Race programme – Sunday to Saturday

FALMOUTH SAILING WEEK EVENTS

Competitor Shoreside Events

Sailing Week kicks off on the first Saturday with the Falmouth Sailing Week Welcome Party, featuring a race briefing, food and drinks for competitors, sponsors, and volunteers.

A Competitors’ Briefing will be held at the RCYC at 17.00 on Saturday 9th August. This gives Competitors, not only the opportunity to meet their Race Officers, but to socialise with their fellow racers.

More details nearer the time on Falmouth Sailing Week WhatsApp Community.

Each day delicious afternoon teas, prize-giving, and shoreside entertainment is offered by a different local host club – Helford River Sailing Club, Mylor Yacht Club, Restronguet Sailing Club, Royal Cornwall Yacht Club, St Mawes Sailing Club and Flushing Sailing Club – creating a festive atmosphere on and off the water.

The Falmouth Race Hub provides a central space for refreshments, information and socialising for competitors throughout the week.

On the final day there is also a grand series prize-giving to bring the week to a close.

The Racing

Seven days of varied racing are scheduled in Falmouth Bay and in the Carrick Roads for over twenty classes ranging from IRC yachts to Mirror dinghies. Racing runs daily from Sunday to the following Saturday with a sequence of races over the seven days, with courses laid in Falmouth Bay and the Carrick Roads.

The Bay Fleet and Carrick Roads each have their own Long-Distance Race on the Wednesday. The results from these do not count towards the Series racing results.

All levels of sailor – from experienced champion skippers to novice crew are catered for.

Whilst Falmouth Sailing Week is a 7-day event, there is the flexibility for Skippers to register for 3-day racing from Thursday – Saturday only, or can apply to race in the single Long-Distance Race on the Wednesday only.

Photo Credit: Mike Freeman

THE BAY FLEET

The Bay Fleet comprises Firebird catamaran, IRC and YTC yachts. Yachts racing in the Bay sail a mix of Regatta (“round-the-cans”) and Championship (Windward-Leeward courses) racing for most classes. There are typically 2–3 races per day for the Bay Fleet.

The Bay Fleet races in 15 square miles of open water outside the harbour.

MarkSetBots – smart, automated buoys that can be moved remotely – will be on the water throughout the week, making course changes quicker and more exciting.

Long-Distance Race – The Ancasta Champagne Race is scheduled for the Wednesday. The Champagne Race is a longer, coastal race in Falmouth Bay and adjacent water to the NE. It is a stand-alone race i.e. the results do not count towards the Series results.

CARRICK FLEET

A Carrick Fleet recce familiarisation session will be held on the afternoon of the first Saturday, giving dayboat and dinghy crews the opportunity to become familiar with the course marks and conditions of the Carrick Roads area.

The Carrick Fleet comprises of Dinghies, Ajax, Shrimper 19, Sunbeam, Falmouth Working Boat, Falmouth Gaffer, Piper 24 / Rustler 24, St Mawes One Designs and YTC. These dayboats and dinghies sail mainly regatta courses. For all classes other than, Ajax, Shrimper 19 and Sunbeam, one race is scheduled each day. For the Ajax, Shrimper 19 and Sunbeam classes, one race is scheduled each day on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; and 2 races sailed back-to-back are scheduled each day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For the three classes these latter races will comprise the three-day series of 6 races.

The Carrick Fleet race in The Carrick Roads, a sheltered estuary of the River Fal that provides ideal conditions for competitive dayboat and dinghy racing. The fleet mainly races in the lower estuary – an area some 2 miles long by 1 mile wide and, weather permitting, may also venture a short distance outside the harbour mouth, beyond Black Rock.

A Long-Distance Race is scheduled for the Wednesday.

Full details of all the races are available in the Notice of Race

 

THE HOST CLUBS ARE:

THE ANCASTA CHAMPAGNE RACE - WEDNESDAY

Falmouth Sailing Week includes the long-standing tradition of a long coastal race on Wednesday for offshore yachts (Bay Fleet), with prize bottles of champagne.

This tradition commemorates an occasion back in 1951
when friends Lord Shawcross and H. A. J. (Jack) Silley, owner of Falmouth Docks, were competing in a yacht race off Falmouth. The spirit of competition was so keen that the friends broke away from the main race in which they were taking part, in order informally to settle the result between themselves. The loser, in good grace, presented a case of champagne to the winner, and so the legend of the Champagne Race was born.

In 1955 Philip Fox, the then chairman of GC Fox & Co, started the first official Champagne Race, to be sailed under the auspices of the Falmouth Town Regatta Committee, by donating a case of champagne as first prize.

For the Bay Fleet the Champagne Race usually attracts a strong daily entry by boats drawn by the challenge
 that the race presents. Long courses, in keeping with the tradition of the event, are set to suit the conditions and the boats taking part.

The course area encompasses the whole Bay and extends up the coast to Gull Rock and beyond. The finish is usually to the west side of Pendennis headland.

Ineligible boats will race shorter courses for champagne prizes.

The Champagne and cups will be presented at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club on either Wednesday or Thursday depending on whether there is a flying display on the Wednesday.

TO RECEIVE THEIR CHAMPAGNE, WINNERS MUST ATTEND THIS PRIZEGIVING

LONG DISTANCE RACE (CARRICK FLEET) - WEDNESDAY

Wednesday for the Carrick Fleet. The results do not count towards any series. Eligibility to participate is included within the 7-day entry programme though there is the option for single day entry to the Long-Distance Race only.

The Prize-giving will take place at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club on either Wednesday or Thursday. Traditionally, there is a flying display by the Red Arrows on the Wednesday, weather permitting. If a display goes ahead on the Wednesday, the prize giving will be on the Thursday, if not, it will take place on the Wednesday. At the time of publication, details of a flying display are not available.

TO RECEIVE THEIR PRIZE, WINNERS MUST ATTEND THIS PRIZEGIVING

Photo Credit: Mike Freeman