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What is team racing?
The recognised format for the Team Racing World Championship involves racing in two handed dinghies with three boats per side, ideally as evenly matched as possible. The boats should be of a type that can be sailed effectively without there being a premium on strength or an optimum weight.
The two teams are attempting to achieve a winning combination of places - the lowest score wins. The scoring system is usually: 1st place - 1.25 points 2nd place - 2 points 3rd place - 3 points and so on. A team that scores ten or less is therefore the winner, so that 2,3,4 beats 1,5,6 - being first past the post does not guarantee glory! Therefore, if your team has 1,4,6 the leading boat may have to sacrifice 1st place and go back and try to help his team-mates through to 2,3,5 or better - sacrilege. A variation on this theme is 2 or 4 boat team racing. With 2 boats per side the rule is simple - if you or your team-mate is last you lose!!! This tends to be very exciting racing where you continually sacrifice first place to help a team mate out of last place. Conversely 4 boat team racing combines both strategy/speed with one on one team racing, however the maths is more difficult!!!
The team racer has two main weapons. Firstly, he can position his boat between the wind and his opponent, thus blanketing his sails and slowing him down. Secondly, he can use the right-of-way rules to his advantage, approaching his opponents in such a way that his adversary has to change course or incur a penalty. Both these weapons are deployed even before the start when the manoeuvres begin, much as in Match racing, but with six boats rather than two performing an intricate and aggressive dance.
The current rules are designed to prevent and discourage contact. Team racing has long since shed the image of a contact sport in no small part due to the competitors themselves, but also often backed up by on the water judges. This provides instant decisions such that at the end of each race the outcome is known - no protracted protests. To avoid this "instant justice" if you feel you have infringed take your penalty -normally a single complete turn. If you are found guilty by the judges then it is two turns
Why should we Team Race?
Team racing provides short and adrenaline filled racing, which enhances boat handling, tactical and rules skills. It provides excellent spectator sport, variety to a sailing programme and can be an excellent way to bring a wide cross-section of members together for an enjoyable afternoon.
Having learned these skills you will find you use them in your fleet racing, enabling you to gain those precious extra places on each leg, at marks and at the finish so pushing you higher up the fleet.
How do we get started?
There is an active team racing circuit in many classes and the Firefly class is the forerunner in this area with many events held during the "normal" season and over the winter months.
Additionally, contact the UK Team Racing Association (UKTRA) whose remit is the promotion of Team Racing at all levels across the UK. Their web site can be found at http://www.teamracing.org/
This site has a wealth of information and a full calendar covering both UK and world-wide events.
The easiest way to start is within your club, via inter class challenges. This can be easily progressed to friendly inter club or regional challenges. Coaching can be obtained to improve your skills via UKTRA and a National club competition exists to enable you to pit your skills against others. The beauty of the UKTRA National Championships is that all the boats are provided, they are evenly matched and regional qualifiers are run in a location close to you. All you have to do is enter!!!!
Team Racing and the Firefly Class
The Firefly is ideally suited to team racing. The class is one design, which means it is team/person against team/person and not how big your bank balance is. The boats are highly manoeuvrable, which provides close and exciting racing. Unlike many classes the Firefly enables a great variety of weights in the boat, 17 stone can race effectively against 22 stone as the courses are short and the boat carries weight well.
The Firefly's suitability for this type of racing has been recognised world-wide. In the last 3 ISAF World Team Racing Championships the Firefly class was selected twice over other classes, including 420, Lark, Vanguard 15 and many more.
The Firefly is renowned for its tremendously active, enthusiastic and friendly following. Because of its cost effective and even racing it has also been widely adopted by universities and schools who gain the benefit of a highly competitive fleet racing circuit but also the additional challenges presented by team racing. Join the fun and get a Firefly!!