Round the Island Race

[johnmkhubbard]

i have wanted to sail my BRe in the Round the Island race ever since we bought her. After digging into the details and calling the Island Sailing Club i find we are not eligible to enter.

Unless a boat is registered as one of a specific class it has to comply with ISAF offshore special regulations category 4. these include a requirement to have guardrails. it is also debatable whether the minimum weight requirement of 770kg is satisfied by including the waterballast. i think it should but they are not my rules.
Sportsboats are exempt ( not sure of the category but i think it includes J70 and SB20) because they are a defined class and can be recalled if the wind is too great. So Matt keep selling new BRes and eventually there will be enough of us to do it together

[Peter Taylor]

Sportsboats are exempt ( not sure of the category but i think it includes J70 and SB20) because they are a defined class and can be recalled if the wind is too great. So Matt keep selling new BRes and eventually there will be enough of us to do it together

Interesting! Sounds like you would have to organise a Class Association and get it registered with the RYA, which is quite a bit of work. The reformed Seafly racing dinghy Class Association is just going through that procedure (the previous Class Association having ended in the mid 1990's). I'd guess that there are a lot fewer Seafly dinghies now sailing than BRe's, so numbers built is not a problem. It's finding the will to do the organisation needed (and I suspect Swallow Yachts owners are likely to rebel against organisation - even having a house flag caused arguments!).

Having said that the Round the Island Race would be the last place I'd want to take Seatern! Photo was taken from a yacht anchored in Hurst Roads at 0604 1st June 2013 as part of the race approached (the bigger/faster yachts had long gone past!)