By Tom Walsh (updated by John Anderson)
The questions have been crossing your mind -
back and forth, back and forth. Can I go out and race my Catalina 27 with the other
Catalina 27s? Should I? Will it be fun? How hard is it to get started?
First, remember that all those other skippers
racing out there had to go through this drill at one time or another in order
to enter the fraternity of sailboat racers.
When I first moved to
Should you do it? Will it be fun? The answer
to both questions is YES. You will improve your sailing skills
and you will find that the game is both physically and mentally challenging
(some of us are more mentally challenged than others). You’ll never get bored
because there will always be new situations, new competitors and new friends.
That’s enough philosophy. You want to know the nuts and bolts, right? How do I
race with other Catalina 27s in the
We race one design, meaning no handicaps are
applied. Where you finish is your standing in the race.
Over 6,600 Catalina 27s were produced between
1970 and 1989. There are many of them available at very reasonable prices
scattered around the
If you are searching for a Catalina 27 to
race, my recommendation is to find one that is already equipped for racing and
is in sound condition. If you think you’ve found the right boat, but aren’t
quite sure, just ask one of our fleet members to have a look. We can make
comments on what might be necessary to make the boat race ready. I also highly
recommend the use of a professional boat surveyor – probably the best “boating”
investment you can make.
Either dacron, mylar,
or kevlar sails are fine... no spectra or carbon fiber. Biggest genoa you can have
is 170% (although most of us use a 155% as our #1 genoa
– it’s easier to trim and doesn’t get overpowered so quickly). You can
have one spinnaker (symmetrical flown with a spinnaker pole), no cruising or
asymmetrical spinnakers. On that note, you need all the associated spinnaker
gear; pole, halyard, topping lift, downhaul and usually a second set of winches
on your cockpit coaming to handle the spin sheets.
You need some short lengths of sail track for proper sheeting of the #1 genoa and the # 3 jib (blade). If you don’t have these, ask
any racer. They’ll be happy to show you where they should be installed. Your
mast, boom, spinnaker pole and sails have to be measured by the Catalina
Fleet 8 measurer to ensure they are within specs.
No stripped out boats. Racing is done in
cruising trim; meaning all cushions, table, stove, water tank, hatch boards,
locker doors, batter etc. Must be onboard. There’s also a laundry list of
safety items required, including fire extinguishers, horseshoe or lifesling, PFDs and whistles,
buckets, anchor, radar reflector and strobe light for night racing and probably
a few others I’ve forgotten. You can find this information in the CBYRA rules
book that you get when you join.
Obviously your boat must be registered in the
state of
You need to be a member of Catalina 27 Fleet
8. Dues are $50 a year. The application form is available at our web site http://catalina27fleet8.org. Just print it out and return it with your check to the fleet
treasurer (address on form).
Membership in the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing
Association (CBYRA) is a must. Dues are $30 per year plus $15 for a copy of the
Green Book, which contains all the schedules and race instructions. You can
call CBYRA at 410-269-1194 or you can access their web page at
http://www.CBYRA.org. If you are in a hurry, you can fill out the application on the
web page and CBYRA will send you the bill. While you’re there, you may want to
consider joining US Sailing at the same time. It’s not mandatory, but you will
receive discounts off race registrations (in other words – it’s a good deal).
OK, we’re almost there - just one more thing.
Membership in a yacht club or sailing association that is affiliated with CBYRA
is required. Before you toss this in the round file, be assured that this can
be done quite inexpensively. You can find a list of member clubs on the
CBYRA web site. It may take
a few phone calls to find the club that best meets your needs and your budget.
That’s it. You’re ready! Come on out and play.
You’ll find that all the other skippers will be very helpful and willing to
share their experience with you.
In closing, in case you are totally new to
sailboat racing, you should know that it is a Corinthian sport. That means
that, unlike football, basketball, etc., there is no umpire or referee tagging
along to tell a skipper when he messed up. Consequently, it is expected that
each skipper, when he knows he has broken a rule, accepts the responsibility and
attendant penalty. What are the rules, you say? Go to any marine supply store
(West Marine, Fawcetts, etc.) and purchase a copy of
Dave Perry’s book explaining the racing rules of sailing. It’s the bible. I
should mention here that the racing rules change every four years and the rules
that will be in effect this year are “The
Rules of Racing 2005-2008”. Be sure to purchase
the current version, as there are a few significant changes.
See you on the water!