Magnificent Seven for the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series 2015/16

Registration is open for the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series, which kicks off with the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash on the weekend of 21/22 November 2015. Previous winners include multiple national and world champion Nick Craig who won last season with various crews in his Merlin Rocket, 2015 RS400 National Champion Michael Sims who won the 2013/14 season in a Solo, and 2015 Fireball World Champion Tom Gillard who won the 2012/13 season.

Here are some more facts on the Series:
BIG NUMBERS
Last year’s GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series saw over 1,000 competitors taking part in 91 different racing classes. The Series has a massive online following each winter, with a big growth in mobile access. Last year attracted more than 34,000 unique users who totalled more than 90,000 visits to the Series website, www.SailJuiceSeries.com

MAKE IT YOUR CLASS WINTER SERIES
Last year a number of classes scheduled the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series as a key part of their calendars, with SailRacer producing class specific extracted results.  Any class interested in their own Winter Series as part of the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series, please contact Simon Lovesey @ SailRacer, with class prizes for any achieving 15+ entries.

FOUR OUT OF SEVEN
The same seven events are back from last year’s Series. Once again, you must count your best four results from these seven events. Of course, you’re welcome to enter and compete in as many events as you like – all seven if you’re mad and bad enough to take on the challenge! This will give you more shots at getting a set of four good scores to put on the board.

THE EVENTS

        The following regattas constitute the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series 2015/2016:
        
        Draycote Dash, Draycote Water Sailing Club
        Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 November 2015
        
        Datchet Flyer, Datchet Water Sailing Club
        Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 December 2015
        
        Brass Monkey, Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club
        Sunday 27 December 2015
        
        Grafham Grand Prix, Grafham Water Sailing Club
        Monday 28 December 2015
        
        Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club
        Saturday 2 January 2016
        
        Bloody Mary, Queen Mary Sailing Club
        Saturday 9 January 2016
        
        John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club
        Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 February 2016

Find out more at:
www.SailJuiceSeries.com
GREAT LAKES HANDICAPPING
Historically, handicap racing has had its ‘bandit classes’ which run away with the prizes more often than perhaps they should. Part of the aim of this Series is to iron out the imbalances and create fairer competition, rewarding the best sailors regardless of which class they are racing. It’s an imperfect science, but our Great Lakes group of handicapping experts have spent the past six years analysing historic race data. There are a few changes to handicap numbers,  but nothing like as big as a few years ago. Why? Because the Great Lakes analysis is year by year homing in on the most accurate and fairest numbers for the many different classes that race in the UK. The proof? We’re seeing a far wider spread of classes taking individual race wins and overall regatta victories.
AMALGAMATED ENTRY
SailRacer’s online entry system means you can enter anything from one through to all seven events and make a single payment, saving you time and guaranteeing your place in advance. A number of the events were oversubscribed last year, and we’re expecting the same again this year. Online entry will open at start of October.  Register your interest now Enter early!,  before the events fill up.

IS YOUR BOAT ELIGIBLE?
However! Please note that each of the events has its own criteria for what kinds of boat and class are eligible. You are responsible for checking that you are eligible to compete at each of your preferred events in the Series before submitting your entry online. A broad rule of thumb: If you’re planning to race a monohull dinghy that’s as fast as or faster than a Topper, but no faster than a 49er (Big Rig), then you’re probably OK. International Moths, keelboats and multihulls should be careful because they are likely to be eligible for some, but not all, events in the Series.

LIVE TRACKING
As with last year, for some of the events SailRacer will be providing GPS Tracking, analysis and live updates from the race course for those wanting to follow the action in real time, and allow sailors to replay their races when they get home.

PRIZES FOR COMPETITORS & CLASSES
Thanks to generous support from Series sponsors, we have some great prizes for competitors and some classes too. A major prize giving is scheduled for the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show at Alexandra Palace in London on the weekend of 5/6 March 2016. We will look back at highlights from the series and interviews.  The 2015/16 season will see a number of new Prize Categories,  including most travelled and top speeds.

REGISTER NOW!
 www.SailJuiceSeries.com
The website will tell you more about the events in the Series, more about the Great Lakes handicapping process, and we’ll keep you updated on everything else you need to know.

Further Information for media:
Please contact Andy Rice
email: info@sailjuice.com
Phone: 020 8133 9330
Website: www.sailjuice.com

Photo Credits: Tim Olin, Paul Williamson, Paul Manning, John Cheetham, Malcolm Lewin

Notes to editors:

Previous winners of the GJW Direct Sailjuice Winter Series

2014/15    Nick Craig & various crews (Merlin Rocket)
2013/14    Michael Sims (Solo)
2012/13    Tom Gillard & Simon Potts (Fireball)
2011/12    Peter Gray & Rachael Rhodes (Scorpion)
2010/11    Andy Peake (Musto Skiff)
2009/10    Olly Turner & Richard Whitworth (Merlin Rocket)

SailJuice.com is the ‘how to sail and race faster’ website, with hundreds of articles and exclusive interviews with National, World and Olympic Champions. Professional sailing journalist and editor of SailJuice.com, Andy Rice, came up with the concept of the SailJuice Winter Series (originally known as the SailJuice Global Warm-Up) as a way of increasing participation levels in dinghy racing during the off-season in the UK.

SailRacer manages event websites and processes online entry for major National, International, Youth and training events, providing online scoring, analysis and advanced sports presentation including GPS tracking and live video.

GJW Direct’s ‘All-inclusive Dinghy Insurance Policy’ offers outstanding premiums, taking the worry out of dinghy sailing and racing. The policy lives right up to the claim where, ‘everything is included as standard’. The web site, gjwdirect.co.uk/dinghy, offers the facility to get a quote in less than 30 seconds and immediate on-line cover.  GJW Direct now have two recent additions to their policy, one covering small traditional and classic boats and a Multi Dinghy policy.  This policy can be arranged by phoning GJW Direct on 0151 473 8000.