I personally find this topic very interesting and I came away from Stone with a very strong feeling of disappointment and no little anger. In race 6 yet another large raft formed at the leeward mark and much bumping and shouting occurred. Following my own understanding of the rules I gybed away and proceeded around the outside of the raft, avoiding all collisions, sat in a blanket of no wind and watched unhappily while 15 or 20 or more helms sailed off upwind having passed me.
I confidently expected that those helms involved in collisions, possibly 10 or more, and those which made contact with the mark, at least 5, would be unhapplily doing their penalty turns during the next upwind leg. Sadly an attitude of "it wasn't my fault guv," appears to have prevailed and NOT ONE SINGLE helm chose to do any turns. This is in direct contradiction of several BASIC rules of racing, which we all profess to sail by, indeed all of those helms who signed off that race "DECLARED" that they had sailed to the rules of racing.
It certainly left me feeling that attendance at events with this amount of entries, a large proportion of whom appear ready to jettison the rules of racing when it suits them, has become something less than pleasurable. I definitely have to be persuaded that entering this size of fleet again is for me.
OK grouse over, on a very much happier note, I too wish to add my thanks to Neil Fulcher and all the crew at Stone for the superb organsation of this years nationals. In my several years of attendance at National Championships, very few clubs have gone as far out of their way to welcome our class as did Stone Sailing Club. Thank You.
John Bower. 1270