Racing

The club has fleets of Blazes, Lasers, RS200s, D-Zeros, Solos and RS400s but no specific classes are supported and all class types are welcomed. Junior classes regularly sailed are Optimists, Topper and RS Feva. Sailors not interested in racing are welcome to head out as long as there is rescue boat cover, but stick fairly close to the race course. All handicap racing is under the Portsmouth Yardstick.

The sailing program covers both competitive and non-competitive sailing from March to May at the Loch of Skene, and June to November at Stonehaven. Results for races are quickly posted and collated om Halsail. Competitive sailors under 18 are encouraged to wear a race bib to allow them to be included in the race series even when swapping boats.

We all take it in turn to cover the duties for Officer of the Day (OOD, on the committee boat who sometimes has an assistant), as well as Rescue 1 (RIB driver) and Rescue 2 (Rib crew). The club uses DutyMan to schedule and staff races. All information relating to how to set up the race and racing rules can be found in the Sailing Instructions. If in doubt ask a committee member.

Skene

Racing at the Loch of Skene is from early March until the end of May. Boats are parked on the grassy edge of the loch with the start line a few minutes sail away. The loch provides excellent sailing conditions with lack of tides and waves providing an ideal beginners environment, however it can be a bit chilly in early March and those capsizing might find their mast stuck in bottom of the shallow loch! Special events include the Easter Egg pursuit race on Easter Sunday, the Skene Regatta and the Junior Regatta.

Last sail of the season at Loch Skene is on the last weekend in May. At this weekend the club moves to Stonehaven.

Dunecht Estate, who own the loch, prohibits any sailing without rescue boat cover, casual sailors are encouraged to only sail during club racing times. For more information on the venue check out the "About" section.

The dinghy racing program includes;

• Saturday and Sunday in the Spring with a 2pm start with 2 races
• Wednesday evenings in the Spring with a 7pm start with one race
• Novice racing on a Monday evening

Stonehaven

Racing at Stonehaven starts on the first Sunday in June. Boats are stored either in one of the two dinghy parks, or in one of our many sheds. Stonehaven bay provides glorious racing in another beautiful setting.

Special events include the annual Catterline race down the coast to the village of Catterline and the Commodore’s trophy. The clubs annual regatta is held at Stonehaven in the second half of August.

• Sunday at Stonehaven in the Summer and Autumn with a 2pm start with 2 races- tea and cake in the club galley afterwards
• Wednesday evening at Stonehaven in the Summer and Autumn with a 7pm start with one race- communal fish & chips in the club bar afterwards
• One-day club regattas with a variety of formats
• The annual open regatta at Stonehaven in August
• Novice racing on a Tuesday evenings, June to Early September, Saturday afternoons September till late October

Sailing at Stonehaven is hugely influenced by weather conditions. Easterly Storms, the dreaded haar and unexpected large swell are just some of Stonehaven's specialties. Check out weather, waves and tide forecast by MagicSeaweed. Current weather conditions, just a few miles South, at Catterline can be seen on Pedrox. By clicking on individual dials the last 6 hour trends can be seen. If in doubt about the weather check out both the webcam and the club facebook GROUP as we may have to cancel very short notice. Novice racing will be cancelled if the forecast is over 15mph winds.