Team Racing
Technical
The following article was published in the IODA Yearbook of 2008.
Top 5 answers from Chris Atkins, Chief Umpire IODA Team Racing European Ledro 2008.
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Because it is fun!
Lots of short, exciting races, and it's fun to be part of a team rather than always sailing as an individual.
Because it is exciting.
The winning team is the winner of the final race, and the winner of the final race is usually decided up the final beat.
Because you have a better chance of winning!
In any team race there is one winner and one loser - so you should win half the races.
Because it is the best learning environment!
Lots of starting, close tacking and gybing, overtaking and being overtaken. From boat handling to rules knowledge, you become a better sailor.
Because it encourages team work.
If you make a mistake, your team-mates may be able to help you recover. If they make mistakes, you may be able to help them recover.
The IODA standard grids and Sailing Instructions
Due to the large number of teams and the short time available during the World and Continental IODA events (except the European Team Racing) it is not practicable to organise a round robin between 16+ teams. The IODA Executive Committee have consequently developed a special format that can be run in a single day (for the continentals) or in two days (for 48 teams in the Worlds)
The main characteristic of this format is that teams that have lost two times are eliminated from the competition. The final (called SAIL OFF) is sailed by one team that has never lost and another team that has lost only once. The semi-finals are sailed by two teams that have lost once.
The grids are seeded based on the accumulated points of the four best sailors of each team in the first five individual races or in the number of races that have been completed before the day of the team racing, if that number is less than 5.
Download the format you need clicking on the links below:
- Team Racing Sailing Instructions
- Team Racing Grid for 48 teams (World championship)
- Team Racing Grid for 16 teams with Sail Off and 32 races*
- Team Racing Grid for 16 teams with Sail Off and 30 races*
*In the case of 32 races, teams that lose for the first time have the chance to fight for a place in the final. In the case of 28 races a team that lose for the first time cannot have a place in the final and can only fight for a third place at the best.
**To generate grids for a number of teams lower than 16 use the grid for 16 with a blank in the place where the last teams should be. For example if there are 14 teams, put a blank in the places where teams 16 and 15 should be. The races involving these "blank" teams are then skipped and the contenders go directly to the second flight.
The course
Team Racing at the Worlds and all Continentals use the “S” course.
This course makes it is easier to run races in sequence, reducing the chance of different races meeting. It is the standard team racing course used at many other major events and both sailors and umpires benefit from this consistent approach.
The target time for a race is 9 minutes, with leg times of 3 minutes for upwind and downwind legs and short reaches of just a minute duration.
For the scoring system IODA have adopted Appendix D.3.
Guide to Umpiring 4 Boat Team Racing – by Bruce Hebbert
Team Racing at the Worlds and all Continentals use the “S” course.
Umpiring a team race needs not only sound knowledge of the rules but also a clear understanding on how to follow the teams and move along the course. This guide focuses on the second, giving examples of umpire boat positioning on different parts of the course, as well as a guide to the basic umpire process and dialogue.
Click here (Needs flash player)