Preparation, Tips & Tricks

  • Provide good food. Do not overestimate the possibilities of preparing food on the road. From wind force 4 on, it’s crap work and also dangerous. Therefore, prepare as much food as possible in advance. A good trick is to prepare measured packages. Stick labels on them so you can have something you like.
  • Make use of the blank rake map. Draw in the racks, including distances and compass courses. This facilitates decision making. Give each crew member their own copy that increases involvement.
  • Make sure everything can be secured inside in bad weather. Check the presence and contents of the first aid kit. Make sure the entire crew knows how the VHF radio works, where flares are located, and how to start the engine. Give the crew a tour. Make clear arrangements for use of life jackets and lifelines.
  • Don’t forget to turn on your tricolor lights 10 minutes before the start. In principle, the tricolor lights could be turned off after the start, but before you know it, it will be dark again….
  • Have little or no experience with night sailing? Then have three men on deck: one helmsman and two lookouts. Discuss approaching ships with each other, then you can be sure you saw correctly. Two mnemonics: if you see only white light, then the other one goes straight ahead of you. If you see equal amounts of red AND green then the other is heading straight for you. Go practice night sailing during the summer when the nights are short.
  • Save the short sections at Medemblik for the end of the race. You can then still sail enough miles while staying close to the finish line.
  • Don’t panic when entering Medemblik. So far, everyone has always come in. The beer and hamburgers really don’t run away….

Safety

Safety, judgment and good seamanship are the starting points for a successful race or trip. It is everyone’s own responsibility to ensure that safety on board is in order. But the 24 Hour Committee does not want any accidents and therefore monitors safety particularly strictly.

Regulations and safety rules

The racing classes and tour are subject to sailing under the RVW (Rules of Racing Sailing). However, the rules of Part 2 RVW (Rules of Racing Sailing) are replaced by the precedence rules of the BPR (Inland Navigation Police Regulations) and BVA (Provisions for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea), depending on the sailing area. The racing classes are also subject to the class rules in force. The racing classes and touring are both subject to the safety regulations (Cath 3) World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations category 3 mono/multihulls 2022-2023. If participants sail exclusively on the IJsselmeer and Markermeer, the safety regulations (Cath 4) World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations category 4 mono/multihulls 2022-2023 apply .

Lighting

To increase the visibility of all participating vessels, all participants are required to carry a tricolored top light! This measure increases safety on the water.

Control of equipment

As every year, the organization strictly checks at the starting points for life jackets, lifelines, life buoys, flares and lights, among other things. But please note that checks during the 24 Hours are also possible, for example at the locks.

Eavesdrop

Listening to weather reports is also part of safety. The 24 Hour Committee requires participants to listen to weather reports and any communications from the Traffic and Reporting Stations. See Article 8 Race/Tour Provisions. After the finish and in the run up to the port of Medemblik, listening out on channel 09 (Havendienst Medemblik) is mandatory (Article 9.3 Race/Tour regulations). Instructions given must be followed.

Sail in/out Medemblik

On Saturday evening, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., it is only permitted to enter the harbor. Outbound traffic (yachts entering against the current) is strictly prohibited for safety reasons.

Passage locks

When passing through locks, consider your own safety and the safety of others. Always listen to the VHF radio channel of the lock in question and follow the instructions of the lock personnel. Do not push ahead! Join your predecessors in the lock. And also take into account the other users of the lock, who are not participating in the Kustzeilers 24 Uurs Zeilrace. In the Krabbersgat the obligation is to keep SB-wall (BPR).

Fire safety on board

Provide your own adequate life-saving equipment, fire extinguishers and an approved gas system.

Safety in Medemblik

The municipality of Medemblik has a “Safety Plan for Harbors. For the municipality and the 24 Hour Committee, this plan includes increased deployment of fire and other emergency services. Always follow the instructions of the harbor masters. Please note: due to safety reasons, it is strictly forbidden to barbecue on board in Medemblik harbors!!! Open fire on board is very dangerous because of the crowds in the harbor! Always follow the instructions of the harbor service, fire department and police. They watch over your safety.

Unsubscribe

If you decide to quit during the race, please notify by calling 06-30106739 on Friday, August 30, from 4 p.m. to midnight and on Saturday, August 31, from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

This should include the start number, boat name and name of the entrant.

Sailing and tactics

  • The win is not in sailing tight around the buoy, or mooching someone out. Sail your own race and give space to the other participants.
  • The gain does lie in sailing hard for 24 hours. With almost all ships this can be achieved by sailing only half wind. Sailing upwind on spinnaker and downwind is not optimal.
  • So try to sail in such a way that you take advantage of changing winds. Experience shows that it is rare that it blows from the same direction for 24 hours. The less the wind the more important that you make the best use of what is available then. Also try to predict where it might be blowing harder.
  • In theory, a trip out to sea can give a substantial gain by following current. But if your planning is not optimal, or the wind is a bit off, all the effort has been for nothing. In some years we see many winners sailing at sea, in others (e.g. 2011) none. For beginners (and advanced sailors), the unlit buoys in the winding channels (all of which you have to pass within the fairway) are a bigger obstacle than expected.

Overview of Websites with (free) calculation programs

Jan Woudstra’s program: Rak24u. Jan also adapted his calculation program to the buoy and rake file we use in 2024. Overview of Websites with multi-day weather and/or wind forecasts:
UK Meteorological Office Current weather maps plus a forecast for the next few days Silt Meteo for sailors many weather charts, satellite and radar images, text messages from KNMI and BBC, plume forecast and more

Buienradar
Windfinder with wind forecasts and grib files WindGuru with accurate local wind forecasts for long periods ahead Sailing Weather Online with all weather information for major crossings, multi-day forecasts, computer animations, etc. The Shipping Forecast from the famous UK met-office Weather site extensive weather charts, satellite images and multi-day forecasts Passage Weather a clear site with weather and wind charts for the whole world, racing areas, and of course the North Sea up to 7 days ahead

Weather maps and information on your mobile

5G coverage is not guaranteed everywhere. With the app “Zeeweer” it is possible to retrieve weather charts and GFS grib files in offline mode before the race/tour and have them available during the 24 Hours. However, the GFS grib files have limited value for the IJssel-/Markermeer. The most accurate grib files are those of the KNMI Hirlam model.

VHF radio

In order to stay informed about the decisions of the 24 Hour Committee during the event, especially regarding the possible cancellation of the event, the VHF guidance channels of the relevant sailing areas will be requested to communicate the decisions of the 24 Hour Committee in the hourly messages: VHF Channel 1 Central Reporting Station IJsselmeer 15 minutes after full hour VHF Channel 2 Brandaris, in northern waters good reception. On the half hour after an odd hour, for example: 1.30 – 3.30 etc.

For listening to these hourly messages only, it is permissible to deviate from the requirement below to listen out on the following VHF channels:

On the IJsselmeer, Markermeer and Wadden Sea: VHF channel 10
In the North Sea: VHF channel 16
In the VTS area Terschelling: VHF channel 2
In the Den Helder VTS area: VHF channel 62
Naviduct: VHF channel 22
Lorentz lock: VHF channel 18
Stevin Locks: VHF channel 20
Port Authority Medemblik: VHF channel 9

Due to possible postponement due to weather conditions, it is important that participants are also informed during the event about a possible early termination. Above wind force 7 the 24 Hours may be cancelled, also the start may be postponed by 12 hours. For details, please see the Rules Articles: 3.2, 3.3 and 9.2.

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