March 2007 - International Flying Dutchman Class

FD TellTales
March 2007

Contacts
C - Member of British Section Committee
Stephen Parry
C Chairman & IFDCO VP Championships
Lee-on-the-Solent contact
02392 552809 Mobile 07831 296442 championship@sailfd.org
Lee-on-the-Solent SC www.lossc.co.uk
Tony Lyall
C Hon Secretary
Membership Secretary
Boat Registrar
01707 321633 Tonylyall@msn.com
Grafham Water contact
Richard Phillips
C Hon Treasurer,
FD UK & IFDCO Webmaster, IFDCO Councillor of Honour
01590 670962 richard@sail-cd.demon.co.uk
Lymington Town SC www.ltsc.co.uk
Toby Dale
C FD Class Promotion
0770 4147783 fdbiggles@rya-online.net
Lymington Town SC/ Rock SC
Peter Doran
C IFDCO General Secretary
Oxford contact
01865 726331 fdsec@sailfd.org
Oxford SC
Julian Bridges
North Wales contact
01286 830922 W 01248 351151 x2366 j.m.bridges@bangor.ac.uk
David Wilkins
Rutland Water contact
01664 474773
Rutland Water SC

Editors Reel
From Dawn Barsley-Dale
Well, as no one sacked me after my first attempt at the newsletter I’m back again with the Dinghy
Show edition!
The winter is receding and good weather is not to far away (OK, so we are the UK but you can’t
blame me for wishing) and hopefully this issue will give you a little to think about as you start to
remove the mothballs and ready the boat for the coming season. I have managed to persuade
some of our regular contributors to put fingers to keyboard and they have kindly produced a number
of articles covering boat preparation, training and the use of compasses on the racetrack. In
addition we have the final event report from last season and a look ahead to 2007.
We are always grateful for these contributions and I’m sure if anyone has a question they would
like answered I can put someone on the spot to provide an answer. If you want to send your own
jottings to the newsletter, then these are also always welcome. Anyway that’s enough of me for
now! Good sailing for 2007.
Chairmans Chatter
From Stephen Parry
The Dinghy Show is just about on us and Tony
Lyall will have his newest, unwetted, FD on
the Fastsail Stand. We are sharing with the
Ospreys, 505’s and Hornets this year on a
slightly smaller plot at rather less cost than last
year. Come and visit us.
We have finalised the fixture list for 2007 and
hope that we have achieved a reasonable
mix of sea and inland events. I will be running
the Southern Area Championships at Lee-on-
Solent, with my First 31.7 as committee boat
and conventional triangle/sausage courses over
May 26/27 with a supper in the evening.
Please look out for the NOR’s for all our events,
and pin the fixture list up on your notice boards
at home and work!!
Neil Pye is looking into the possibility of us
hosting a Eurocup Event, maybe in 2008, with
a view to us putting in a bid for the 2011 World
Championships.
I have asked Lucy to see if the 2008 National
Championships could be hosted by Largs
Sailing Club, the intention being to make it part
of a holiday to Scotland. The 2008 European
Championships will be in Croatia at the end
of May/early June. As you know, this year the
Worlds are in Spain at Mar Menor from the
13-21 July. Rumours are that 6-7 boats from
UK will be going and please note that Entry
Fee payment method is through our Treasurer,
Richard Phillips.
There is some good news on the International
front in that there will be a Bulletin published

