We invite all our participants to read carefully the following Q&A and raise any queries you have prior to the start of the competition by emailing us at info@anglingspirit.com
SAC Event Questions & Answers
REGISTRATION - CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
Is there a minimum or maximum size of boat?
No this is an open event that is inclusive, not exclusive.
There will be one prize for the best-placed boat under 6.7 meters.
What is the minimum age for anglers to compete in the event?
The competition is open to all from the age of 10 years and above. Must be 10 on the first day of registration.
Competitors aged between 10 and 15 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Sea Angling Classic classes anyone of 16 and above on the first day of registration as an adult and therefore can participate without any guardianship but are not allowed to be recognised as the Captain of a boat until they become 18 on the first day of registration.
What are the minimum and maximum number of anglers?
In the recreational category: a minimum of two anglers to a maximum of 4.
Charter category: it is a pairs’ event
Are recreational boats allowed to have crew or people on board that are not competing?
Recreational category: Only persons that have entered the competition are permitted to be on board any competing boat during the hours of the competition
Exceptions: officially approved media or crew on charter boats
What is the entry fee to participate in the recreational boat category?
£250 per angler – minimum of 2 anglers per recreational boat required.
£125 per junior angler – 10 t0 15 years of age on the first day of registration.
£125 per junior angler – 10 t0 15 years of age on the first day of registration.
What is the fee for Charter boat anglers?
The Charter boat category is a pair’s event. So 2 anglers are required to form a pair on the same charter boat.
The entry fee per one angler is £180 + anglers to make their own arrangement with the charter boat of their choosing.
Junior entry £90 – to 15 years of age on the first day of registration
The entry fee per one angler is £180 + anglers to make their own arrangement with the charter boat of their choosing.
Junior entry £90 – to 15 years of age on the first day of registration
Can Charter Skippers fish in the recreational boat category?
Charter boat skippers that have worked within a 25-mile radius of Portsmouth in the past 5 years are NOT allowed to enter the recreational boat angling category
Do competitors have to do a shore line / litter clean up?
Yes, this is a condition of entry.
What happens if Competitors don't do a clean up?
In the case, cleanup is not conducted prior to onsite registration a £50 fine will be payable. A 100% of the monies collected will be used in Spirit OF Angling children’s initiatives and shoreline cleanups done in conjunction with local charities or schools.
How will you know that competitors have done a litter clean up?
All Competitors have to publish a public post with a minimum of 5 pictures on a social network and provide organisers with a link to be checked. This must be completed prior to on-site registration.
Do you need safety equipment to compete?
Yes as stated in event rule E05
To be compliant during the competition a boat must carry at any time:
– An appropriate anchor/weight properly secured to the boat
– An operational bilge pump or bailer
– A foghorn or acoustic warning device.
– Flares in date.
– An approved extinguisher.
To be compliant during the competition a boat must carry at any time:
– An appropriate anchor/weight properly secured to the boat
– An operational bilge pump or bailer
– A foghorn or acoustic warning device.
– Flares in date.
– An approved extinguisher.
– A VHF radio
– A first aid kit
– A life jacket per person on-board – Must be CE certified and conform to the European standard of at least EN396 – 150 Newton fitted with a whistle and a luminous stick or waterproof electric light.
– A first aid kit
– A life jacket per person on-board – Must be CE certified and conform to the European standard of at least EN396 – 150 Newton fitted with a whistle and a luminous stick or waterproof electric light.
Do you need to wear a life jacket when on a boat competing?
Recreational category: All anglers competing in the event MUST wear a life jacket at all time while on the water.
Charter category: Charter MUST have a lifejacket per person onboard. Life jacket to be worn at the request of the Captain or the angler.
Does the boat need to be insured?
All boats taking part in the competition must have an up-to-date Third Party Liability insurance cover in the name of the boat owner.
Personal Public Liability for participants
All participants in an Angling Spirit organised competition must have Personal Public Liability insurance to cover them while participating in a fishing competition.
A simple way to get one in the UK is to become a member of the Angling Trust. This is what English competitors in our other events subscribe to get their cover. https://anglingtrust.net/membership/insurance-centre/
Is a VHF License required on a boat competing in the event?
