At Aylesbury Sailing Club we have a regular racing programme open to Adults and Juniors alike, using single-handed or double-handed boats. The main racing formats that we currently use are handicap (also known as ‘points’) racing and pursuit races.
Points races use a handicapping system which allows different types of boat to race together competitively (see how this works here). We alternate between standard points races lasting about an hour and short points races where two short races of less than 30 minutes take place ‘back to back’ without the boats returning to shore between the races.
In 2025 one of the races on most Sundays is a Fleet race where sailors race against others in their Fleet (Gold Fleet for the fastest, Silver Fleet for the next fastest group and Bronze Fleet for the next fastest after that). The idea is to do well in your Fleet and gain promotion to the next until you win the Gold Fleet races.
Pursuit races see the boats starting at one minute intervals, with the slower boats going first and progressing through the faster boats so that the fastest sailors start last and have to try to catch and pass the other boats before time runs out.
The official racing season tends to run from April to November, but we also run some slightly more informal racing throughout the winter. There are usually two races each Sunday during the season, with some Sundays being a Trophy Day. Trophy Days are mini-regattas with three races taking place and the overall winner of the three races wins one of the club’s many trophies. You can see what is taking place on any particular day on our club calendar and on the racing calendar.
Traditionally racing countdowns are 5,4,1, GO! However Aylesbury do things a little differently and have a 9,6,3, GO! Countdown. Instead of shattering the tranquility of Weston Turville Reservoir with an air horn, we use a bell to sound the starting and finishing signals.
Racing is without doubt the best way to quickly improve your sailing skills and knowledge (see here), but we know it can be daunting for the beginner to start their first race. To make it easier Aylesbury Sailing Club has a Novice Class for those just beginning to race. Novices get their own special start time, out of the way of the other boats, and the rules are relaxed slightly modified so that novices can concentrate on sailing the course with fewer technical things to worry about.
You can find out further information on the racing programme, instructions for competitors, results and more using the buttons below:
Aylesbury Sailing Club 