very shortly. As I said in my last note to you all
Cle Jeltes is no longer able to do the jobs he
used to for IFDCO and the Dutch Class has
now realised the fact and taken things in hand, I
think they were “in denial”!
On a personal note, I am very happy to report
the engagement of Vicky Parry to Steve
Samuel, who happens to be 6ft 5in and 15
stone and itching to have a go in Tweety!
Further announcements to follow, as they say!!
Well done to Dawn for producing a great
Newsletter last time and see you at the Dinghy
Show, or at the Lee meeting, as I will be away
for the Oxford weekend. Good sailing in 2007.
Trapezing Times
From Jamie Whitaker
There has been debate recently amongst some
FD crews on the perceived advantages of the
continuous trapeze system. Recently Richard
Scarr has been using the standard trapeze
system on AUS 37 and has been vocal on its
merits. I have been sceptical of this view, as I
think many people were. However I now see
that there is an interesting point to be made
here and that the standard trapeze system can
be used effectively by crews.
Recently I was put in the position where I had
to use the standard non-continuous trapeze
system and I found it quite interesting to
compare the requirements of both how I moved
round the boat, up and down on the adjuster,
and how the system affected the dynamics of
who was in control of manoeuvres in the wire to
wire tacking environment at the Midlands.
Straight away the standard system eliminates
some of the problems associated with the
continuous system. Because you engage
and disengage the hook at the height of your
harness hook, you lose the possibility of the
running gear on the elastic getting trapped
over what is about to become the leeward side
as the kicker comes across. This, if it is done
in enough wind to require the crew to be out
on the wire, will almost inevitably end up in an
undignified swim. The absence of cross boat
running elastic also afforded me more room
to move about in the boat without the need to
make sure you are clear of the elastic (this is
more of a problem for the ungainly and clumsy
amongst us… so me really).
What I found surprising about the use of the
standard trapeze system was that it didn’t mean
that I was unable to get the genoa in as quickly
as with the other system once I had got used
to it. I simply had to make sure that the genoa
came in quickly enough for me to be able to go
out on the handle and sheet in the last 6 inches
once I was comfortable out on the wire, either
hooked on or still on the handle. Also surprising
was that the standard trapeze somehow gave
me more confidence to go lower on the wire
than I would normally. I’m not sure why this
would be, but I think it has something to do with
being less concerned about having to have
both of the J hooks at different heights making
crossing the boat a more difficult procedure.
Possibly only having one adjustor and a long
rope on each side gave me more faith in the
system not doing something unexpected
reinforcing the idea that simplest is best in some
cases (yes, I know that this is sacrilege in FD
circles, but hey!).
I think that trying the system is worthwhile if
you find the continuous system to be slightly
impractical for your style of sailing.

FD Midlands
The Flying Dutchman class finished off the
season in fine style with the Midland Area
Championships at Rutland Sailing Club. Despite
a gloomy forecast the rain held off to provide
a range of challenging conditions over the
weekend.
The three races on Saturday provided
brisk sailing and plenty of photo and video
opportunities for the spectators! Race one was
led away by Julian Bridges & Peter Hadfield,
who held the lead until the first reach where
regrettably they were forced to retire, as Julian
was unwell. Unfortunately this proved to be
the end of weekend for this team. This handed
the lead to Peter Doran & Richard Phillips who
comfortably held this until the finish. Second
was Strangler with Simon Evance who had
pulled through the fleet after an poor start. For
a long time third was held by fleet light airs
specialists Rosie & Neil Pye until a prolonged
capsize forced them to retire as well giving third
to Tony Lyall & Colin Burns.
Race two saw the return of Toby Barsley-Dale
& Jamie Whitaker following the repair of a
broken trapeze system. The fleet spread quite
quickly and place changes were few. Toby &
Jamie led the fleet home followed by Strangler
& Simon and Peter & Richard.
The final race of the day was more open. Toby
& Jamie again got away at the front chased
hard by the ever consistent Strangler & Simon.
Behind these two though, the battle was fierce
for third. Many place changes later it was Tony
& Colin who came home just in front of Keith
Martin & John Lansley chased hard by Peter &
Richard and Lucy Lingard & Bob Yeamans.
The evening included the class AGM followed
by a great meal in the club. Much to everyone’s
embarrassment the video of the days antics
was produced and run throughout the evening
providing many laughs as people throughout the
fleet showed just how not to do things!
Sunday dawned much lighter and the racing
became much closer. Race 4 saw the fleet
tightly packed at the first mark, which was
how it stayed for most of the race. The lead
changed many times early on until Strangler &
Simon eventually got their noses in front. This
was how it remained until the penultimate beat
when Toby & Jamie found a way past and found
a little extra pressure on the next reaches to
open a small lead that they held to the finish.
Strangler & Simon came home second followed
by Peter & Richard and Tony & Colin.
The final race was a slightly nervy affair as the
event was still quite open. Again the fleet was
tightly bunched and many of the frontrunners
were buried in the pack. Strangler & Simon
managed to pop out quite early on and were
never seriously threatened but behind them
the places changed continually as the breeze
started to fade and become patchy. Toby &
Jamie eventually scraped their way through to
second followed by Rosie & Neil then Peter &
Richard.
So, after a weekend of close racing, Toby
& Jamies had won with the ever consistent
Strangler & Simon in second. Peter & Richard
came through with a well deserved third place.
Also presented at this event was the travellers
trophy, for more details on this see the back
page.

