The new 2018 ORCV Winter Series - Format Explained

Dates

The dates for the 2018 Winter Series are as follows:

• Race One - Sunday 3nd June, 2018. Format: 20 – 30nm Passage Race.
• Race Two – Saturday 7th July, 2018 re-scheduled to 21st July, 2018. Format: Blairgowrie Passage Race.
• Race Three – Saturday 4th August, 2018. Format: 20 – 30nm Passage Race.
• Race Four – Saturday 1st September, 2018. Format: Geelong Passage Race.
• Race Five – Saturday 15th – Sunday 16th September, 2018. Format: Overnight Navigators Challenge Race.

Divisions

The divisions available for this year’s Winter Series are as follows:

• Monohull Racing:

• Traditional Monohull Racing divisions:
  • IRC
  • AMS
  • PHS
• Female-based Crew Division (PHS)
• Double-Handed (PHS)

• Multihull Racing (PHS)
• Cruising (PHS – non-spinnaker)

New Race Format Explained

The new format for the 2018 Winter Series is based on a series of passage races of varying distances, from medium distance races around fixed marks at the top end of Port Phillip Bay, to several longer distance passage races to popular destinations for warm hospitality from host clubs, at Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron (BYS), Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC), and Hobsons Bay Yacht Club (HBYC).

Races One to Four will commence via a Tower Start from either RMYS or RBYC – to be confirmed in the Notice of Race (NOR) and Sailing Instructions (SI’s). Race Five will commence simultaneously from several different locations, designed to offer convenience to each participant.

Race One. A medium distance passage race similar to the “Long Race” held in previous ORCV Winter Series, and will follow a course around fixed marks, set to offer the fleet a range of conditions to suit the prevailing wind direction on the day. A different course will be set for the cruising fleet, designed to ensure all competitors complete the course in similar time, based on the conditions on the day.

Race Two. A Passage Race to BYS. Commencing from a tower start at either RMYS or RBYC (TBC), the fleet will round several fixed marks as they head south past Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC), before crossing the open expanse of Port Phillip Bay, as they make their way around the Hovell Pile and on to the finish line at BYS.
“Shortened Course” options for the racing fleet, and motoring provisions for the cruising fleet will be included in the sailing instructions, to ensure that the fleet make it to Blairgowrie in time to enjoy the warm hospitality on a cool winter’s night.

Race Three. Another medium distance passage race of approximately 20 – 30 nm around fixed marks at the top and middle sections of the Bay, with the finish line to be set at the same location as the start.

Race Four. Geelong Passage Race. RGYC has graciously agreed to our request to change the date to the first weekend in September, ensuring that all competitors can join us, without any scheduling conflicts with other Winter Series events around the Bay. The race format and course for the Geelong Passage Race will be similar to previous years.

Race Five. Navigators Overnight Challenge Race. For the first time as part of the Winter Series, we will be running this very popular event which has been part of our “Beyond The Bay” training program. 
This event will commence at 12:00 on Saturday the 15th of September from several nominated locations designed to be convenient for competitors. All teams will create their own course by selecting various legs between fixed marks all over the Bay, with the intention of sailing as far as possible in the time allocated, and arrive at the finish line in Hobsons Bay as close as possible to the finish time of 9:00am on Sunday morning. All competitors will then be hosted at HBYC for a hearty breakfast and the event presentation.

Divisions Explained

For the first time, this year’s Winter Series will see a variety of divisions offered for all events throughout the series.

• Traditional monohull racing divisions (IRC, AMS and PHS), will be offered as standard.
• Female-based Crew Division. The ORCV is very proud to announce the introduction of a Female-based Crew Division for the 2018 Winter Series. Eligibility for this division will be based on the key crew positions of Skipper / Helm, Strings (Office) and Bow, being performed by female crew. This division will be scored based on PHS, and all entrants of this division will also be eligible to enter the IRC and AMS divisions.
• Double-Handed Division. In keeping with our ongoing commitment to Double-Handed sailing, we are also running a Double-Handed Division for all Winter Series events. As with the Women’s Division, Double-Handed teams will also be eligible to enter the IRC and AMS Divisions.
• Cruising Division. In addition to the racing divisions, and in keeping with our commitment to training through our “Beyond the Bay” program, we are also offering a Cruising Division for all Winter Series events. This division will be a non-spinnaker series scored on PHS, and is intended to give the cruising fleet an opportunity to participate in the winter series events in a racing format against similar boats and crew, as well as enjoy the comradery of the ORCV and the warm hospitality of our host clubs for our destination events. 
  The rules for this division will also include provisions to ensure that the cruising fleet finishes at a similar time as the general racing fleet, so that all Winter Series teams are off the water at a similar time. These provisions will be further explained in the Sailing Instructions.
• Multihull Division. As with previous seasons, a dedicated division will be held for Multihull competitors for all Winter Series events, based on similar criteria of eligibility that has been applied previously. Details for multihull eligibility will be outlined in the Sailing Instructions.

Click RACE DOCUMENTS tab for Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions.

Click ONLINE ENTRY tab to enter the series or individual races.