No Spinnaker/White Sail cruiser racing has grown in the past few years from humble beginnings to established White Sail or No Spinnaker divisions around the country. The development has encouraged participation in cruiser racing for both the family sailor and the more experienced racer desiring a quieter day on the water while still enjoying the sport of sailing. The ethos was to encourage boats to compete in ‘social racing’ which was not so taxing. The term ‘social racing’ is used a lot in describing No Spinnaker/White Sail racing.
The division has grown to include boats that:
• are cruisers only
• are short handed
• have family crew
• have inexperienced owners
• would otherwise be tied up at a mooring or marina,
• need training for new crew on racing boats
The success of this has started to attract keener racing sailors and a more competitive edge into the ‘No Spinnaker/White Sail’ fleets in clubs and regattas.
National Class Organisation
The Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) is the national class organisation for cruiser racing in Ireland. The Irish Sailing Association (ISA) has authorised ICRA to perform various functions in relation to cruiser racing including organising a national championship. ICRA has defined a White Sails division and developed a set of national rules to regulate and allow local organising authorities to use and amend the rule as they see fit.
Local Organisation
There are different approaches in each region. The south coast region consisting of SCORA, Cove SC, Kinsale YC, Monkstown Bay YC, Royal Cork YC and Schull Harbour SC set out a simple rule in 2005 “The use of Gennikers, Bloopers and Spinnakers is prohibited”.
Kinsale started with 7 boats in their first race and quickly grew to over 20 boats in regular racing. The approach is to welcome all boats that wish to sail in the divisions and new entrants’ ECHO handicaps are initially loaded until their performance is known. The serious racing is in Class 1 and the rest enjoy Class 2 with shorter closer inshore courses.
A boat can switch between fleets allowing them to race when they could not otherwise, due to crew shortages, adding to the attractiveness of non spinnaker racing and helping to build the number of people participating in the sport.
The attraction of the prizes to the ‘full-on racers’ is limited by keeping them small and of low value.
Dublin Bay currently has 38 boats in the White Sails division. As a class within the DBSC system they have developed a set of local rules with restrictions on sail cloth and requiring furling systems. The members also encourage first timer boats off marina berths to try racing.
The DBSC winter ’08 and spring ‘09 series regularly had fleets of 80 boats in an unrestricted mixed fleet including No Spinnakers, evidence of the demand for this type of racing, up to 20 of these boats did not race before.
Handicapping
The two handicap systems, IRC and ECHO, both take differing approaches. IRC is based on data from the boat. IRC certificates for all boats show two ratings one of which is called ‘No Spinnaker’. This rates the boat on all measurements except her spinnaker and is designed to be used in races where the Notice of Race includes a non spinnaker division or class.
ECHO is a flexible system which reflects a boats performance against her fleet and allows for loadings to be applied to new entrants to a racing series. In operation the boat’s rating is adjusted to reflect her performance using what is called the ECHO Performance System.
In many fleets ratings on new entrants can be loaded until her performance is established. ECHO is particularly suited to No Spinnaker/White Sail racing.
Sail Materials
Sail cloths have many different characteristics and performance standards. Dacron has been favoured by some of the owners in this division. The development of new materials and the cost reductions as they have become widely used and included as original equipment by increasing numbers or cruiser manufacturers means that the use of old technology Dacron sail cloths is dwindling as new ‘hi-tech’ sail cloths are now cheaper. New technology has been applied to woven type sail cloths and experienced sailmakers cannot tell the difference between old and new ‘hi-tech’ woven cloths.
The new sail cloths give longer life and better power to weight ratios meaning that these represent a lower cost option for an owner over the life of a new sail.
Examples of the issues with restrictions in Dublin Bay are that Sigma 33’s only have Kevlar based sails and Jeanneau deliver laminated sails as standard equipment on all their products. Almost all current racing boats use some form of modern sail cloth. To join a restricted division would cost a considerable sum for new woven sails and furling systems.
Rules
The required regulations are in place between the Racing Rules of Sailing, IRC Rule, ECHO Rule and ICRA class rules. The practice of splitting fleets to provide manageable numbers along handicap bands can be applied to ‘No Spinnaker/White Sail’ fleets in a similar way that standard fleets are divided in full sail fleets. Some clubs further divide IRC classes into ‘IRC restricted’ to reflect a group of boats which are regarded as fully loaded cruisers, as opposed to ‘out & out racers’, racing under the IRC rule.
ISA Position
The development of White Sail or No Spinnaker cruiser racing is very positive for the sporting community and supports the efforts of clubs, regional organisations and ICRA in promoting cruiser racing. Sailing and boat handling skills are improved immeasurably by participation in any type of racing and more so for those sailors coming to the racing side of the sport for the first time.
Is there is a need to develop a structure and/or qualification for ‘No Spinnaker/White Sail’ fleets within the existing handicap models?
The existing structures and rules can easily accommodate the division.
Is there a formula attractive to all sailors who wish to compete in ‘No Spinnaker/White Sail’ regattas? On the basis of the existing structures in handicapping systems, clubs and organisations can adapt current regulations to suit local demand? Restrictions on entry should be kept to a minimum. The open house policy on the south coast seems most inclusive.
How to support the development and promotion of ‘No Spinnaker/White Sail’ racing? At local level by current sailors encouraging other boat owners to join in racing with a social side to it. At national level by recognising the work of ICRA in organising a national championship.
Ed Alcock, Racing Manager, April 2009.
Contributors – Enda Kenny, Howard Knott: White Sails Division, DBSC; Des McWilliam: One Sails/McWilliam Sailmakers; Paddy Boyd: Approved IRC Measurer; Brian Merrick: KYC White Sails Division; ICRA
