Racing

Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club has an active and competitive racing section, and we have a full programme for eight months of the year - from the Early Bird series in March to the Beaujolais Run in November.

Fitting out is usually around mid-March but, by that time, the sailing programme is already under way. The first or second Saturday in March generally sees the start of our Spring Race Series. This is usually five-race series, run over successive Saturdays, with the best four results to count in deciding the series winner for the Joyce Martin Cup.

There are similar racing series in the summer and the autumn. The club’s annual regatta is held in August, and is highly contested on successive days for the prestigious awards on offer. One of the advantages of being a club that dates back to 1872 is our silverware - some truly spectacular. Many of our historic trophies have been keenly fought for over the years by several generations of RCPYC sailors. One such example is the eye-catching Prince of Wales Cup - an imposing trophy we have proudly on display. It is not contested every year but is an indication of the club’s pedigree and past history.

We employ a handicapping system (ours uses Byron software,www.byronsoftware.org.uk) which makes time adjustments depending on the type of boat being raced. This means everybody starts on an equal footing regardless of their craft, with sailing ability determining the outcome. Those boats and crews just starting out are also given a special club handicap for encouragement and this is then amended according to their successes.

Trophies are presented at the end-of-season Laying-up Supper, which is generally held in the autumn. This is a tremendously popular occasion and one of the club’s social nights of the year.