SAILING

Sailing & Social Calendar

Tide Times

Tides

Pilotage Notes

Please read the pilotage notes for information on safety and special considerations when sailing in the Bristol Channel.

Cruising

The club supports a very full calendar of cruises which typically last from one weekend to several weeks. As the club's moorings dry to mud and also with the extreme tidal rates which exist in the Bristol Channel access times to our moorings are restricted and also direction of passage is also effectively restricted.

On Spring tide weekends (High Water typically around 09:00 and 21:00 hrs) typical cruises could either start on the Friday evening or the Saturday morning.

Click Here for PCC's Terms and Conditions of Cruising

Details of Cruises Occuring in the Near Future

The Lundy Challenge

This challenge can be undertaken at any time by any club yacht, and consists of sailing to Lundy in one 24 hour period having a drink at the Marisco Tavern, and returning to Portishead during the following 24 hours.

The Lundy challenge more details

Racing

The purpose of the club racing is to allow more opportunity for boats to be used and promote the learning of the rules of the road, good seamanship and sail handling.  Although the races are competitive, PCC is proud of its reputation for friendly and non-aggressive racing and will continue to actively promote this principle in the future.

Click here for - PCC's Terms and Conditions of Racing

• Results will be calculated using the RYA Portsmouth Yardstick handicap scheme.

• All boats must be covered by valid third party insurance.

• All boats must carry working VHF with channels 12, 16 and 37 (and also 69 on races entering the Severn VTS area of operation).
• Priority must be given to commercial shipping at all times. Any competitor interfering with shipping or where the ship or VTS raises ANY concern on VHF, shall forfeit the race. Any second occurrence within a year will result in a one year ban from participating in the races.

  Most of the races organized by P.C.C. make use of the busy shipping areas around Avonmouth and the 'Bristol Deep' channel. The ships are severely constrained by their draught and restricted in their ability to maneouver. Each skipper in the race is wholely responsible for the safety of his/her vessel at all times and must wholely abide by the 'Collision Regulations*' and any local byelaws. The skipper must be prepared to retire their yacht from a race at any time. A race might be abandoned or any yacht may be instantly disqualified at the discretion of the O.O.D. Legal proceedings with a minimum fine of £2000 may result from an infringement of the 'Collision Regulations*'. It is highly recommended that all yachts entering these races are fitted with a VHF radio and that they keep a listening watch on Channel 12 as well as race control on Channel 37a. A wind shadow will exist on the leeward side of the larger vessels, the sudden change of wind may compromise your ability to stay clear.

* International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

The Bob Crane racing on Zephyrus. Photo taken looking South with the 'Royal Portbury Middle' buoy in the mid-ground and Portishead town in the background.

General

The races are run for the benefit of the members, so that they can enjoy additional use of their boats. There are a number of unsought benefits that racing provides;

• The maximum performance of the vessel and its ability to sail under a variety of conditions is learned.
• the participants learn to raise, lower and change sails in the least possible time.
• collision regulations are reinforced as the skippers are required to make quick decisions as to right of way (fairly rare events in the Bristol Channel).
• a detailed appreciation of the effects of, and best use of the tide is gained.
• there is an added incentive to learn more and gain a deeper understanding of sailing.
• As most of the races are of comparitively short duration the skippers are prepared to put to sea in otherwise unfavourable conditions. Experience of bad weather sailing is valuable, as is an appreciation of your vessel's capabilities.

All in all the racing improves the overall sailing ability of those involved.

Handicaps

The club has adopted the R.Y.A. Portsmouth Yardstick Specification for the calculation of handicaps. However due to the tidal influence affecting the results of our top of tide races the decision has been made to individually calculate handicaps for these races. Open races are run using PY numbers.

Individual boat handicaps are not currently being posted as they are subject to change.

If you require a handicap for your boat, please follow this link, fill in the form and hand it to the sailing secretary. Handicap Application Form (MS Word format).

Top of Tide Races

Three series of 'top of the tide' races are run throughout the year.

The Spring Series - Best two results from three races.

The Cockburn Series - Best five results from nine races.

The Frostbite Series - Best three results from five.

The scheduled start is 1 hour before HW Avonmouth and any boat not completing the course by 1 hour after HW Avonmouth is deemed retired - this is to allow time for all boats to get back onto their mooring safely.

The start/finish line is at Avonmouth and is a transit on the North bank of the Avon where the Flagmast is in-line with the end window of the single storey building, co-incidentally this is also in line with a vertical white mark on the pier wall near where the wall meets a bank of large stones. (see link below for picture).

All communication regarding the race is carried out on VHF Channel 37a ( some VHF sets have M1 which is in fact the same frequency). Entrants are recommended to keep a listening watch on Channel 12 (Avonmouth Radio).

As there will be pre-race announcements on CH 37a, e.g. the announcement of the course, any shipping movements and any delays, there is normally no ten minute announcement. A five minute and a one minute warning are given, and together with the start are announced with a ten second countdown.

There are eleven courses used, each course incorporates the Cockburn buoy as a mark.

PCC RACE COURSES

Drawing of Start Line, Map of Racing Marks

COURSE 1.

1. START
2. SWASH BUOY TO PORT
3. ROYAL PORTBURY MIDDLE TO STARBOARD
4. FIREFLY TO STARBOARD
5. ROYAL PORTBURY MIDDLE TO PORT
6. COCKBURN TO STARBOARD
7. SWASH BUOY TO STARBOARD
8. FINISH

COURSE 2.

