Thursday night racing is open to any boat except sunfish (we have sunfish exclusive racing on Tuesday nights).  It is called handicap racing because each type of boat is different, and some are faster than others.  In order to even the playing field a Portsmouth handicap number is assigned to you based on the type of boat you will be sailing to calculate your finish position.   Your score is adjusted according to your rating so the boat that crosses the finish line first is not necessarily going to be first after the scoring adjustments are made.  

Fleet Captain:

My name is John Callis, and I am the handicap fleet captain.  On behalf of the fleet I would like to invite any and all that are interested in racing, to come out on Thursday nights for some fun and excitement.  My interests are to help facilitate anyone who may want to get involved in sailboat racing.  If you are curious, and not sure if you should participate; read on.  If you have any further questions, you can email me at jsts@optonline.net.  I will do all I can to help get you involved.  

Why should I race on Thursday nights?   

For fun, and friendly competition, to learn boat handling skills, and because sailing on a warm summer night watching the sun go down is probably one of the most beautiful experiences in the world.

What if I never raced before?

We want to encourage new racers to come out and join the fun. Wet Pants will be hosting a special racing rules seminar to help beginners on May 10^th .  The seminar will cover the basic rules of sailboat racing, the starting sequence and the different courses you might encounter.  You should also be prepared to ask questions if you wish.  We want to make this a friendly, fun experience for anyone who had a curiosity about racing but is afraid to try it because they don’t know what to do.  We will even assign a mentor to anyone who wants one.  Mentors will help you and let you know what you can do to improve your skills. 

Competitiveness:

Racing can be as competitive as you want it to be.  If you’re not as confident with your skills as you would like, you can still come out and follow along without putting yourself into the “thick of it.”  You will learn, and as your confidence and knowledge of the rules grow, you can ease your way into the more competitive positions on the course.  We wish to encourage a friendly sailing environment with plenty of competition, rather than a competitive, cut throat atmosphere, where you fear for your life should you make a mistake.

I am not sure if my boat is rigged properly, how can I get help?

We are going to have a boat tune up night where we will have a group of small boat repair experts available to help you rig your boat and get it ready for the racing season. The boat rigging night will take place on May 17^th which will leave you with plenty of time to get any parts you are missing and get them on your boat in time for the start of the racing series.

What if it is too windy and I do not want to go out?

It is the responsibility of the skipper of each boat to determine if they want to sail. Usually if we get down to Port O Call and the waves are breaking over the bulkhead that means that the wind is blowing over 20 knots and we usually do not sail.

After the Racing:  Racing is generally followed by some food and drinks, and plenty of sailing talk.  Most sailors bring down some food and drink for themselves, and to share.