Play to sail: 4 race courses for radio yachting

A sailing race may have the purpose to reach a destination or, as per our radio sailing activities at P2S Arena, to race around a set of marks.

A regatta course consists of a start and finish line and legs separated by marks. The sailboats run the legs on different points of sailing in relation to the main wind direction - for a determined number of rounds of the complete course (usually one or two rounds, but sailors at the Play2Sail Arena are free to decide how to set their regatta).

The video gives you an overview from the pier of the Play2Sail racing area at Docksta Havet.

There are 4 different race courses for rc yachting in the Play2Sail Arena

“Olympic”, “Triangle”, Windward-Leeward” and the “Arena” courses are what we suggest to sailors to enjoy racing their radio yachts at the top of the fun.

Here you find a diagram for every course, that shows the location of the marks and the sequence they must be rounded, plus a short description on how to sail the legs.

For all the courses, the START is set into the wind. The starting line is an imaginary straight line (usually about perpendicular to the wind direction) between two marks. So, after the start, the first leg is always towards the direction of the wind: sailboats need beating to windward at a course of about forty-five degrees and tacking to reach the mark upwind.

The diagrams below show the racing course set for the prevalent southerly wind at Docksta Havet Base Camp.

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•
ARENA course

Description:

• START from the Start/Finish line between the yellow marks

• Sail upwind toward the Windward gate

• Pass into the Windward gate sailing around either the mark 1 or 2

• Sail downwind toward the Leeward gate

• Pass into the Leeward gate sailing around either the mark 4 or 5

• Sail upwind to cross the FINISH line

---

•
TRIANGLE course

Description:

• START from the Start/Finish line between the yellow marks

• Sail upwind toward the Mark 1

• Keep the mark 1 on your left and sail toward mark 3

• Keep the mark 3 on your left and sail toward mark 5, that you will keep to your left to

• Sail upwind and cross the FINISH line

---

•
WINDWARD/LEEWARD course

Description:

• START from the Start/Finish line between the yellow marks

• Sail upwind toward the mark 1

• Keep the mark 1 on your left and sail toward mark 2

• Keep the mark 2 on your left and sail downwind toward the Leeward gate

• Pass into the Leeward gate sailing around either the mark 4 or 5

• Sail upwind to cross the FINISH line

---

•
OLYMPIC course

Description:

• START from the Start/Finish line between the yellow marks

• Sail upwind toward the mark 1

• Keep the mark 1 on your left and sail toward mark 3

• Keep the mark 3 on your left and sail toward the mark 5

• Keep the mark 5 on your left and sail upwind toward the mark 1

• Keep the mark 1 on your left and sail downwind toward the mark 5

• Keep the mark 5 on your left and sail upwind to cross the FINISH line

Share your #SAILING passion with an original mug [#TAGMUG E-SHOP]

Dragon Force 65 sailboats running a leward leg of a racing course.

The racing rules of radio sailing set a sequence of visual signals and sound signals to warn sailors of the departure of a regatta. We suggest you this reading: how to become confident with the starting procedures of a radio sailing regatta >

If you like practice your maneuvers or compete against your friends, race or just sailing the provided course rounding the marks is a top fun sailing experience: you will learn a lot, improving your skills in all the conditions.

Join us at the Höga Kusten radioseglararena, renting a fast Dragon Force 65 of our fleet or sailing your own radio-controlled yacht.

• Where you find Play2Sail RC Sailboat Rental in the High Coast? You can easily reach us by boat or by car at Docksta Havet Base Camp. You are welcome and feel free to contact us for more information :)

SHARE YOUR #SAILING PASSION AT COFFEE TIME:

"Winter Wonderland" recalls the perfect Höga Kusten sailing memories

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#winterwonderland is becoming a very popular tag. No surprise.

In the Swedish High Coast people are getting crazy for the beauty of this Winter.

Now that the days are getting longer, looking outside the frozen piers of the marina becomes easy to start remember the... Summer!

