‘So, having taken part in some of these
events we have been looking at how they might be replicated elsewhere. We have been working on a tour style event in the English Channel. The plan is to run a series of offshore and coastal point-to- point races on both sides of the Channel over the course of a week. The event would include both weekends which means that we could get a nine-day event with people only having to take five days off work. Crew changes would be allowed, which would make it easier for teams to compete and we would engage local yacht clubs for the socials.’ But Colley’s plan goes further than
simply arranging racing for the double handed teams. “One of the new areas where we’ve
seen steady growth over recent years is in what we believe is the new fully crewed configuration with teams of four. This has been very popular in some of the local events we have run, especially for round- the-cans racing where double handed can be pretty tricky at times. Last year’s Jeanneau Sun Fast Cup in Cowes proved very popular with teams of four. It works because many teams find it far easier to round up another couple of friends rather than a weather rail full of crew. On top of this, boats in the mid thirty-
foot size range that have proved popular for double handed racing lend themselves well to a crew of four. In fact, some of the new breed are being designed with this specifically in mind. Also, the reality is that when it comes to the accommodation, most boats of that size can only cater for four anyway, so it makes sense to have this as a limit if you’re racing point-to-point and staying on board. ‘So, our plan is to have a fully crewed
class for those sailing four-up, racing alongside the double handed class. This is also one of the reasons why it makes sense to allow boats to change crews during the week in order to make it easier for teams to take part.’ With a plan to have a Channel-based event at the heart of the summer season,
Two-handed regattas attract good sized fleets of competitive crews racing closelymatched boats.What’s not to like?
Sea Ventures’ plans are to develop individual races and events on either side. ‘With the fully crewed teams inmind we
are also looking into creating a spring/ early summer season along with an autumn/winter series that would run races on alternate weekends,’ says Nick Bonner, Sea Ventures’ racingmanager. ‘Here, the emphasis would be on day racing. The fleet would still do point-to-point racing but it would be over a weekend where there would be a stopover on the Saturday night before racing back on the Sunday. Once again we would be working with clubs to ensure that there is a social part to each weekend.We believe that people do want tomeet up and swap notes. ‘For the racing, we also believe that
there’s a growing appetite for something other than the endless windward-leewards, something that helps a broader range of boats find their competitive legs and that brings back some of the tactical and boat handling skills in all-round racing. ‘We would also look to produce and distribute the courses ahead of time for
some of the races so that people know what will be involved ahead of time and can do their planning in advance. And if some people think that reminds them of the days of Solent Points, we make no excuses because back then in its heyday it worked. ‘The reality is that the racing scene has
been evolving and changing all the time and we believe that we should be working with the clubs, classes and style of racing that is popular rather than trying to push people towards a particular format. This involves working with clubs and classes to help build the events that have proved popular by bringing a new or additional fleet,’ he concludes. It is easy to see how Sea Ventures’
thinking has been influenced by – and converges with – the popular French model. Identifying what is popular and then providing the format for crews to get together is their starting point for a class of boat and style of racing that is undeniably popular.
www.sea-ventures.co.uk
Some boats designed specifically for two- handed offshore racing are also ideal for inshore racing with a crew of four
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SEAHORSE 55
JEAN-MARIE_LIOT
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