RACING WITH WOA
Before taking part in any yacht race, Members, Skippers and Owners of yachts are strongly encouraged to make themselves aware of the relevant Regulations, Codes and Rules issued by the sport’s governing body, World Sailing. This information can be found on World Sailing’s website.
Throughout, Members, Skippers and Owners are advised to ensure that the most recent information is consulted, as it may change from time to time. Also, the stated requirements for racing offshore may be different to those for sheltered, inshore waters. It is a practice of all WOA races that any plain sail, including Genoas, may be used but the use of Spinnakers and Cruising Chutes is only permitted at the specific discretion of the Race Organiser.
When racing, Members should remember not to fly their ensign but to use, instead, the Club Burgee as a racing flag. On FINISHING or RETIRING, the racing flag should be removed and the ensign hoisted.
WOA HANDICAPS
The Westerly yardstick system was loosely based upon the RYA Portsmouth Yardsticks system. Since the RYA re-organised their system basing it upon a four-figure number system instead of the three-figure system. A number of computer programs have been made available using this system and these make the calculation of results much quicker. Queries have been received from other club handicapping officers as the result of Westerly members quoting their Westerly number when entering various club events. The opportunity was therefore taken to re-calculate the Westerly Yardsticks along the lines of the RYA system, which allows other club handicapping officers to use our numbers if they so wish. However if putting forward your Westerly number to your club handicapping officer, the following points should be borne in mind:
1.The Westerly system assumes that no spinnakers will be used and an allowance of +40 has been made to compensate for this.
2.Only a few of the Westerly numbers published in the RYA Portsmouth Yardstick system are primary and secondary numbers, the remainder are either recommended or club numbers.
These latter figures are numbers which some clubs have tried and found to suit them. They are not written in tablets of stone and it is at the discretion of the club handicapping officer to amend them as he or she thinks fit.
In the following table, S=Sloop, K=Ketch, F=Fin Keel, B=Bilge Keel, TR=Triple Keel and propellers are fixed 2- or 3-bladed on inboard engines.
WOA YARDSTICKS for Standard Boats
| Yacht | LOA | Rig | Keel | Prop. | Yardstick | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oceanmaster | 49 | S | F | 2 | 905 | |
| Ocean37 | 37 | S | F | 2 | 922 | |
| Regatta370 | 37 | S | F | 2 | 922 | |
| Typhoon | 37 | S | F | 2 | 922 | |
| GK34 | 34 | S | F | 2 | 930 | |
| GK33 | 33 | S | F | 2 | 932 | |
| Ocean43 | 43 | S | F | 2 | 935 | |
| Ocean33 | 33 | S | F | 2 | 952 | |
| Oceanlord | 41 | S | F | 2 | 977 | |
| J24 | 24 | S | F | 2 | 982 | |
| Sealord39 | 39 | S | F | 2 | 987 | |
| Corsair | 36 | S | F | 2 | 989 | |
| Oceanranger | 38 | S | F | 2 | 995 | |
| Regattta330 | 33 | S | F | 2 | 1000 | |
| Storm33 | 33 | S | F | 2 | 1000 | |
| Fulmar32 | 32 | S | F | 2 | 1006 | |
| Oceanquest35(AC) | 35 | S | F | 2 | 1010 | |
| Conway36 | 36 | S | F | 2 | 1012 | |
| GK29 (racing) | 29 | S | F | 2 | 1027 | |
| Falcon34 | 34 | S | F | 2 | 1027 | |
| Oceanquest35(CC) | 35 | S | F | 2 | 1028 | |
| Medway36 | 36 | K | F | 3 | 1032 | |
| GK29(cruising) | 29 | S | F | 2 | 1036 | |
| Riviera35 | 35 | S | F | 2 | 1040 | |
| Seahawk | 34 | S | F | 2 | 1042 | |
| Regatta310 | 30 | S | F | 2 | 1045 | |
| Tempest | 30 | S | F | 2 | 1045 | |
| Discus33 | 33 | S | F | 2 | 1050 | |
| W33 | 33 | S | F | 2 | 1050 | |
| GK24 | 24 | S | F | 2 | 1052 | |
| Storm33(cruising) | 33 | S | B | 2 | 1060 | |
| Solway | 36 | S | B | 3 | 1062 | |
| W36 | 36 | S | F | 2 | 1062 | |
| Galway | 36 | K | B | 3 | 1082 | |
| Westerly28 | 28 | S | F | 3 | 1092 | |
| Merlin29 | 29 | S | F | 2 | 1097 | |
| Regatta290 | 29 | S | F | 2 | 1097 | |
| Merlin28 | 28 | S | F | 2 | 1107 | |
| Longbow | 31 | S | F | 3 | 1120 | |
| Konsort | 29 | S | B | 2 | 1129 | |
| Renown | 31 | K | F | 3 | 1140 | |
| Vulcan | 34 | S | B | 2 | 1140 | |
| Tiger | 26 | S | F | 3 | 1160 | |
| Berwick | 31 | S | B | 3 | 1170 | |
| KonsortDuo | 29 | S | B | 2 | 1175 | |
| Griffon | 26 | S | B | 2 | 1180 | |
| Regatta260/Spirit | 26 | S | F | 2 | 1180 | |
| Pembroke | 26 | S | B | 3 | 1196 | |
| Pentland | 31 | K | B | 3 | 1204 | |
| W30 | 30 | B | Tr | 3 | 1230 | |
| Centaur | 26 | S | B | 3 | 1246 | |
| Kendal | 23 | S | F | 3 | 1259 | |
| Chieftain | 26 | S | B | 3 | 1266 | |
| Jouster | 21 | S | F | 3 | 1280 | |
| Cirus | 22 | S | F | 3 | 1300 | |
| Pageant | 23 | S | B | 3 | 1309 | |
| Nomad | 22 | S | B | 3 | 1317 | |
| W22 | 22 | S | B | 3 | 1320 | |
| W21 | 21 | S | B | 3 | 1330 | |
| Warwick | 21 | S | B | 3 | 1330 | |
| W25 | 25 | S | Tr | 3 | 1346 | |
| Windrush | 25 | S | Tr | 3 | 1346 | |
| Nimrod | 17 | S | F | 3 | 1400 |
Handicaps may be amended at the discretion of the Race Officer
Adjustments for variation from standard boats
Keel configuration
From Fin Keel to Bilge Keel = 50
From Bilge keel to Fin = -50
Retractable keels shall be fixed fully extended down to maximum draft whilst racing.
Propeller Adjustments
From To
OB IBF IB2 IB3
OB 0 10 20 30
IBF -10 0 10 20
IB2 -20 -10 0 10
IB3 -30 -20 -10 0
OB= outboard or retractable engine IBF= inboard folding (2 or 3 bladed)
IB2= inboard 2 bladed fixed
IB3= inboard 3 bladed fixed
Rig Adjustments
From Sloop to Ketch = 20
From Ketch to Sloop = -20
Crew adjustment
2 crew or less 20
It is the responsibility of the skipper to advise the OOD before the start of the race that the boat will be crewed by no more than 2 persons.
To find corrected time = elapsed time/(yardstick/1000)