High Wind Rules

General rule

  • The boats of the club should only be used in weather conditions that meet the experience of the crew and are well within the maximum wind strength and wave height the boat has been designed for.

  • It is the responsibility of the skipper to judge the weather conditions with respect to the crew ability and boat status, the skipper shall take all precautions not to expose the crew and the boat to unsafe conditions.

    • Our boats must not be used outside the limits of their design category. Each design category (A, B, C or D) corresponds to a maximum wind speed and a maximum significant wave height. Most of our boats fall in category C, i.e. they are designed for "coastal waters, large bays, estuaries, lakes and rivers where conditions up to, and including, wind force 6 and significant wave heights up to, and including, 2 m may be experienced."

    We can not afford replacing the boats annually and therefore do not want our boats to be tested to their limits. Members should refrain from sailing under conditions which are beyond their skills.

    During normal club activities the following limits apply:

    While it remains the responsibility of the skipper to evaluate the wind strength and wave height, the club will use windspots to monitor the conditions over time. A link to the windspots web site is available from the pc in the phone booth in port Choiseul. Additional anemometers are available at the CNV restaurant and a portable one in the regatta box. ( You might want to know the average wave height as a function of wind force or to convert from and to m/s, knots and Beaufort)

    Note that even though the yngling and the surprise fall in the same C category we have decided to limit them under different wind and wave conditions. The reason is motivated by the fact that the surprise can maneuver in the harbor with the motor and her sail surface can be reduced by reefing the main sail and using the jib as foresail.

    High wind outings

    There is a group of people interested in training in high wind. We have set up an egroup (club-yachting-high-wind-training) to discuss the topic and organize outings, if you are willing to join us, please register yourself on the egroup or send a mail to Andrea Messina. The activity of the group will include discussions on how to rig the boat according to wind conditions, safety aspects of sailing on the lake Leman, organization of adequate surveillance shift during high wind outings, and of course sailing.

    Committee member in charge of high wind issues Andrea Messina.

    Last updated 21-5-2011, A.M.