A Young Sailors Guide to. . . racing with a
Compass
From Strangler
A compass can be a great aid to a sailboat
racer, but it must be used with caution. My initial
advice would be - do not be in any hurry to get
a compass. Ben Ainslie was well into his Laser
career before he felt the requirement.
First, learn to do well in races without one by
using all the other indicators at your disposal.
You should first be familiar with wind shifts
and how they can magic you up the fleet
and, just as easily, unceremoniously dump
you twenty places down. You should also
have an understanding of windshift tactics.
It is not merely a case of tacking on headers
[Recommended reading- Winning in One
Designs by Dave Perry].
Once you do have your compass here are a few
tips.
Location
The preferred location is on the mast. Here
it is close to the helms main field of visual
concentration – oncoming waves and jib telltales.
Hiking crews and even trapeze crews can
read most types of compass on the mast.
Check that no control lines will be fouled
before deciding on the exact location. Flapping
jib sheets have a habit of hooking round a
compass so the crew must not let either sheet
flap around before the start or during a tack,
and always pull in slack on the lazy sheet after
a tack.
merely supplements these indicators. Once you
are comfortable with the compass, do not use it
every time. Leave it ashore for some club races.
This will allow you to practice with your primary
senses only, and ensure you do not become
over reliant on it.
Compasses will be more useful at some
venues than others, eg. on a reservoir you
usually have a fixed object ahead to help with
orientation whereas on the sea often you have
nothing ahead. At some events you may be
better without a compass. I deliberately did not
use one at the Datchet Symmetric Grand Prix.
Racing against a hundred boats in a wok you
needed to keep your eyes outside the boat and
anyway, the shifts were obvious.
Before going on the water think about what
sort of wind you have today. Do you expect it to
be steady, bending, veering or anything else.
It’s better to have initial thoughts based on the
weather forecast and your in-depth knowledge
of wind rather than just looking at the numbers
up a practice beat. If you think about the whole
picture you will better understand how to play
the shifts and you are more likely to understand
any changes during the race [Absolutely
essential reading – Wind Strategy - by David
Houghton, Advanced reading
Think outside the magnetic box
Do not forget all the other methods you have
learnt to get you round the course quickly
– watching the angle of other boats, dark
patches on the water, clouds, etc. The compass

– High Performance Sailing - part 1 - by Frank
Bethwaite].
The practice beat
At a big event, get on the course early enough
to sail at least part of the beat. Make a note
of the numbers. How you do this is personal
preference. If you can remember them in your
head, OK. But if you suspect there is a regular
pattern and you like making notes here is a
suggested method. You will need an indelible
pen or chinagraph [from art shop] and a pad or
bit of deck to write on. Start your stopwatch and
record the tacking angles & time, every time it
changes 5°. It does not matter which tack you
are on. See Diagram 1 – start from the bottom
and enter the compass headings – Starboard
tack on left, time in middle, Port on right. After
the beat, work out the approx mean tacking
angles. Add these [seen here bracketed]. Now
draw a graph of the swings. You now have a
visual impression of the wind. And you have
set up the boat for the beat and got used to the
waves etc. etc. If the wind pattern stays you will
know which part of the shift you are in.
The numbers game
It is easy to be mesmerised or confused by the
numbers on a beat, even if its an all-singing
digital compass with header/lift indicators. Often
there is a permanent shift during an hour-long
race and you may not have time to reset the
tacking angles so the indicators will become
as much use as an ashtray. So, you need a
simple ‘aid memoir’ to tell you if a change in the
numbers is a header or a lift. The usual method
is to mark + HEADER/- LIFT [ie. numbers
decreasing = lift] near the compass on the port
side and opposite on starboard side. This is fine
but the method I use is a slight variation of this
and, I believe, once you have had practice, it
comes more naturally. Most sailors probably do
something like this sub-consciously.
The method is developed from my way of sailing
Diagram 2

