YACHT RACING STARTING The starting rule of the Yacht Racing Association has now been in use four seasons, and is well understood both by owners and sailing masters. In that rule it is enjoined that the signal flag denoting the race shall be hoisted half an hour before the signal to start is made. This is sometimes supposed to mean that there must be a separate half hour between each race ; this, however, is not the case, and so long as the signal flag for a race is hoisted half an hour before the time appointed for the race to be started, the rule will have been complied with. This may be of great importance at some regattas where there may be several matches to sail. There can be any interval between the starting of the matches that a committee may find convenient ; for instance, the starting of several matches could be arranged thus :— There are two ways of starting yachts in a match, one from anchors or moorings, and the other under way ; the latter is frequently termed a flying start.
If the start is from anchors or moorings, the yacht should be taken to her station in good time ; and to wait for a yacht that is late in getting to her station is hardly fair to those which are in time.
As a rule yachtsmen prefer under-way starts, as it enables them to get the sails properly set, and to know exactly what sail to set. Perhaps, however, if there is a great difference in the size of the competing yachts, the owners of the small ones would prefer a start from moorings with all sail down, as they would be able to haul up their canvas quicker than the larger yachts, and so gain an advantage. This is not fair to the yachts of larger tonnage, and the most just plan is to start yachts under way, or with after canvas set.
There is another reason why, when starting from moorings, yachts, if the state of the tide and wind permits, should be allowed to set after canvas previous to the signal for the start ; when a start has to be made with all canvas down, a 10-tonner will carry two or three more hands, than she otherwise would, for the sake of getting up the canvas quickly. Five
or six men are quite sufficient to work a 10-tonner when once she is underway, but it is the practice to carry eight when the start is from moorings with all canvas down; a 10-tonner is thus often made to carry about quite an unnecessary deck load. Of course the larger the yacht the greater is the number of these "canvas hoisters," and years ago the practice was to turn them into a boat, waiting alongside, directly the canvas was up. To prevent this practice a rule was passed that no one should join or leave a yacht after the preparatory gun had been fired. The Y.R.A. have modified this by limiting its application to paid hands.
It will be assumed that the race is for 10-tonners ; and, as the method of starting and general conduct of a race is the same for yachts of all sizes, a 10-tonner will answer the purpose of illustration as well as one of larger size. If the start is from moorings, go up to the buoy to pick it up just as you would to pick up any other buoy. (See " Seamanship.") If the yacht is before the wind, lower all sail and go up to the buoy with way so much deadened that the yacht scarcely moves, due allowance of course always being made for tide, whether foul or fair ; in beating up to the buoy, the yacht must be rounded to and made shoot head to wind up to the buoy. Get hold of the buoy and hawser and haul about ten or twelve fathoms on board ; then bend on the quarter spring to the hawser, veer out the hawser again and belay the spring with some slack aft. In starting from anchors, if the chain has to be slipped, the spring will be bent to the chain as it would be to the hawser. If the anchor has to be weighed, no spring will be bent on. If a yacht starts from her own anchor and slips and the anchor has to be got by a boat, it is best to bend a trip line to the crown of the anchor with a buoy. Also if the anchor has to be weighed in a 5-tonner, it will be found best to put a trip line on the anchor and pull it up over the bow regardless of the cable, which can be got in at leisure.