Facebook

Login

Support Sailonline

If you haven't already - join the SAILONLINE YACHT CLUB!

Please also consider making a donation - all amounts are greatly appreciated!

Board » Flag Officers » Races » Race to Up Helly Aa 2013

I realize that negotiating islands can be a big part of the strategy for races but it also drastically limits who can be competitive when taken to extreme. I think this race is one where it is taken to extreme. Anyone who finds themself with work or sleep for the last possibly many hours will just have to give up. I am guessing this will become a bbq event. I can't speak for others, but unless a race has room for sleep and work via planning and DCs I can't play. I do not expect to be able to enter all races, and this will certainly be one I do not enter. But the races that are fun and competitive in my opion are the ones like The New Hebrides Slolam. Islands played a major role in strategy, as did the need to sail all points of sail. But a careful planner could find places to sleep and work.

Anyway, this is my 2¢ worth of opinion (approximately 0.016€)
Hirilondë,
Agree these can be very tricky and the Top-Guns must have a special blend of coffee to allow for limited sleep. I ALWAYS seem to be at a critical juncture during the middle of the night!

That's said, some of these events stretch the talent for calculating and setting DCs which I have found challenging and rewarding. In the current Up Helly, I was on DC from just after Kinnard Head to just before Moray Firth (and had additional DCs set for the rounding that would have worked). I picked up approx 25 places while asleep.

There have been ongoing discussions about having "split fleets" with the insomniacs/maniacs in one group and the cruisers/gotta-get-some-sleep-before-the- kids-wake-up-SOLers in the other.
I am in the latter and have finally (after 2years of never missing a race) accepted the fact that I won't ever make Top10. Too much IRL gets in the way. I just enjoy the effort, challenge and community

Keep SOLing and watch for me at your stern !!

SP

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m


Current Races:

Valletta Sprint 2025


We invite you once again to this SOL classic around the Middle Sea, departing from and returning to historic Valletta. Loseley modelled on an IRL classic often sponsored by a luxury wristwatch purveyor, our c 600nm course takes us north as far as Stromboli, then west of Sicily and south to Lampedusa and back to Valletta probably via the strait between Malta and Gozo. This year we will race it all in very Meddy Dufour 40’s!
Race #1949
INFO by brainaid.de
Dufour 40 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
Race starts: Dec 20th 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Aeolian Cruise 2025


This is the final race of the ARCH 2025 series and your last chance to improve your ranking. It promises to be an exciting 210nm slalom through the beautiful landscapes of the Aeolian Islands. Our Moody S38's will take off from Tropea and sail west between successive islands to reach the finish line in the Gulf of Palermo.
Fair Winds.
Race #1991
INFO from brainaid.de
Moody S38 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
ARQ4 - ARCH - SUPSOL - SYC
Race starts: Dec 15th 17:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Chatham Island TIMED Chase 2025

The final TIMED race of 2025 takes us to the isolated and mysterious Chatham Islands archipelago 430 nm east of New Zealand’s South Island. There promises to be plenty of breeze from every point on the compass as we sail the Farr 38 around Chatham Island, Pitt Island, and The Forty Fours on this 124 nm course. This is a TIMEDrace so you may RE-REGISTER HEREto try again after finishing a run. You will have 13 days and 11 hours to test your skill and decision making after the race opens.
Race #1990
INFOby brainaid.de
Farr 38 Particulars
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ4 - TRCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
27 December at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Dec 14th 12:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Christmas to Christmas Island 2025

Two waypoints, start and finish, and between them 5827 NM of two oceans. Not much time if we want to sit at the Christmas Eve table. You will need to maintain an average speed of over 10 knots, maybe quite possible with this Maxi Trimaran, but prepare your vessel well and choose the best of the many possible routes. Hands up everyone who knew there were TWO Christmas Islands?! OK, maybe you have sailed this Sailonline course before... but it's time to get ready for the 2025 challenge of racing between Christmas Island in the Pacific to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean! It also marks the conclusion of our prestigious Ocean Race Championship 2025. Please have fun! Fair winds!
PRIZE: SMPF
Race #1967
INFO by brainaid.de
Maxi Trimaran PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ4 - OCCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Wednesday,
December 24 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Dec 01st 11:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CollegeFund
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member BRENTGRAY
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member sassy63

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

SYC members have the benefit of access to our mobile/lightweight web client!

The mobile client