Looking at some of the short videos we shot last summer from the pier, we chose a couple of them to share with you, right now that the fjord is about to freeze all the way out to the sea :)

Overview #fromthepier of High Coast Sailors preparing their boats to leave the mooring in a beautiful morning to head in discovering the beauty of our coastal heritage.

no matter if Winter Wonderland or Summer Wonderland...

...the High Coast by the seaside is always magic! So why don't you start to plan your next cruising in the High Coast from here:

Australian Sailors enjoy the High Coast sailing even late in the season

Even late in September - definitely "low" season, for Baltic cruisers - two Australian sailors enjoy the natural beauty of our coastal heritage.

This beautiful black sailing boat, flying Canadian flag and coming from Vancouver, paid a visit at Docksta Havet Base Camp. High Coast Sailors and their boats have always great stories to share with us! This time was no exception.

The boat was designed by the designer of the two "Gretel", Australian America's Cup yachts, and built in Canada by one of the two sailors onboard. "Skookum I" has a twin sister in Sidney. She was built - and is owned, by the second sailor aboard.

Skookum I, designed by Alan Payne and built in Canada

They have been exploring the Höga Kusten World Heritage together for the first time, cruising from south of Helsinki for a quick tour before the winter.

During the couple of days spent at the marina in Docksta, they went to the Skuleberget but they have been not lucky with the weather, it was raining and foggy. So, they enjoyed riding to  Naturum and had lunch there.

Free download here the map of the best outdoor activities
in the area of Skuleberget, starting from the pier of Docksta Havet.

It was really nice to have them moored at the Base Camp and have a coffee together at the Sailor's Club House talking about boats & sailing! Here you see the short video we collected when they left the mooring to continue their cruising.

Finnish Sailors (on a beautiful boat) cruising the High Coast [VIDEO]

We collected some videos shared by the crew of the finnish sailing boat "Ottiliana" during their last summer cruising into the Höga Kusten. Particularly, they report their experience into the area of Skuleberget, the moment of taking off from the pier of the marina in Docksta and very nice moments of sailing into the Ullångersfjärden and Dockstafjärden.

VIDEO I

S/Y OTTILIANA sailing the Ullångersfjärden to Docksta

Höga Kusten tour 2017

HIGH COAST SAILOR'S TIPS | Explore with your boat the more internal coast: sailing to Skuleberget and Skuleskogen National Park >

VIDEO II

High Coast Sailors & Friends exploring the top of Skuleberget starting #fromthepier at Docksta Havet Base Camp

Höga Kusten tour 2017

Here you find info & map we provided to this crew to hike the top of the Skuleberget mountain following the new path "Höga Kusten Stigen" >

VIDEO III

Great sunny & windy sailing from Docksta to discover the stunning coastline of the Höga Kusten World Heritage

Höga Kusten tour 2017

S/Y Ottiliana moored at Docksta Havet Base Camp with on background the Skuleberget

Short presentation of Ottiliana and content of her YouTube channel.

FEW INFO ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL WOODEN BOAT "OTTILIANA"

S/Y Ottiliana is a traditionally clinker built cutter rigged sailing boat. Materials used to build her are finnish pine, teak, mahogny, iroko and Siberian larch. Grand Scylla type boat was built in Luvia Sådö boat yard by Björn "Nalle" Nyberg and launched 2003. Here will be shown videos of maintaining and sailing Ottiliana in the Baltic and in the archipelago.

OTTILIANA SAILING ON FACEBOOK >

OTTILIANA SAILING ON INSTAGRAM >

Not only the High Coast is lifting up! The Docks' "uplifting experience"

The fact that the High Coast is experiencing an uplift does not mean that everything else lifts up accordingly... For example, our Docks. That on the contrary, during last few years, tended to sink... So this year it was time to take care of the problem. As soon as the season was over, we started to dig out the Sailor's Club House's perimeter to reinforce the foundations and lift (and straight) up the building...

