Racing Results

Gold / Silver or Bronze

What is all that about on the Racing Results Sheets ?

Gold, Silver and Bronze – The alchemy of Sailing at Redditch!

A number of years ago the Sailing Committee introduced the current Gold, Silver and Bronze Fleet structure in order to encourage racing and reward success and perseverance at all levels.

For those of you who are new to the club (and those of you who have forgotten how it works) I will explain below.

At the start of each year the helms in the club are split into the three categories based on their skill levels established mathematically from a cunning formula!

It would need another double length article to explain this – so please accept that there is some logic in the system!

Approximately 10 helms are in Gold Fleet, 20 in Silver and the rest in Bronze.

At the end of each season’s racing 1st, 2nd and 3rd places are recognised within each fleet for both Pursuit and Handicap races.

The winners of the Bronze and Silver fleets are promoted to the next fleet for the rest of the year.

If you are a Bronze Fleet helm and you beat all the Silver helms you automatically take the Silver prize, with the second Bronze helm winning Bronze etc. There are no demotions within the year.

At the end of the year the fleets are re-set – so you may be demoted at this stage to bring you back into the correct skill group.

The Sailing Committee hasn’t yet mastered the art of their Philosopher’s Stone – they are better at turning Gold into Silver than vice versa!

Winners of the Silver and Bronze fleets in the Autumn Series (Oct-Dec) will be promoted for the next 3 months but will only stay up for the full year if either

• they have improved sufficiently that their skill rating justified being in the higher fleet
  

• if they beat everyone from the fleet below during that series.
  

This system has helped to provide competitive tension within the 3 skill levels and a variety of winners– rewarding people for sailing sufficient races in a series.

We hope you are still enjoying the format.  Please let us know if not!

Greg Croydon – Results Co-ordinator