Sailing club rediscovers the racing bug after making a sporting return to Northamptonshire water

“There were so many issues to tackle .. such as whether more than six boats constitutes a gathering!"
Hollowell sailors are racing again but keeping their distanceHollowell sailors are racing again but keeping their distance
Hollowell sailors are racing again but keeping their distance

Racers at Hollowell Sailing Club are finally back in their boats after three months beached during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Since sailing was allowed in mid-May as a form of exercise, clubs across the country have gone to great lengths to interpret government guidance so their members could return to the water.

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But for some, sailing means the buzz of racing — and Hollowell, based at the Northamptonshire reservoir, found a way to piece together the jigsaw.

Club Commodore, Graham Smith, said: “There were so many issues to tackle to reintroduce some sort of racing, such as whether a start line of more than six boats constitutes a gathering!

"But we knew we had a lot of things in our favour; a big lake, wide beach, three pontoons and five separate slipways. You could have a lot of boats on the water at the same time easily dispersed and with lots of space to exit.

"It then became about finding a way to make that all work to race.”

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Traditionally, racing at sailing clubs involves a number of similar boats lining up on the same start line, racing around a course and whoever crosses the finish line first is the winner.

Handicap systems keep the boats  and members  well apartHandicap systems keep the boats  and members  well apart
Handicap systems keep the boats and members well apart

But Hollowell — which was founded in 1966 — used a handicap concept in a pursuit race format with staggered start times depending on sailors’ personal or boat handicap. The craft sail around a course for a set duration and when time is up, the results are calculated based on the handicaps.

Before launching, the idea was checked by a number of ‘critical friends’ — NHS professionals among Hollowell's 380 members and committee — who assessed its viability in terms of the club's obligations to vulnerable members.

Mr Smith added: “If we run a race for 45 minutes and everyone finishes at different parts of the lake, we’ve then not got everyone heading back to the beach at once.

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"It doesn’t matter how many boats are on the water as long as they’re socially distanced. The boats just happen to be on the same course sailing at the same time, but spaced apart.

"Our rules to race are the same as to do free sailing; every sailor should only go out in conditions they are capable in and there is no sailing if the wind forecast is above a Force 5, as there is a high risk of boats capsizing.

"Sailors get changed in the car park or arrive ready and you can’t physically get in the clubhouse galley, bar or lounge. Toilets are open and accessed via a one-way system.

"Beyond that there's no reason for anyone to touch anything apart from their own boat and kit. We're calling it self-managed racing.

"On the weekend we launched I had a couple of members tell me it’s the best weekend of sailing they’ve ever had. So it’s been a positive start."