Following consultation with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Association of Marine Electronic and Radio Colleges (AMERC), the RYA has issued revised guidance regarding the procedure for sending a ‘Distress Relay’.

In a relay situation, there is no longer a requirement to send a DSC ‘Urgency Announcement’.  The ‘Mayday Relay’ voice call remains unchanged and should still be transmitted as normal.

If a distress is received by DSC or voice, the skipper of a vessel should act as follows: 

  1. Wait five minutes for the distress to be acknowledged by the Coastguard or another vessel.
  2. If no acknowledgement or distress working is heard, send a ‘Received Mayday’ voice call to the station in distress, then:
  3. Relay the distress message to the nearest Coastguard, which may be by any means, but should primarily be sent using a ‘Mayday Relay’ voice call addressed to the specific Coastguard station followed by repetition of the original ‘Mayday message’.
  4. The Coastguard should respond and take over distress working and co-ordinate the assistance.
  5. If unable to contact a Coastguard station, send a ‘Mayday Relay’ call, addressed to ‘All Stations’, followed by the repetition of the original ‘Mayday message’. You should then prepare to co-ordinate the assistance to the vessel in distress between yourself and any other vessels in the vicinity.  

For the full article see this link from the RYA: Marine Radio Distress Relay Protocol

Hits: 76

Race 2 - 2019-10-13

With the fleet reduced to 2 yachts for this race we agreed, with an Easterly 10 - 13kt wind, on a course of Start, Clipera (P), Bolivar(P), Meath(P), Clipera(S) and finish. However as the yachts arrived close to the start at the 5 minute warning the winds had dropped to 0!

It took more than the remaining time to the start for Passtime, closer to the wall and Flair IV to get over the line. 

Just after the start the wind started to fill in from the West as the showers started again and Flair in a slightly better position pulled ahead. Once out of the harbour the wind strength rose rapidly to around 19kt sailing on a downwind leg to Clipera. Before reaching Clipera the winds were now gusting 25 - 29kt and Passtime reefed her jib while flair had to reef her main to avoid rounded up to windward. The leg to Bolivar was a reech and speeds of 7.8kt recorded through the water on Flair. At bolivar Flair IV had a substantial lead as they tacked to return to Meath. 

It was evident the with these winds the race was going to be too short so it was agreed that a second visit to Bolivar

Hits: 301

On the west side of Anglesey there had been steady winds of around 10kt from 08:00 with wall to wall sunshine. We were looking forward to a great day out as our last long distance race of this year. At Holyhead 4 yachts were getting ready Shearwater, Jaydreamer, Moonraker and Flair IV and the winds were varying between 6 and 10kt. 

As race officer on Flair IV I started the class 2 yachts, Shearwater and Moonraker, at their start time of 10:10 giving me an opportunity to get most things organised before starting class 1, Jaydreamer and Flair IV.

Hits: 418

Race 3 Sunday September 15th

Getting the race organised was a bit of a problem for the skipper on Flair IV due to a slightly later than planned arrival. However the course was agreed with the skippers on the five yachts competing and all starting today on a single start at 14:10, of course the ferry left later than expected and race officer notified Jetstream almost at the end of the Aluminium Jetty of the ferry’s path expected to run very close! 

Jetstream had a considerable lead in the light winds going out of the harbour but tacked early onto starboard going North whereas Flair stayed on port sailing East with a short double tack to round Clipera. Passtime, who had been ahead of Flair from the start tacked to North but didn’t tack back for some time until she saw Flair getting a tide advantage staying further to the South. 

Hits: 583

Supplementary Sailing Instructions

These instructions are to be read in conjunction with the General Sailing Instructions, available on this link: General Sailing Instructions

Race to East Mouse and Back 2019-09-21

LW Holyhead: 08:27

HT at Holyhead 15:26

Start time and Warning signals 

All times BST: 

Ferry departures/arrivals 

Stena: 08:55/12:10

Irish Ferries: 08:15/11:45

Warning Signal Class 2: 

10:05

Start: Class 2

10:10

Warning Signal Class 1

10:25

Start Class 2 

10:30

 

Course: 

Start

Clipera (P)

Eat Mouse to port

Clipera (S)

Finish

Hits: 537

Race 2 11th September

As the shorter evenings draw in the racing starts at 18:00 for the Class 2 and 18:10 for Class 1. The course was set by Wendy, her penultimate race as Officer of the Day, was course 2 

7 yachts prepared to get to the start line in 12kt WSW winds and a warning of a ferry movement. On the leg to Penrhos the usual variety of spinnakers were being hoisted but Flair had a “wine-glass” and had to drop her’s after failing to clear the issue, this put her well behind all the other yachts as they cleared the end of the Aluminium Jetty. From my vantage point on Flair trying to sort out the problems I was unaware of who was in the lead but at Penrhos after the fetch Houdini and Jetstream were battling it out as they began to catch up on the Class 2 yachts.

The leg to Meath was a broad reach with spinnakers flying again and then from Meath to Clipera was a fetch with a beat back into the harbour. 

Hits: 504

  1. August Wednesday Races 2019
  2. Harbour Revision Order Scoping Report July 2019
  3. HSC Regatta August 24th 2019
  4. August Bank Holiday 2019