a compass course on a cruising yacht. So let’s
look at this first. I initially devised this on a
starless night passage crossing the Med when
all you have to look at is the compass – it really
is easy to get mesmerised by the numbers and
try and turn the compass by turning the wheel,
but of course the compass is static, only the
boat turns. Inexperienced or tired helms will turn
the wrong way.
Imagine a compass card stretching across the
horizon in front of you. The low numbers are
on your left, the high numbers to your right.
Looking at Diagram 2, the helm is trying to steer
a course of 060 degrees. My [yotty] technique
is to look at the compass – read the heading
– 070 – and then immediately look up again
and imagine the numbers on the horizon. 070
is on the mast so you need to turn to port to get
to 060. You now know which way to turn. Look
down at the compass again once the helm is
moved and make the exact correction. Without
this method the tired helm usually looks at the
compass, sees 60 to the left of the lubber line
and thinks that turning the helm to the right will
turn the card to the right …..wrong.
Unlike the cruising yotty, the dinghy racer does
not steer to the compass so you would just use
the first part of the technique.
Diagram 3 illustrates a boat beating on port.
If the numbers decrease on the compass you
must be turning left ie. lifted. Yes it’s as simple
as that. OK you say, but what if you are sailing
due North – the high numbers will be on the left.
Yes, but I said ‘imagine a compass card in front
of you’. Hopefully you can imagine 340, 350, 00,
10, 20.
You may not be very impressed by this method,
but after using it a few times you should find it
comes naturally and is user friendly when the
pressure is on.
Some tactical compasses do not display the
usual compass card ie. 0 to 360 degrees but
show 0 to 20 or similar. It’s a long time since
I used one of these but the above principles
can be applied. A good article about such
compasses can be found at http://www.
roostersailing.com/articles/compass_article.htm
The beat is not the only fruit. A compass has
many uses other than helping you up the beat.
Here are some.
On a regatta course, if you get a chance, record
the bearing of each downwind leg before the
start. As you round each mark, if you cannot
see the next mark a quick look at the compass
will tell you if the boats ahead [hopefully not
too many] are high or low. Do you know what
is the highest angle to the wind you can carry a
spinnaker? This could be useful information as
you lead round the windward mark onto a tight
reach.
Diagram 3

Lymington Town Sailing Club
Hamble Scramble - 12-13 May
2 races over 2 days
Saturday - Lymington - Calshot
Sunday - Calshot - Lymington
Dinghies can be left at Calshot o/night (trailers will be
transported) and camping is available
More information at www.ltsc.co.uk
FREE
ENTRY
Take a bearing of the start line by lining up the
two ends and sailing towards them in transit
but note that a current may modify your sailing
angle in order to keep the ends in transit. If
you suspect this, sight along the centre-line of
the boat to the transit and take a reading [The
current may modify line bias considerations but
is not covered in this article], then shoot head
to wind – boat near stationary - so there is no
apparent wind, boom and jib on the centreline,
read bearing. Calculate any bias on the line,
then decide if you want to go for the biased end
or whether other factors are more important. If
you get a chance to recheck the wind angle in
the last three minutes, do it.
On the run you will be trying to sail as low to
the mark as you can. The compass will indicate
shifts and help decide which gybe to take. Most
sailors find compass use on the run far more
difficult than the beat so make sure you practice
this leg.
And one of the best uses of a compass - as you
beat upwind and look outside the boat to gather
information – then look back at the tell-tales you
often get that sixth sense that you have been
headed. Look at the compass – Nope!
©StranglerHornetClassAssociation2006

Slow Speed Boat Handling
From Toby Barsley-Dale
One of the biggest weaknesses of the British
fleet when faced with international competition
is our ability to get a decent start. We are line
shy and more often than not in the second
rank of a start if not worse. On the occasions
someone does get a good start their finishing
position is always markedly better than the
average.
To get a decent result at the end of the race you
have to start well so that you dictate your own
race rather than having it dictated by others.
Unfortunately due to the small numbers of boats
at UK opens we all revert to classic club racing
starts and sail timed runs down generously
sized start lines meaning we get no opportunity
to practice the big fleet skills of holding position
on a crowded line and general slow speed boat
handling.
On the rare occasions we do go and practice,
the only time we go slowly is leaving and
arriving at the beach. However no matter how
much tacking, gybing and boat speed practice
you do, if you start badly you will never be as
fast as the guys with good starts as they will be
in clear air and be able to pick their shift!
The idea here is gain confidence in our ability to
sail the boat slowly in confined spaces and with
the genoa furled. Hopefully with a little practice
we will be happier to push into the front rank
and fight for the position we need for when the
gun goes.
The exercise!
OK, all you need for this exercise is one mark.
The object of the exercise is to sail as close

