Rick

You have your facts about the new sequence a little off.



The new sequence is 5 minutes. Class at 5min P at 4 P down at 1 Class down at 0. NEXT Class up at 0 = their 5 minute seqeunece (if you want). Warnings are issued at 6 minutes for the first start of the day After that... well... you will get the 4 minute flag and signal if you miss it at 5.



Mark Santoreli used the new sequence brilliantly last year at Barnegat Bay. Light winds prevented the first fleet from clearing the starting line.. Rather then blindly starting the next class on top of this mess. He was able to delay the class start for fleet 2 by not raising the class flag. He started fleet 3 off, immediately after fleet 2 because the wind had filled in In another race, he abandoned the sequence (flag) and postponed for a few minutes to clear and restart. . The new sequence offers flexability and allows the racers to figure out where you are in the series with good accuracy. ... if you don't need the flexability you may simply plow through your starting sequence. The only real difference are a flag and sound signal at 4 minutes.



With respect to windshifts

Windshifts happen and as PRO if you see a persistent shift just after you start a class , simply don't start the next fleet, wait for the fleet you just started to clear A and then move the Mark. (actually you should probably abandon the race in this case) Bottom line, Its not really different and is not related to the starting sequence.



With respect to confusion on the RC boat.

If you are limited with RC personal and can't collect finish times and also start a sereies... then you don't start a fleet off by them selves...Its an option that you can use but are not obligated to use. Its certainly not a disadvantage.



You can use this system badly as well.. Spring fever, attempted to put all the 7 different kinds of class flags up at once or in various combinations. This was a recipe for confusion.



Three minute sequences are not my favorite. You always have a few people from the later classes attempting to check the line and interfering with the ongoing start. With 5 minutes , they have time to check the line and then get out of the starting area. Moreover, the fleets will run into one another around the marks. You are better off with fewer starts and starting these boats together and letting boatspeed and skill seperate the racers around the course on the first beat..



Take Care

Mark