1. START
2. SWASH BUOY TO PORT
3. ROYAL PORTBURY MIDDLE TO STARBOARD
4. FIREFLY TO STARBOARD
5. ROYAL PORTBURY MIDDLE TO STARBOARD
6. FIREFLY TO STARBOARD
7. ROYAL PORTBURY MIDDLE TO PORT
8. COCKBURN TO STARBOARD
9. SWASH BUOY TO STARBOARD
10. FINISH

COURSE 3.

1. START
2. SWASH BUOY TO PORT
3. ROYAL PORTBURY MIDDLE TO STARBOARD
4. FIREFLY TO STARBOARD
5. ROYAL PORTBURY OUTER TO PORT
6. COCKBURN TO STARBOARD
7. SWASH BUOY TO STARBOARD
8. FINISH

COURSE 4.

1. START
2. SWASH BUOY TO PORT
3. COCKBURN TO PORT
4. ROYAL PORTBURY MIDDLE TO STARBOARD
5. FIREFLY TO STARBOARD
6. SWASH BUOY TO STARBOARD
7. FINISH

COURSE 5.

1. START
2. SWASH BUOY TO PORT
3. COCKBURN TO STARBOARD
4. PCC NORTH CHANNEL BUOY TO STARBOARD
5. ROYAL PORTBURY MIDDLE TO STARBOARD
6. COCKBURN TO STARBOARD
7. SWASH BUOY TO STARBOARD
8. FINISH

COURSE 6.

1. START
2. SWASH BUOY TO PORT
3. COCKBURN TO STARBOARD
4. PCC NORTH CHANNEL BUOY TO STARBOARD
5. SWASH BUOY TO STARBOARD
6. FINISH

COURSE 7.

1. START
2. SWASH BUOY TO PORT
3. ROYAL PORTBURY MIDDLE TO STARBOARD
4. COCKBURN TO STARBOARD
5. PCC NORTH CHANNEL BUOY TO STARBOARD
6. COCKBURN TO PORT
7. SWASH BUOY TO STARBOARD
8. FINISH

COURSE 8.

1. START
2. SWASH BUOY TO PORT
3. FIREFLY TO STARBOARD
4. DENNY TO STARBOARD
5. PCC NORTH CHANNEL BUOY TO STARBOARD
6. SWASH BUOY TO STARBOARD
7. FINISH

COURSE 9.

1. START
2. SWASH BUOY TO PORT
3. NEWCOME TO STARBOARD
4. DENNY TO STARBOARD
5. COCKBURN TO PORT
6. SWASH BUOY TO STARBOARD
7. FINISH

COURSE 10.

1. START
2. SWASH BUOY TO PORT
3. DENNY TO PORT
4. NEWCOME TO PORT
5. COCKBURN TO STARBOARD
6. SWASH BUOY TO STARBOARD
7. FINISH

COURSE 11.

1. START
2. SWASH BUOY TO PORT
3. DENNY TO PORT
4. FIREFLY TO PORT
5. ROYAL PORTBURY MIDDLE TO PORT
6. COCKBURN TO STARBOARD
7. SWASH BUOY TO STARBOARD
8. FINISH

Down Tide Races

There are also several longer 'day' races which are open to visitors.

The Racing Rules

The club races to the ISAF 'Racing Rules of Sailing'

Note that the club enforces the requirement to wear lifejackets on all of its races.

However to accomodate local conditions we also have the following rules.

1) The top of tide races are limited to 2 hours duration (to allow boats from Pill to return safely to their moorings).

2) No spinnakers during the Spring Series (when the water temperature is at a minimum and M.O. B. survival time is reduced).

3) All engines to be switched off five minutes before the start of the race. The exceptions are;

a) if you are on passage to the start line from a mooring down stream of the start line and have not passed the start line then you may continue to motor until you have made your way behind the back of the racing fleet.

b) if you are on passage to the start line from a mooring upstream of the start line you may motor until you reach the back of the racing fleet. You should not overtake any vessel until your momentum from motoring has been used up and your boat speed is entirely due to sail power.

c) if all the boats in the racing fleet have already crossed the start line when you arrive at it then you may start as soon as any momentum due to motoring has been lost and your speed is entirely due to sail power.

d) if you go aground before the race start you may start your engine, but you have to position yourself at the back of fleet before starting the race.

4) If less than one third of the boats starting a top of tide race fails to complete the course in the two hour time available, then the results of the race will not count towards any trophy. The time restriction on the top of tide races is more likely to disadvantage the slower boats. This rule is to stop any tactical advantage being taken in the selection of the course.

5) Top of tide races are due to start one hour before high water Avonmouth (Arrowsmiths tide tables, or any tide tables based on 'Proudman Laboratory predictions). The OOD may delay the start up to 10 minutes (i.e. races must start by 50 minutes before H.W. Avonmouth), at their discretion to allow late comers to arrive. In exception, where starting the race on time would provide a navigational hazard for shipping or would be hazardous for any other reason, the race may be delayed further than 10 minutes, but where this occurs the race finish time will be 1 hour and 10 minutes after H.W. Avonmouth.

Officer of the Day (OOD) Duties

(Click for OOD Notes)

Calendar of Races

Results

Race Results

* The Cockburn series of races is scored as the best five results out of the nine races. Points are allocated equal to the finishing position except that first position receives 3/4 of a point (e.g. two points for second place, three points for third etc....).

** Where the Total points are shown in red, this indicates that the required five results have not been achieved (the number in brackets indicates the number of results scored).

The position is calculated from the number of results and then the number of points (i.e. a boat with four results is given a better position than a boat with only three results). Where it is not possible for a boat to achieve five results the position is indicated as N.R. (no result)

The fleet is divided into fast and slow boats. The slow boats having P.Y. handicaps of 1050 and above. Prizes are awarded for the winners of both catagories.