 RCYC |
Units |
| Royal Cape Yacht Club - established 1905 | |
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Race Start Procedure Count-Down
| Minutes to start | | Action | Sound | Recall |
|---|
| 5 | | Class flag up
1 minute to preparatory flag | one sound signal | 1 additional sound signal |
| 4 | | preparatory flag up | one sound signal | |
| 2 | | 1 minute to dropping class flag | | |
| 1 | | preparatory flag down | one long sound signal | |
| 0 | | Start; class flag down | one sound signal | 1 additional sound signal |
Units of distance
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1° latitude = 60 nautical mile
1' latitude = 1 nautical mile /1.85 kilometre / 6080 feet / 10 cables
1" latitude = 30.9 metres
1 statute mile = 5280 feet / 1.6093 kilometres
1 cable = 185 metres
1 knot = 1nm/hour
1 fathom = 6 feet / 1.829m
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Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel
India
Juliett
Kilo
Lima
Mike
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November
Oscar
Papa
Quebec
Romeo
Sierra
Tango
Uniform
Victor
Whiskey
Xray
Yankee
Zulu
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Cutter, sloop, ketch, schooner or yawl?
Single masted boat = sloop or cutter Two-masted boat = schooner, ketch or yawl
Schooner, ketch or yawl?
- schooner - masts are the same size, or shorter forward mast.
- ketch or a yawl - shorter aft mast (mizzen mast).
- a ketch carries its mizzen mast ahead of the rudderpost
- a yawl carries the mizzen mast behind the rudderpost
- The mizzen on a ketch provides power
- on a yawl the mizzen main or spanker provides sail balance.
Placing the sail behind the rudder helps overcome weather helm and makes it easier to reach. It makes steering by sail easier by enhancing maneuverability. Set at anchor, the spanker keeps the yawl pointed into the wind, providing a much more restful anchorage.
Cutters & sloops
- Traditionally
- Sloop - single mast forward of 50% of the length of the sailplan, allows for multiple jibs. Fractional main.
- Cutter- mast at or aft of 50% of the length of the sailplan also allows for multiple headsails. Some have a reefing bowsprit that can be withdrawn in heavy weather
- Modern versions
- sloop - one headsail, main = masthead or fractional. Modern sloops sail closer to the wind and are easier to handle; smaller jibs + larger mainsail = easier to power up/down. Good coastal boat.
- cutter - multiple headsails, large genoa, do not point as close to the wind as similar sized sloops. Good offshore boat
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| RCYC P.O. Box 772, Cape Town 8000, South Africa tel: 021-421-1354 info@rcyc.co.za S33o55'14 / E18o26'33 Top |