- WHAT IS SEANATION CUP?
This is a regular regatta for experienced skippers and relatively experienced sailors. The competitions take place in the legendary British Solent Strait - this is precisely the waters in which sailing competitions were held for the first time in the world. The entire coastal area - Southampton, Portsmouth, Gosport, Hamble - is a real sailing Mecca. - WHAT DOES “FOR EXPERIENCED SKIPPERS” MEAN? HOW DO I EVALUATE WHETHER I AM EXPERIENCED OR NOT?
You should be able to moor and unmoor without any problems, including in strong wind conditions, and have a good understanding of the principles of navigation, both basic and in tidal regions. Full sail adjustment should not cause you any questions, not to mention the principles of crew safety. Basically, imagine yourself on a yacht with 25 knots of wind and 4 knots of current. If you're scared, Seanation CUP is not for you. - CAN IT BE DANGEROUS?
Nothing has to be frightening if you are prepared for it and have a good understanding of what to do. We are definitely not trying to scare you; instead, we want Seanation CUP participants to be interested and excited. Great Britain is a highly challenging region for sailing, which is what makes it so interesting! Powerful tides and corresponding currents, dynamic shipping, many shoals and navigational marks, and difficulty entering and leaving the marina. The familiar Mediterranean conditions are entirely different from English conditions - please accept this as a fact. - I REALIZE THAT I SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE BAREBOAT SKIPPER/DAY SKIPPER TIDAL COURSE WELL. WHAT ELSE?
Seanation CUP is held in accordance with the international rules of sailboat racing - RRS. Therefore, you need to read them carefully several times and understand them in as much detail as possible. It also definitely wouldn’t hurt to have at least a basic familiarity with the gennaker. However, the first training day is enough for this - there is no need to worry about it. - WHAT BOATS ARE USED? IS THERE A HANDICAP?
There is no handicap because one is not needed - all yachts are the same! 10 Beneteau Oceanis 37 from 2009 to 2013 are participating in the regatta. The boats are entirely identical, so whoever comes first wins. Sailing rig: classic semi-battened mainsail in a bag, jib in a furler, gennaker (MPS) in a kitty. Yachts are helmed without bowsprits. - YEAH, OKAY. WHAT ABOUT BOATS WITH LIVING QUARTERS? IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIVE ON THEM?
Quite! All yachts are three-cabin (+1 berth in the salon) with a galley, latrine, shower, hot water, and a Webasto diesel heater in each cabin. The British do not provide bed linen, so we recommend bringing sleeping bags and camping pillows. - IS IT DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN A VISA?
Seanation CUP has taken place regularly since 2018, and dozens of yachtsmen consistently receive British visas to participate in it. Of course, we will prepare an invitation for each participant in the regatta and advise on the submission scheme. A British visa is much simpler and more convenient than any Schengen visa, believe us. - WHAT DOES A REGATTA CONSIST OF? WHERE DO WE SLEEP, DIFFERENT LOCATIONS EVERY DAY?
We spend the night in our home marina every day, except for one, the very last night. So it’s not at all necessary to live on a yacht; you can rent a hotel room or apartment. On the first day, we meet, accept the yachts, buy provisions on board, and meet in the pub in the evening to celebrate the start of the regatta. The second day is training; all teams get acquainted with the yacht and the waters, train and learn how to work with a gennaker, rehearse starts, go around marks, and so on. Starting from the third day, we race 2-3 races a day. It has already become a tradition to celebrate the finish of the regatta and present prizes to the winners on the Isle of Wight in the city of Cowes - in the real cradle of sailing. This is where we will spend the night at the very end of the competition. - WHAT ABOUT THE WEATHER, WHAT EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED?
+15-20 degrees. It rains, but not often. The optimal choice of equipment would be offshore overalls with Gore-Tex sneakers. Rain is not a reason to cancel races, so your crew should be prepared to operate the sails even in heavy rain. In total: a set of thermal underwear, a set of fleece clothing, a membrane top + bottom, waterproof sneakers/boots/short boots. We strongly recommend against high yacht boots - for a coastal regatta, these would be a very inconvenient option. - IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A NEWCOMER ON YOUR TEAM? OR A CHILD?
It is possible, but not more than one - in this case, you will have a cook on the ship. To be honest, in the dynamic conditions of round-the-can racing, every sailor has a job, and there is no time and no one to teach someone. If you want to win or participate competitively, hire good sailors! Regarding children: if it is a teenager who understands how to adjust the jib and make a turn, then great. But overall, Seanation CUP is not a family event. - HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PARTICIPATE?
The cost of participation is 7300 euros. This amount includes yacht charter (full batten mainsail, jib furling, gennaker), racing fee, yacht racing insurance, final cleaning, gas, and all marina berths. Additional expenses: fuel. - IS IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE PART IN SEANATION CUP ON YOUR OWN YACHT OR A YACHT CHARTERED ELSEWHERE?
Seanation CUP is a monotype regatta; that is, all races are held using identical boats. Therefore, you can participate only by renting a yacht from us. - YOUR YACHTS ARE QUITE YOUNG, FROM 2009 TO 2013. WILL WE BE RACING JUNK VEHICLES?
No. All boats used for Seanation CUP are in absolutely perfect condition. Everything works; they look great, have a clean bottom, and have great sails. No, they are not like the 10-year-old examples you may have seen on a Mediterranean charter. - WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE AND DEPOSITS?
Seanation CUP is a real regatta, not a gaming fleet, so we do not have zero deposit insurance. The deposit is £4,000, which is the entire amount you risk if any damage occurs to your boat or your opponent's boat. - DO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT I NEED TO RENT A YACHT FROM YOU, ASSEMBLE A TEAM, AND I THEN BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN SEANATION CUP?
Yes, that's right. Moreover, we are often contacted by those wishing to take part in Seanation CUP as sailors - we send these people to skippers who still have free places and are willing to accept new people onto their team. So, if you lack like-minded people, contact us - we will try to help! - WHICH SAILORS, FROM A FUNCTIONAL POINT OF VIEW, WILL I NEED AT THE REGATTA?
The ideal team in Seanation CUP looks like this:
a) Helmsman
b) Tactician/navigator - a person who determines where and why it is optimal to go to finish the race as quickly and safely as possible
c) Tank - a sailor working with a gennaker
d) Trimmer/pianist - a sailor working with the mainsail
e) 2 Clews - sailors working with the jib
f) Captain - decision maker
In reality, it often turns out that the captain combines his role with the helmsman or tactician. - APPROXIMATELY HOW MUCH MONEY DO SEANATION CUP SKIPPERS COLLECT FROM EACH TEAM MEMBER?
1200-1500 euros. - HOW DO I BOOK A YACHT TO PARTICIPATE IN SEANATION CUP?
To reserve a boat, you must pay the full cost of participation. - CAN I CHANGE MY MIND REGARDING PARTICIPATING IN THE REGATTA AFTER PAYING A NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT? WHAT IF AFTER DEPOSITING THE FULL AMOUNT?
In this event, we will try to find people willing to buy the yacht you paid for. Unfortunately, this is the only option to avoid losing all the money you have already deposited. - OK, I BOOKED A YACHT. WHAT'S NEXT?
We will add you to the skippers' chat on Telegram, where you can communicate with other skippers and the organizers on all issues. We will also provide you with visa support and all informative materials on the regatta so that you know what to prepare for and how. - I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS; WHERE TO ASK?
In Telegram or Whatsapp +447418355835
