Phoenix Yacht Club

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Racing

Racing forms an important part of the sailing activities in the Phoenix Yacht Club. It is an excellent way of building up your sailing miles, it also provides the perfect environment for opportunity for developing team-working and sailing confidence in what can be quite challenging conditions. The club provides opportunities for its members to engage in a wide range of racing, ranging from racing in the Solent to offshore races including the Rolex Fastnet Race, some examples follow:

Both boats are normally entered for the Island Sailing Club’s Round the Island Race each year. This famous media event starts from Cowes at about 0700 on a Saturday in June with over 1500 yachts taking part. They race anti clockwise around the Isle of Wight to finish where they started, a distance of about 50 miles. Afterwards the club boats usually moor up together or with friends on other yachts for an end or race party. For further details see http://www.roundtheisland.org.uk 

Firebird (and Enchantress its predecessor) have been entered for Cowes Week usually when Spellbinder was away on the Summer cruise. This is a week of racing around courses in the Solent each day and partying in the evening. It is based at Cowes and is usually the first week of August. For further details see http://www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk 

Both Spellbinder and Firebird have entered Cork Week, a series of one day offshore races in the month of July organised by the oldest sailing club in the world and with excellent Irish hospitality. Read more about Cork Week at: http://www.accbankcorkweek.ie and previous PYC participation in  PYC 2006 racing  (link needs fixing)

In recent years Spellbinder has competed in many offshore races organised by RORC (Royal Offshore Racing Club see http://www.rorc.org) and also competed in the Rolex Fastnet race in 2005 and 2007. The Fastnet race starts from Cowes and rounds the Fastnet rock off the South West coast of Ireland to finish for a party at Plymouth, a distance of about 600 miles.  Read accounts in PYC 2005 racing (link needs fixing) and PYC 2007 Fastnet.

A provisional programme of races is shown below with RORC offshore races highlighted in red in the table below which would give you the opportunity to develop the appropriate experience if you are interested in crewing on a boat in the 2011 Fastnet.  For more detail please see Document Folder in the Members Area

If you are interested in skippering or crewing on any races in either boat, would like to discuss which races would be suitable for you or would like to know more please contact the club’s Racing Officer.

The demand from club members will determine the final race programme.

To book for a race, please contact the Bookings Secretary