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And finally, we were also able to fix the gutter...

Your Base Camp to start enjoying the High Coast >

Discovering the High Coast | Seaside impressions Vol. 2

The Ullångersfjärden near Sjöland, Ullånger

With this publication we wanted to collect a gallery of images and impressions of one of the most fantastic seaside destination in Sweden, the High Coast / Höga Kusten World Heritage.

Being so many the pictures we thought that deserved to be shared, it ended up in publishing two volumes. Here is the post we made about Volume 1.

They portrait the High Coast coastline in different seasons. Most of the pictures have been taken aroung Ullångersfjärden, but Storsand and Rotsidan are well represented too :)

We hope that these Seaside Impressions lighted up your imagination :) And what not to...

Start planning your next cruise to the High Coast:

There is so much to do and see, but - beyond the basics - a safe mooring in the heart of the High Coast is a perfect base camp to start exploring the area >

Discovering the High Coast | Seaside impressions Vol. 1

The Dockstafjärden near Sandvik

With this publication we wanted to collect a gallery of images and impressions of one of the most fantastic seaside destination in Sweden, the High Coast / Höga Kusten World Heritage.

Being so many the pictures we thought that deserved to be shared, it ended up in publishing two volumes. They portrait the High Coast coastline in different seasons including winter - not suitable for sailing unless you want to thrill the fjord on an ice boat. Which is actually possible since Ullångersfjärden and Dockstafjärden are freezing during several months in winter :)

Or... why not to start planning your next cruise to the High Coast?

Best thing is to start from the beginning: please have a look at our home page to collect all the informations you may need >

The skötbåt of Wille Norberg is back home in Docksta

Some months ago we launched an appeal on this website trying to rebuild the history of our fishing boat at Docksta Havet.
We had many feedbacks and first of all we'd like to thank you all for helping :-)
The most probable track we had is the following, and we really have no reason not to believe it's the one.
It's very fascinating indeed the link we found with Sandvikens Fiskeläge (we told about in March), since our boat is supposed to be stationed there in the fishing base camp of Docksta fishermen.
The photo database of the Länsmuseet of Västernorrland, we - by the way - suggest you to visit in Härnösand, has been key helpful in our research. The pictures that enrich this article come from there, and is in the additional description of one of them that we understood our boat's origin.

Which kind of boat it was?
It was the first question. It's a fishing boat: more particularly, it is a skötbåt, the typical boat to fish Baltic Herring with nets. Here below we add the fact file about the skötbåt from the Skellefteå Society of Rustic Boats.

Skötbåt
Known as a word since 1600. 'Sköt' is the name of the net that is used to catch Baltic Herring. The boat is around 7,2 m x 1,7 and was clinker-built, originally with four board. Since we have no archipelago it was used on open sea, but near the coast. Was sailed with square sails and later on spritsails. Here below a more detailed description in swedish.