to the mark as closely as possible throughout
the exercise. This will make us think about how
we slow a boat down and sail backwards and
will highlight what happens when we change
speed by sheeting on, sheeting off, pushing
the boom out and healing the boat. All of these
thing influence what the boat is doing and with
practice we can make the boat perform some
very clever tricks.
should be level with the mark.
Get the boat to start moving backwards past the
mark and turn the transom away so you are on
port tack. Stop the boat again. The bow should
be level with the mark.
Sheet on and sail passed the mark leaving it to
port this time and stop head to wind. Again the
transom should be level with the mark.
I am not going to attempt to describe what
happens when we do all the different
permutations with sails and heel, it is far better
to discover this on the water. Suffice to say even
in an FD that is stationary with headsail furled
you still have a surprising amount of control.
Right, the exercise itself
With headsail furled slowly approach the mark
on starboard leaving the mark to port. Round
up head to wind and stop the boat. The transom
Get the boat to start moving backwards past the
mark and turn the transom away so you are on
back on starboard tack. Stop the boat again.
Once again bow level with the mark.
Sheet in and accelerate away.
Apparently it is possible to do this with
the boat just about within one length at all
times…………….
Sounds simple doesn’t it! Have fun!
Preparing for the season
From Julian Bridges
I reckon there are three things that need to be
prepared before the beginning of each season.
In addition to the boat, these are the team, and
also the plan for the year.
Ok, the boat first
There are any number of sources for boat
preparation, so we are not going to look at the
minutiae of the job, I just want to develop the
concept. I am sure that for some FD sailors the
numbing fear of an MOT test is a long forgotten
emotion, but that is what we need to emulate.
Draw up a list of the things that need to work
properly on the boat, breaking it down into the
different components – hull, foils, spars, sails,
and not forgetting the infrastructure – trailing
gear, covers, etc. For each component, list
everything that you have ever broken or have
heard of breaking or being damaged. Go out
to the boat with the list in hand, and check all
the weak points. In the space that you have
left after the list points you write the other
defects you find. This is easy, boat maintenance
without getting dirty! Once you have completely
checked the boat, you will have compiled a job
list. Then it’s just a matter of getting down to
doing it!
A couple of examples:-

Rudder Assembly
Pintles to stock
good, tight, but safety clip bent, REPLACE
Tiller into stock
slight play, sort it, how?
Extension joint
beginning to tear, REPLACE
Genoa
Luff wire
good both ends, tack shackle pin end sharp
Luff lashing
worn, REPLACE
Stitching
Slight wear at tack from furling, tape
I have taken for granted a couple of things,
firstly that everything will have been washed
down properly at the end of the year, even if you
last sailed on fresh water, Rutland still has pretty
good mud, and mud is made of grit. Secondly,
every fitting will be individually checked and
given a good squirt of quality lube or replaced,
and every string and shockcord will be checked
throughout its length for wear, including inside
the boom, under the decks, etc.
I also like the boat to look good, so old stickers
come off, with a hairdryer to soften the glue, all
the calibration marks are redone, the old ones
removed, and all the insulating tape is the same
colour.
I blew the Nationals for Pete by falling out the
boat. There was nothing wrong with the toe
strap lifting shockcord and I think I may have felt
a bit of the fall of the mainsheet against my foot
and sat out against that. I broke the extension
by hanging on to it too long, but worse, the
unnatural load transmitted to the tiller and broke
it off in the stock. Looking at it afterwards, there
was freshly broken metal round only about a
third of the tube, the rest had cracked previously
and was grey with corrosion. This year, the
visual check of the top of the tiller at the load
point (the most forward rivets to the stock) will
be replaced with a visual check underneath
the tiller as well, and then, putting the stock in
the vice and wrenching the tiller about. Had I
spotted the damage that must have been there
at the beginning of the season we would only
have had to bin one race at the bloody National
Championships rather than two.
We are not rounding Cape Horn in winter, nor
are we about to engage with the Frenchies,
but we sail in big breezes and we fight in close
quarters. So, to help build some confidence
when racing, just make sure it works. He
that walks the dinghy park showing off the
broken bits is really only showing off his
incompetence at boat maintenance, IT IS ONLY
SEAMANSHIP.
The team is the second facet
Us weirdos are intending to spend our
leisure time in an intimate situation which
is competitive, often tense, and can appear
dangerous. You have to have trust in and
have mutual support for, each other. One of
the best ways to develop this is with open
communication and, I think it’s called, a no
blame culture. Talk to each other and fighting
within the boat will be replaced with beating the
other boats. This all may sound rather green,
hippy, and Guardian reading, but I’ll put up a
box of Tempranillo to say that the RAF (just who
could I be thinking of?) even if not in the wider
organisation, would encourage this within the
individual helicopter.
Everyone has differing strengths, and if the
dice roll to push the weaker limits of your team
mate, try to remember that they have their
strengths too. Pete will never be the Billy Elliot
of North Wales but he has the mind and hands
of an engineer and the tenacity in adversity of
a trench soldier. Corin has never got the hang
of putting the cover on or using a phone, but

