Oulton Week Sailing Instructions
Sailing Instructions the important bits!
The full (UPDATED for 2025) Oulton Week Sailing Instructions are available here: (missing upload 1)
And a summary of the important bits is below...
Starting All starts in Oulton Week, apart perhaps for the Bloodbath Race and some evening races, are from a Committee Boat with the line being from the black-and-white mast on the boat to the outer distance mark (buoy with a flag). Watch out! If theres an inner distance mark, you will be disqualified if you sail between it and the Committee Boat at any time.
The starting sequence is 6 minute (class flag), 3 minute (P flag), start.
Individual Recalls Flag X isnt flown. Instead, your class flag is left at the dip, i.e. not fully lowered. The race officer may try to call out the number of the offending boat but dont rely on this!
General Recalls If your race is recalled and there are other races about to start, your race will go to the back of the queue. If your race is the only race or the last in a series, your 3 minute signal will be 1 minute after the general recall flag is lowered. Therefore your class flag and the P flag will be hoisted together. However, this does not apply to River Cruisers. If the Fast River Cruiser fleet is recalled, they will start 3 minutes before the Slow fleet.
Courses The course is shown on the Committee Boat. Red numbers indicate buoys to be rounded to port, green to starboard. The number of rounds is shown in white on a black background. The letter F on a blue background shows where in the course youll finish on your last lap.
For example:
Fridays Bloodbath Race will be an average lap handicap race, denoted by a white letter A on a black course board. A yellow G on a black course board means gate; you must sail through the start-line gate (between the distance marks) at the end of each lap and this gate is also the finishing line. You continue to sail the course until the shorten course flag is flown and then you complete the lap you are on.
If a course is displayed but, shortly before the 6 minute signal, the course needs to be reset, Flag C will be flown to draw attention to the change of course. If a course needs changing after the 6 minute signal, the race shall be postponed.
Finishing Line This is between the orange mast at the clubhouse and a mast bearing 3 orange discs on the north side of the broad. The leading 3 boats in each race get a bell as they cross the line.
For an average lap race, the finish line is the same as the start line and you finish between the distance marks.
Shortening Races If a race is shortened, the class flag is flown with code flag S from the club yardarm. The leading boat then finishes when it next crosses the finishing line (in either direction) while sailing the course thats set. If necessary, a race may be shortened using the Committee Boat (flying flag S) at a mark of the course. The finishing line is then between the black-and-white mast on the boat and the racing mark.
Boats that have dropped well behind the rest of their fleet may be shown Flag W from a safety boat; they are then recorded as if finished and can leave the race area.
Racing marks There are 7 buoys that are a pink or orange colour. They are positioned in a clockwise direction round the broad starting with 1 just SW of the clubhouse and 7 as the most easterly buoy. 8 is light blue and can be anywhere.
Continuous obstruction the area of swinging moorings to the southwest of the club is designated as an obstruction for River Cruisers while racing. This will be explained at the competitors briefing during the Commodores Reception on Saturday 16th Aug.
The Waveney Princess this is the large passenger-carrying boat that is hard to miss but you must try to avoid her with room to spare because she is tricky to manoeuvre and the local by-laws say she has right-of-way!
When racing, all junior sailors (under 18) and all dinghy sailors must wear buoyancy aids or lifejackets, and all keelboats must carry them in accordance with the Racing Rules of Sailing.
Last updated 10:21 on 22 July 2025