Yes a VHF licence is required but as long as one person on the boat has the appropriate operators license qualification this is sufficient.
Attached is a guidance note from Ofcom which sets out the licence and qualifications required in the UK for operators of fixed and handheld VHF transceivers on boats. The law requires that the set be licenced and that operators to hold a qualification in order to transmit. For VHF this is the short-range radio course that is readily available from RYA approved providers around the coast. The link below is to RYA content on this subject.
Top prizes eligibility verification
At organisers’ discretion boats eligible for prizes will have the documentation checked for:
* A valid VHF licence must be held by the captain or member of the crew
* A valid boat insurance
EVENT DETAILS
Are berths available locally during the period of the event?
Yes at Gunwharf Quays and Hasler. Hasler, has already agreed to offer a 10% discount off their standard rate
Is there a slipway to launch a boat from a trailer?
Yes there are several slipways locally both on the Portsmouth and Gosport side of the harbour
Where and when can boats refuel?
Captains of boats need to make sure that they have enough fuel onboard for a full day’s competition fishing without having to return ashore.
Boats MUST refuel outside of the competition hours.
Yes, there are facilities in Portsmouth harbour for boats to refuel and details will be provided to competitors in the competitors pack they will be receiving.
Boats MUST refuel outside of the competition hours.
Yes, there are facilities in Portsmouth harbour for boats to refuel and details will be provided to competitors in the competitors pack they will be receiving.
Where are the competition fishing arena?
All information regarding the fishing arena is available on this page
Will there be a starting area for smaller boats?
Yes there will. The larger boats will start in an area away from the smaller boats to avoid the wash they create. Their start line is C and all information is available on this page.
Are there facilities to accommodate disabled anglers?
Yes there are and these will be at the Gunwharf Quays Marina.
Each case will be handled separately depending on the level of requirements
Where can anglers get fresh bait locally?
There will be a selection of approved bait shops in Portsmouth and Gosport that competitors will be given details of. It is the competitors’ responsibility to make sure they have enough bait for the event
Will there be a team event category in 2023?
Not in 2023 but it is something that we are considering for future years as it is being done in all of our other events successfully.
The Team category opens a dedicated additional prize table to the anglers who have registered for that category.
How many rods are allowed?
Recreational boat category: 4 rods per boat are allowed to be used at any one time and one rod can be rigged but must not have any terminal tackle on it. This is irrespective of whether there are 2, 3, or 4 anglers on the boat.
Charter boat category: 2 rods are allowed to be used at any one time and one rod can be rigged but must not have any terminal tackle on.
How many hooks can be used on a line?
3 hooks may be used on a rod at a time with a triple hook counting as one hook
If a boat loses an anchor can they go back ashore to get another one?
Yes, a boat is allowed to return ashore to collect another anchor but they MUST contact a marshall boat / Event HQ who will oversee and monitor this completely. It will incur a penalty which will be dependant on the time required to resolve the matter
What plans are there for bad weather?
Providing a minimum of 6 hours of the event is fished the event will be deemed to have been staged and whoever is in the lead at that time will be crowned the winner.
If the minimum of 6 hours over the 2 scheduled days of the event is not completed the event will be postponed to an alternative date.
Anglers that are unable to addend the alternative date will have their entry rolled over to the following year’s event at no penalty.
The fishing arena could be subject to change to ensure the safe running of the event.
The fishing arena could be subject to change to ensure the safe running of the event.
PRIZE TABLE
Competition prize table
All information regarding the prize table are available on the event website
Recreational category
Recreational category
Who wins first prize in the recreational boat category?
The winners of the first prize in the recreational boat category will be the captain of the boat and anglers on it with the longest combined length of the 5 target species (Bass, Bream Smooth-hound Tope, and Skate) on day 1 + day 2 over the 2-day event.
Maximum 3 longest of each species per day count.
Maximum 3 longest of each species per day count.
When do the winners take ownership of the boat?
As soon as the event is over and they are presented with the keys to the boat which will be at the Prize giving.
What is covered for the winners in the 18 month period they have the boat for?