the explosive power and precise balance were
very welcome. His testosterone, petrol, and red
bull/vodka crazed attitude also meshed very
well with the laid back approach from the back
of the boat. Cathy, unlike the other two, is never
at her happiest as 25 knots rattle the clubhouse,
but the concentration while trimming in light airs
is incredible, there is always water and food,
and we are always at the start area on time.
We have done, in the training weekends,
various exercises to see what we need to
work on within teams, and again there are no
end of sources to this, and it all seems to be
adapted from management bollocks anyway,
so get on with the SWOT and the SMART, and
the dartboard, cos that’s the method that has
led GBR to Olympic domination in the last two
games. Again, it’s a pleasant way of preparing
for the season, which can involve eating and
drinking as well as talking. Make a deal, one
studies the RRS, the other gets to grips with
windshift prediction and both agree to practice
reach to reach gybes together.
Last chance, (early Feb) final few days, start
getting fit. Swim, gym, bike, jog, run, salsa,
yoga, laser. I can’t do what I did twenty years
ago but its only cos I haven’t bothered. Chris
Hogan (mid-late fifties?) has just won his sixth
consecutive Squib Nationals and he is in the
gym for two or three sessions a week.
You can’t win without a boat, but it’s not the boat
that wins, it’s the people in it.
The plan
The only year that we have ever had a
proper plan was 2005, when there were three
objectives and we actually achieved them.
Again it’s really all RYA-speak, outcome goals
and process goals, decide what you want to do
and what you need to do to get you there. Cath
and I never actually achieved the only goals we
ever set, to be in the top half of the international
fleet and to be top mixed boat. Those were our
outcome goals and there should have been
more process goals to get there. Let’s have an
ambitious but realistic outcome or dream goal
and once you have an outline, colour it in with
paint by numbers process goals. We need to
go to this list of events, we need to use every
club race possible as training in addition to
slots for the dedicated training sessions on the
weaknesses the club racing throws up. We
need to set time aside for fettling sessions,
as well as time for evaluating the new sails.
It’s suddenly all got so bloody complex that
we need regular ‘sit down and think’ planning
meetings but we can have them in the pub,
although they will be in a quiet corner and with

