Weather Reports and Race Days

Just a notice to anyone sailing races with me on my J70 Escape. I try to run a safe boat. I rarely call off sailing based on a weather report. I use weather reports more as advisement. The reason is that weather reports in the Santa Barbara area are not that accurate. Also, SBYC always runs a race. The responsibility is on the boat owner. To quote the SI for CHRF:

Immediately prior to any race, the decision to race or not race is the sole responsibility of the boat owner or the owner’s designee. At all times during a race, it is the boat owner’s responsibility to continue or to retire based on unexpected conditions or equipment failure. Boat owners must advise crew members of their responsibility to decide for themselves whether to race or not based on their own competence level

I take this seriously. Example, the first Hot Rum of 2019, I did not fly the kite. I was not confident that it would be safe to sail with it up. I think we were very close to last on a day where j70s screamed with the kite flying.

This is the text I sent to my crew this morning. This verbiage will tend to apply to almost all races:

There is a forecast for heavy wind. Problem with SB is that forecasts are not very accurate. I plan to sail unless actual conditions say otherwise.

I mention this, because I have had crew cancel because of a weather report, and it turned out to be a fun day.