The servicing of the boat and equipment, the boat insurance, and appropriate expenses when attending functions/shows/events. If storage is required this can be arranged as well.
Can the winners sell the boat?
Yes, the Sea Angling Classic champions will be able to sell the boat if they wish after a period of 18 months.
Why can't the winners sell the boat straight away?
Angling Spirit and our event partners are proud to be providing such a fantastic first prize and look forward to celebrating with the champions proactively ensuring that get recognition for the amazing achievement of being the inaugural Sea Angling Classic Champions.
At mutually agreed times the champions will be invited to attend functions/shows/events where appropriate expenses will be covered. During the period a professional film and photoshoot with the boat and prizes that they win to help promote them and the products they have won will take place.
At mutually agreed times the champions will be invited to attend functions/shows/events where appropriate expenses will be covered. During the period a professional film and photoshoot with the boat and prizes that they win to help promote them and the products they have won will take place.
SCORING - LEADERBOARD APP - RESULTS
What are the 5 target species per day?
The longest 3 of each of the following 5 target species: tope, smooth-hound, rays, bass, black bream, to count per day providing they are of the minimum legal length.
Rays are: blond rays, thornback rays, undulate rays, small-eyed ray, spotted ray
How do the fish get measured?
Put fish on Official Measuring Board with
* fish right flank down for bass and black bream and belly down for tope, Smoothound and skate
* lips/tip of nose touching the headboard – wingtip for skate
* tail/wing flat
* Spaced fingers across fish if required.
If competitors catch more than 3 of a species on the boat per day what happens?
The longest 3 of each of the following 5 target species: Tope, Smooth-hound, Rays, Bass, Black bream to count per day.
The combined length per recreational boat of the longest 3 of each species provides each boat with an overall length per day.
The length from day 1 and day 2 are added together to identify the overall winner.
Minimum legal length and above to count (if more than 3 of each species are caught the longest ones caught will count).
Will competitors have an opportunity to practice with the app prior to the event?
Yes, each captain will be sent a login code where there will be a demo leaderboard.
There is no need to be at sea to test the app. Any ruler and object can be used when testing the app.
We will not be able to approve all tests but we will run some test sessions
There is no need to be at sea to test the app. Any ruler and object can be used when testing the app.
We will not be able to approve all tests but we will run some test sessions
Will any explanation videos of the app be made?
Yes there are explanation videos on how to use the app and link will be sent to captains
What happens if I can’t get a signal at sea after I have caught a fish?
You make sure that you have got good quality images on your phone so that you can submit them as soon as you have a signal.
All pictures should be taken using your phone camera and not through the app to ensure you always have a copy on your phone at all times.
Make sure another member of your entry has also taken the 2 pictures necessary to validate a catch.
The full procedure is explained in the competitors pack.
Make sure another member of your entry has also taken the 2 pictures necessary to validate a catch.
The full procedure is explained in the competitors pack.
What security is in place to make sure the event is run fairly?
There are many security measures in place including having a totally independent impartial team of adjudicators who will oversee all of the results being processed.
Is there an appeals process for disallowed fish?
Yes there is an appeal process in place by which competitors can challenge decisions taken by the Result Desk. Queries must be logged before 7 pm.
Result Desk is being overseen by an independent and impartial team of adjudicators.
How overall results get calculated?
Recreational boat category: The combined length per recreational boat of the longest 3 of each species per day.
Charter boat category: The combined length per pair of their longest 3 of each species per day.
Results will be done in the following order:
– At the end of each day, the length of the recorded fish is compiled in centimetres.
– Once the length has been calculated any penalties received during that day are then deducted.
In the event of a tie, the angler with fewer penalties on the day automatically wins.
Finally, if there is still a tie, a ranking will be allocated on the anglers’ longest ray of the event, longest bream, longest bass, longest smooth-hound, longest tope and finally on the time of first scoring fish on day 1.
On day 2, the results of day 2 will be added to the results of day 1 and a countback will be done on the overall longest of each species in the same order as above over the 2 days.
In the unlikely event, that there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by the time of the first fish caught on day 1 and then on day 2 if necessary.
MISCELLANEOUS
Is there a shore fishing event this year?
No not this year this is something we are considering for future years
