure used for Carnac (unless there is another re-rating beforehand).

The softening of the D18 index along with the hardening of the DX15 would seem to be due to the change in the SCHRS rating of crew weight. Basically, the thesis is that "bigger boats tend to be sailed by heavier people". A D18 is bigger than a DX15, so the crew (each) will be heavier and an 'easing' factor seems to have been applied for the bigger boat and a penalty for the smaller one. This is a 2013 development and the DX has suffered heavily. The Dart 18 PY of 805 seems closer to the mark to me.