Förekomst Skötbåten har funnits i många hundra år utefter norrlandskusten. Storleken cirka 24-26 fot (cirka 8 meter) har varierat något i utförande såväl i norra som i södra länen. Olika båtbyggare har traditionellt utformat sina båtar efter eget huvud. Med tiden har vissa detaljer förändrats, till exempel rakare, rundare eller mer eller mindre fallande stävar. Olika båtar blir därför ibland svåra att hänföra till en viss båttyp.
Särdrag Skötbåtens form gjordes så att sen skulle vara lätt att ro och möjlig att segla ibland. Samtidigt skulle den bära stora fångster och gå bra i grov sjö. Norrlandskusten har ju dålig och bitvis ingen skärgård, man är ute på öppna havet direkt. Därav kravet på sjövärdiga båtar.
Byggare Under tidigare århundraden byggdes båtarna av sina ägare med medhjälpare under vinterhalvåret. Senare blev det fler och fler som specialiserade sig, skaffade mera hjälpmedel och verktyg och byggde under större delen av året, till exempel Viklundarna från Bjurön.
Under höstarna sökte man självvuxna krokar och rotben, vridna träd för kinningar och övrigt lämpligt båtvirke. Allt virke fick lufttorka minst ett år. Det vanligaste träslaget var furu, men även granbåtar tillverkades
Motorn Då motorerna började monteras i fiskebåtarna kring 1910-1920 blev man tvingad till lite modelländringar. Kravet blev "större bärighet i akterskeppet". Akterstäven fick en något tjockare och annorlunda utformning, så att motoraxeln kunde monteras genom akterstäven. Propellern skulle ha sin plats. Detta ledde till en förändrad form på akterstäv och roder, samt fastsättning av detta.
Modernisering I slutet av 1940-talet började man bygga små akterruffar. Det blev bekvämare. Med motor blev det också längre resor ut till havs. Strömmingsfiskarna låg ju ofta kvar vid skötarna (strömmingsnäten) under nätterna.
Under 1950-talet började man även underlätta vid bärgandet av skötar. Det monterades rullar, antingen på förstäven eller på sudbandet. Skötarna drogs upp över dessa.
Font: Skellefteå Society of Rustic Boats (Skellefteå Allmogebåtar)

Who was the first owner?
Probably was a boat of Wille Norberg, a fisherman from Docksta. But here is the picture we were talking about and below the description as published by the Västernorrlands Länsmuseet:

© Länsmuseet Västernorrlands bildarkiv

Från Sandviken, Nätra Socken, Örnsköldsvik, Ulvön, Ångermanland, Västernorrland
Fotot är daterat till 1940
Fotograf: Bo Hellman
Bildnr: U1050

Övrig information om bilden: 
Wille Norberg från Docksta blev så småningen ensam fiskare i Sandviken. Här syns hans skötbåt och i förgrunden en sidorull som skötarna drogs upp över. 
Julius Söderberg har hjälpt mig med texten till bilderna från Sandvikens fiskeläge. 
Uppgifterna har lämnats vid besök 2004-10-22 av Birgitta Wedin. 

Kommentarer från Internetbesökare: 
Sven Bodin: NORBERG, WILHELM, Docksta, f. 7 jan. 1909 i Vibyggerå, son till Nils Norberg och Karolina, född Viberg. Gift 1 juni 1940 m. Mary Nyberg. Barn: Börje Wilh. Ragnvald. Fiskets art: strömming, laxfiske. 1 motorbåt, 1 roddbåt. Redskap: skötar, sillnät, krok, fisknät, laxlinor, laxrevar. Brodern Gustav Norberg deltar i fisket. Näringen har inom släkten bedriven i 4 generationer.

So that's it. :-) The fishing boat of a fisherman from Docksta. Quite expected - you may say. But in the reality to reconnect the traces of the history of a boat is never "expected". Now we know definitely more, and we've a base to start from for the deepening.

"A great place for solo sailors cruising in the High Coast"

Episode: #17 SAILING IN THE WIND | Sailing around in the High Coast, Sweden. Docksta Havet guest harbour, Bönhamn, and then sailing in gusty gail back home to Härnösand.

Follow MIA WÅLSTEN VLOGGER: s/y ATLA3 (on YouTube)

Sailing to Skuleskogen: the National Park between land and sea

One of the best green breaks, in your cruise discovering the High Coast, is a visit to the National Park of Skuleskogen.

The National Park designation is the best a nature area can receive, as well as unique locations of outstanding natural beauty which ensure that nature can be fully experienced.

Skuleskogen is close to Docksta Havet Base Camp so - by bus, or walking/biking from the piers - it's a fantastic destination after your days of serious sailing around the coast!
 

Suggestions for cruising in the High Coast:
Sailing to Skuleskogen National Park to enjoy its stunning natural beauty

Sights:

• The views over undulating forest and the sea.

• Slåttdalsskreven.

