Here at Croydon Sailing Club we’re always open to suggestions for new cup races and events. We try to include at least one experimental event in each of our race seasons, some of which are popular enough to become a regular feature.

Following the success of our annual Pico Match Racing event, we’ve had a number of requests from members to consider including more double-hander events in our racing calendar. So, on Sunday 6th October we invite members to take part in our first ever Hartley Head-to-Head (or Head-to-Head-to-Head if there’s a larger turnout).

Here’s (roughly) how it’ll work:

• Members interested in taking part should arrive by 10:00 to help setup, with the first race getting underway at 10:30 sharp
• Teams will be made up of mixed-ability pairs, with more seasoned members paired up with those with less experience
• Using a round-robin format, we’ll aim for each team to race each of the other teams at least once (or at least have the same number of races, if this isn’t possible)
• A simple triangular course will be used
• Each race will consist of 2 teams and 2 laps, with the helm and crew swapping roles/positions at the end of the first lap, wherever possible (exceptions may be made for mobility issues, for example)
• The start will consist of a 1 minute signal, followed by a start signal, rather than the usual 5-4-1-Go, so that we can fit in as many races as possible
• The winning team will be the one with the most wins
• If there are 2 or 3 teams with equal numbers of wins, there will be a race-off to decide the winner

If there’s a large turnout, the DO can at their discretion, include 3 teams in each race to minimise downtime for each team between races.

See you on Sunday!