Courses A 1-4

For light winds when we don’t want to send boats too far, and for winds that are E-W to boot, we have a number of course that use C1 and G3 to create a triangular course.  A1 runs clockwise, thus:

-          START - C1/s - G3/s - FINISH

Pretty straightforward and it’s only 2.77NM.  Even in a drifter that should be achievable in an hour or so, current-permitting.

A2 extends the length a little by having a return leg from G3 back to C1 before a port turn to the Finish.  This lengthens the course to 3.76NM.  The other ‘A’ courses - - A3 and A4 - - simply add legs up to an A3 course of 4.83NM and an A4 course length of 5.82NM.

Courses B 1-4

Courses B 1-4 are basically the counter-clockwise versions of A 1-4.

The RC could choose one of these courses for lighter airs, with winds SW-W (K5-8) or E-SE (K1-4).

One consideration, though is the tidal current: it’s not easy turning around G3 in lighter air when a strong current is running.  The RC should bear that in mind too.

Courses C 1 & 2

The C1 race course is 6.53 NM long and has these waypoints:

-          START - C1/s - R20/s - R22/s - FINISH

C2 is identical but counter-clockwise, while C1 is clockwise.  These courses are the same as 2 of our old courses, but with the requirement to honor C1 thrown in.  They’d be good courses for light-moderate wind conditions (5-9 knots) anywhere from SSW to SSE.

Courses D 1-4

There are 4 ‘D’ courses, specifically designed for winds from the SE (or NW).  As you can see, they offer variations of START-to-C1 and to R20, to give a series of windward-leeward options varying in length from D1 (1.9NM - - for very light air) to D4 (8.16NM - - for moderate SE/NW winds of up to 10 knots).

Courses E 1-4

The ‘E’ courses are good for SW and NE winds that are moderate to strong (say, 8-15 knots).  They involve heading down to R20 (Nassau Point) and then NE to R18 (Hog Neck) or even G17 (Jessup’s Neck).  Courses E3 and E4 also send the boats down to R22 (South Race.  These courses vary in length from E1 at 8.98 NM to E2 at 11.14 NM to E3 & E4 both of which are 11.67NM.  In moderate to stiff breezes these courses would take up to 90 minutes.

Courses F 1 & 2

The F1 course is the old ‘Windmill Course’ with an added requirement to honor C1, while F2 is a longer version that requires an added loop around R22 and R24 before the homeward run.  F1 is 8.28 NM and F2 is 10.76 NM.   F3 & 4 are the same as F1 but with a requirement to round R20 as well; F3 is clockwise and F4 is counter-clockwise.  Both F3 & F4 are 8.98 NM.  All the F courses work well for winds with a lot of South in them and moderate to strong velocities.

Course G 1 - 4

G1 is just a modified clockwise WNR. It’s modified by leaving out Bob and by requiring a starboard rounding of R20.  This course is 7.51NM.  G2 is the same course but counter-clockwise.  In case anybody’s wondering, the standard WNR (including C1) is 7.29NM.

The G3&4 courses are basically the same as the Wednesday Night Race courses, but with an added requirement to honor R24 (Windmill).  G3 is clockwise and G4 is counter-clockwise.  This lengthens the courses to 9.3NM.  These courses are suitable for a variety of wind directions but would all work best with moderate to stronger winds.

Course H

Finally, there is course ‘H’.  This is similar to the old course ‘J’ and is best suited to a strong SW breeze as it requires a run down to R2 in Jamesport.  With the right wind and tide this is a great course and is 11.26 NM in length.  The spinnaker boats can do it in 90 minutes with a stiff SW (or NE) breeze.