• The Kalottbergen mountains and their forested peaks and bare slopes.

• The flora.

• The Bronze Age barrows.

Area: 2,360 hectares. 
Established: 1984, extended 1989. 
 

Location: Approximately 40 kilometres south of Örnsköldsvik in Örnsköldsvik and Kramfors municipalities, Västernorrland County.

Visiting Skuleskogen: Signs on European Highway E4 show the way to the national park. There is an access road from the south via Käl, and from the north via Näske. The High Coast Visitor's Center (Naturum Höga Kusten) provides an introduction to the park´s human and natural history. There are 30 kilometres of hiking trails, as well as three sleeping cabins and two shelters that are open year around.

Skuleskogen National Park is a wild and majestic section of Ångermanland’s “High Coast”, where the rolling hills of the Norrland forest meet the northern Baltic Sea. This roadless wilderness offers the visitor magnificent views over sea and forest, beautiful lakes, verdant spruce-clad valleys, and fascinating geological formations which, more clearly than anywhere else, demonstrate how much of modern Sweden has risen from the ancient sea.

This national park is a heavily undulating rift valley adjoining the coast, featuring forest and outcrops of flat bedrock, in untouched condition where vegetation and animals have been able to develop freely. This area will offer the visitor the opportunity of enjoying fabulous experiences of unspoilt nature. Features especially worth seeing are Slåttdalsskreven, a gorge, 200m long, 40m deep and 7 metres wide, the bronze age cairn, extensive shingle fields, interesting vegetation and, not least, magnificent views of the archipelago. There is a total of thirty kms of marked trails which offer the hiker several alternative circular routes. The High Coast trail crosses the national park. Overnight cabins are located at Skrattaborrtjärn, Lillruten, Tärnättvattnet and Näskebodarna. (Font: www.y.lst.se)

HIGH COAST SAILOR'S TIPS:

Sailing to the heart of the World Heritage: experience Skuleberget and Skuleskogen National Park >

Skuleskogen National Park (1984) and Nordingrå Nature Conservation Area (1983) are classified Category V - Protected Landscape/Seascape: protected area managed mainly for landscape/seascape conservation and recreation - and defined as "Area of land, with coast and sea as appropriate, where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with significant aesthetic, ecological and/or cultural value, and often with high biological diversity. Safeguarding the integrity of this traditional interaction is vital to the protection, maintenance and evolution of such an area."

The purpose of Skuleskogen National Park is to preserve in unspoiled condition a coastal landscape of forest, rocky terrain, fissure valleys and steep rolling hills where plant and animal life may develop naturally. (Font: www.naturvardsverket.se)

Skuleskogen is a stupendous area. It combines high mountains, ancient forest and sea coast in a landscape which is without equal in Sweden. Pronounced peaks covered with windswept rocky pine forest are divided by deep rift valleys sculpted by the sea and the inland ice.

There are, in spite of the deserted appearance, traces of human habitation. The oldest of these are Bronze Age burial cairns. The inland ice was unusually heavy here, and pressed the mountains down under sea level. The country has been rising from the sea ever since, to reach today's level of almost 300 metres above sea level. There are also bare boulder fields, swamps and tarns in the park.

The fertile stream valleys are home to many species of bird, such as the very rare grey-headed woodpecker. Several Swedish plants have their most northerly limit in Skuleskogen, for example the decidious trees maple, lime and hazel. The trees are probably relics from warmer ages when deciduous forest was found this far north.

The foremost sights of Skuleskogen are the views of the rolling forest and the sea, Slåttdalsskrevan ravine, Kalottberget mountain with its forested top and treeless slopes, the flora and the Bronze Age burial cairns.

(Font: www.naturvardsverket.se and www.y.lst.se)

Free download the map of the Skuleskogen National Park (.pdf) >

Your boat safely moored to start exploring Skuleskogen and Skuleberget

The Sailor’s Base Camp in the heart of the High Coast >