Club races are held most Sundays, every other Wednesday evening at Lilliput and every other Friday evening at East Dorset Sailing Club, weather and tide permitting. The highlight of the club racing season is the annual club regatta in June.
We normally race in one large handicap fleet. However, for the regatta, the dinghies are usually divided into two handicap fleets: a slow handicap fleet (PY slower than a standard Laser) and a fast handicap fleet (standard Laser PY and lower). There are trophies for the winners of both the Fast and Slow handicap fleets.
If you compete in enough club races during the Spring and Summer seasons, the Dinghy Captain will invite you to take part in the Autumn and Winter series. There are only 15 spaces in the dinghy park during the Autumn and Winter so they are allocated to the "keenest" racers.
I'm proud to say that the dinghy racing at Lilliput is competitive and yet still friendly, i.e. we all sail to win, but we don't get too upset when we don't. Apparently there has never been a protest hearing in the history of the club!
On a personal note. I learnt to race at Lilliput and I can't imagine learning to race in a nicer environment. As a beginner you will be given plenty of "leeway" and advice. It's only when you improve and start to win the odd race that you'll find that there's not quite so much "water at the mark" as there used to be"...
All entrants should be familiar with Poole Harbour Commission's Yacht and Dinghy Racing Criteria for the current year, which can be found on their website, www.phc.co.uk.