Page 25 - Yachter Winter 2019

COWES WEEK 2019 A Perspective from mark laying boat “Marks 1”
Each Cowes Week mark laying RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) is a two-man team who must work closely and efficiently together to ensure marks are laid where they’re wanted and often
in the shortest possible time. I was
the Mark Layer/Skipper for “Marks 1”, one of two RIBs that the RSYC Race Management team (RMT) had at its disposal for White Group duties at Cowes Week 2019 and working alongside me was Nathan Hamilton.
Several months before Cowes Week a number of us had a very useful training session with a more experienced mark layer. This involved practising laying “gates”, “spreaders” and other marks using GPS
and relative distance and bearing. It also introduced us to the new (to us) “Alderney ring” method of lifting the race marks
once they had done their job. Usually, in Southampton Water, we’re used to lifting marks by simply physically hauling on the anchor line. In the deeper water and stronger tide of the Solent that becomes more problematic so the new method helps by attaching the boat to the anchor line using the “ring” and then using the movement of the boat to raise the anchor.
Shortly before the Regatta, the whole
RSYC Cowes Week team also had a very useful practice session on location in the Solent.This allowed the team across the four vessels, Committee Vessel (Hound), Pin End boat (Sabrina) and our two RIBs, to practice laying courses in accordance with the Sailing Instructions – before we had to do it for real!
The primary role of “Marks 1” was to
lay the windward mark (the first rounding mark upwind of the start) and its associated Spreader mark. However, we also had an important secondary role as roaming wind/ weather reporting boat for the team on the Hound; every 10 minutes or so we would radio in wind speed and direction from an upwind position.This allows the course to be set in the best possible orientation for the prevailing conditions.
Personally, I had a great time! Though I’ve been a member of the RMT for 9 years, this is the first time I have really had a role at Cowes Week and I thoroughly enjoyed it.The training we undertook I believe was vitally important and aided our success. It was disappointing the weather resulted in two of our four days being cancelled, but nonetheless I feel we put on good racing for the crews which raced with us.
I’d like to say a big thank you to fellow Club and RMT Members Stephen Parry, David Martin,Allan Beswick and Peter Davill, in particular, for organising the training sessions and for getting our two RIBs prepared for Cowes Week.Also to Nathan for crewing on “Marks 1”!
James Maltby
RACING REPORT 25