Three-two-one…Blam!  Ten to 30 boats pass through the starting line on their way around a race course in their local bay or river.  This happens on any Wednesday from mid-April to Labor Day - skippers taking their boats out for a mid-week adventure at the Herrington Harbour Sailing Association.

Racers know what happens after the gun.  But many sailors have no idea why all those boats are trying to crash into each other.  Meet the Non-Racer - a sailor who has a great time cruising around the Bay but wonders what all of the all the screaming is about.

Why Would You Want to Race?

Never mind the America’s Cup or Volvo Ocean Race skippers. Those sailors are on a different plane (or foil, whatever). Here is why Non-Racers should try racing:

• Racing is another reason to get out and use your boat.
• Enjoy the company of other sailors in your club on and off the water. Racers are just as much fun as cruisers.
• Improve your knowledge and expertise in trimming sails and boat handling.
• Improve your ability to read wind and currents.
• Get cool pictures of your boat. There are lots of photographers around a race.

Who Can Race?

Most Bay clubs have fleets that only race with Mainsail and Genoa, or “non-spinnaker.”  Typically, non-spinnaker racers are less experienced and more protective of their boat.  That means they try to stay further apart during races. Racers include boats of all shapes and sizes.  Some have a crew of friends and kids.  Some have a crew of strangers about to become friends.  Some crews can’t stand each other but they love to race. Check with your club to see if you are members-only or if guest racers can participate.

Getting Started with Non-Spinnaker Racing

To try non-spinnaker racing—

• Bring out your boat and watch a start and finish. Stay 200 yards from the starting area.
• Ride with the Committee Boat. The Committee Boat runs the race. In most local clubs, the Committee Boat usually has a racing skipper and crew onboard. This gives you an opportunity to ask questions and see how the process works.
• Become a crew member on another non-spin boat. Everyone needs help.
• Team with another non-spin boat.
• Include a race in your weekend cruising plan. You’ll have something new to talk about at your anchorage.

Ten Reasons for Not Racing Non-Spinnaker and Why They Are Wrong

1. “I need a big boat.” – Unless you are a sport boat, you will see boats as small as 22 feet racing. All boats have a handicap rating to level the playing field.
2. “My boat is too big.” – Many larger boats are designed for short-handed operations. Even if your boat isn’t, just track down some friends to help crew.
3. “My boat is too cruisy.” Racers often have air conditioners, refrigerators, biminis, cases of beer and rum. Again, boats are handicapped to level the playing field. It’s all good.
4. “I don’t have enough crew.” – No one has enough crew so we make due. If you can get out of the slip, you have enough.
5. “My insurance company doesn’t allow me to race.” Most insurance companies are okay with casual racing.
6. “I don’t have any experience.” Lots of racer started as crew on other people’s boats.  A fun way to get your feet wet is helping out the committee boat with starts and finishes.  In the Spring, many clubs have racing seminars and practice races.
7. “Racers are crazy and yell a lot.” Yes, they are crazy but there are many levels of crazy. The non-spin fleet is the least aggressive and prefer to avoid close quarters.  Yelling is usually reserved for your own crew.
8. “I don’t know the rules.” Most clubs provide help with learning the rules offering racing rules seminars from time to time, usually in the spring. Also, there are several overviews of the basic rules online.
9. “Racing is expensive.” Entry fees for local clubs is minimal.  One club has a racing fee of $60 for the whole year of racing.  That’s it.
10. ”I don’t have enough time.” Wednesday races are about an hour long. For some, it takes longer to mow a yard.

HHSA Building the Non-Spinnaker Fleet

Herrington Harbour Sailing Association (HHSA) has enjoyed local club racing since it was founded. Along with the two spinnaker fleets, the club has a fleet that only allows boats to use their mainsail and jib/genoa.  This is the Non-Spinnaker fleet.  Non-spin racing is a great way to get involved with HHSA without a lot of time commitment. In 2015, HHSA will put an emphasis on building the non-spin fleet with outreach, New Racer seminars, and possibly modifications to the race times and courses.  Here are 7 reasons to try racing for the first time:

• Most new racers start here.
• Race courses are shorter.
• The non-spin fleet starts after the spinnaker boats so that there is less congestion and they get clear wind.
• The HHSA Committee Boats use VHF communications to announce what’s happening at the start. You can figure out the flags later.
• Bonus: There are trophies for Non-Spin competitors
• HHSA rules allow drop-in racers. This means you can partipate in 1 or 2 races without the paying the racing fee. But you do need to sign the waiver.