something halfway towards an agenda. Finally
we need to sort the logistics. Tony Lyall is the
one for this. I’m sure he has already booked
ferries and hotels and knows at which Autohof
he will stop for a pee during each weekend in
September. At least let’s get the entries in for
the main events before the late entry penalties
and book your leave, including the relevant
Friday afternoons and make Monday morning
at work fit around the fact that you arrived home
at midnight, having driven 300 miles, after three
races at sea in a force five.
Having an agreed plan fits into the
communication bit above, it doesn’t have to be
the Schlieffen plan, in fact it must be flexible
to change as the season progresses. It’s up to
each team to decide how detailed they want
to make it, but you don’t need to be too casual
about campsites at Bala on a bank holiday.
Being organised is not the same as being anal!
Results - Come & Join Us!
From Richard Phillips
Whether you are an owner of an FD, helm
or crew, one of the main benefits of being a
member of the FD class is the opportunity
to visit and sail in many venues in the UK,
Europe, Australasia and the Americas. The FD
is welcomed around the world. In the UK, we
have three main annual regattas – National
Championships, Midland Area Championships
and Southern Area Championships. Do not be
put off by the word Championships – anybody
is welcome so come and join in – contact the
organiser or committee member for assistance.
Go to www.sailfd.org/gbr for
a full events calendar
outside Europe then there is also a European
Championship. These are also friendly events
and open to any member of IFDCO. However
good or experienced you are, there will be good
competition and many learning experiences.
Each country organises its own events and
there are many major FD regattas in Europe.
Each year IFDCO promotes a selection of
these events to form part of the FD Euro Cup
and many other events are also included in the
Dawes Cup.
In addition there are a number of other open
meetings in the UK that are included in the FD
UK Travellers Trophy. These are informal events
and a good chance to experiment with different
boats, crew, helms, sails, masts, rig settings,
etc. Treat these events as learning experiences.
The FD as a member of Fastsail and so FD
members are entitled to participate in Fastsail
events like the annual Symmetric Grand Prix.
IFDCO
The international FD Class organises an annual
World Championships and if the Worlds are
With the Worlds in Spain in 2007 and New
Zealand in 2008/9 and a Europeans in Croatia
in 2008 – now is a great time to join the Class
so do not be shy – come and join in!
UK Travellers Trophy
2006 proved to be a very close event with 4
teams having a chance of winning at the start of
the last event, the Midland Area Championship.
Tony Lyall & Colin Burns were in the lead with
the highest points but were already counting 5
events so had to improve on their worst result
to increase their points score. Lucy Lingard was
three points behind and also counting 5 events.

Peter Doran & Richard Phillips and Julian
Bridges & Peter Hadfield had many very close
races during the year and were on equal points.
Each would be counting five attendance points
as they had only attended four events each.
Julian & Peter blasted away into an early lead
in the first race and then retired after capsizing
with Julian feeling very weak from an illness.
Peter & Richard went on to finish third in the
event ahead of Tony and Lucy which enabled
them to regain the Travellers Trophy.
Travellers Trophy 2007 - Scoring System
Any boat starting at least one race in a
qualifying event shall score 5 point plus the
number of boats helmed by members of the
British Section that it beats in the overall results
in that event. Boats attending and entering an
event but not starting a race will score 5 points.
Boats not attending an event or attending but
not entering an event will score 0 points.
2007 - best 4 events to count
Tie Breaker
In the event of a tie, the boat that travelled
the furthest miles from its home club to attend
events in the UK shall be judged the winner.
If two or more boats on equal points travelled
equal distances in the UK, they shall be ranked
in order of the number of events attended so
UK Travellers Trophy Results
that the boat attending the highest number of
events is ahead.
Extracting Results from SGP/Handicap
Races/Pursuit Races
FD’s qualifying for Travellers Trophy will be
scored in the order that they appear in the
overall results of that event using the scoring
system for that event.
Bala July - Long distance race & Pursuit race
are run by club as separate events - both races
will count based only on FD results
Qualifying Events 2007
Event 1 Oxford Tankards
Event 2 Southern Area Championship - Lee
on the Solent
Event 3 Bala July - Long Distance Race &
Pursuit Race - both to count based
only on FD results
Event 4 Open National Championships
- Felixstowe Ferry
Event 5 Midland Area Championship
– Rutland
Note
Any FD sailor may nominate additional events
for consideration by the Committee as a
qualifying event.
Euro Cup events 2007
1 Peter Doran & Richard Phillips 45
2 Tony Lyall & Colin Burns 41
3 Julian Bridges & Peter Hadfield 40
4 Lucy Lingard & crew 36
5 Rosie Pye & Neil Pye 28
6 Toby Barsley-Dale & crew 22
7 Jon Williams & crew 22
8 Keith Martin & John Lansley 16
9 Alex Rogers and Martin Hattersley 6
10 Bill Oliver & Neil Sexton 5
Altea Cup
Kiel Week
European
Champs
Marina Preis
Conrad Gulcher
Altea
Kiel
Kiel
9-11 Feb
17-25 June
Neusiedlersee
22-29 July
Riva Del Garda
31 Aug-2 Sep
Loostrecht
7-8 October