RUNNING
THE RACES -- Race Committee Jobs
This is a quick
primer on how to run race committee.
Let me know what else you’d like to be covered here. (For more detail see this 12 page PDF prepared by David Thompson and based on the US Sailing publication Join the Race Committee.)
I recommend 3 or 4
people on the line boat (Bayliner) for the starts and 2 on
each mark boat (the 16 & 19 Skiffs) The primary job of
all the boats is to go to the aid of sailors and boats in trouble or
danger. After that
these are the key positions and their responsibilities:
1.
Principal Race Officer, line sighter, and wind reader a.
Makes key decisions about when to start the races and where to
place marks. b.
Calls the numbers of over early boats at the start. c.
Decides when a general recall is necessary. d.
Calls the numbers of the finishers.
Tip: In a crowd,
call off the last two numbers only or prefix with a letter.
For example, A-26 for Albacore 8026 and L-96 for Lightning 14096.
2.
Timer and Sounder (may also be combined with Signal Officer
-- flags -- function) a.
Operates Ollie, b.
Pushes manual horn button for special flags, c.
Tells the signal officer what is coming up next, and d.
Counts down to those 3.
Signal officer (flag person) a.
Keeps track of the needed flags.
At a minimum find the RC flag (to mark the start and finish
line), class flags for those competing that day, the P-flag (prep
signal), the X flag (over early), the first substitute pennant (general
recall), and the Dr. Suess flag (postponement). b.
VERY IMPORTANT. Raises
class flags and prep flags at exactly the right time.
Must listen to and know what the Ollie is doing with help from
the Timer. c.
Raises postponement, over early, and general recall flags when
asked to be PRO 4.
Recorder a.
Checks in boats. Boats
are supposed to sail by and give their name.
We need names for posting the results because people change their
sail numbers. Announce this
at the skipper’s meeting. Have
the mark or rescue boat chase down sailors who don’t check in (if time
allows). b.
Records numbers of over early boats as they are called off by the
PRO and scratches them off as they return to the pre-start side of the
line. c.
Records finish order. Do not separate the different types of boats.
One list with all boats for each race.
See sample in green notebook. d.
Writes down wind directions.
The wind is shifty on the river.
Only by recording its direction over a 20- or 30-minute period
can you begin to get a sense of the median direction need to set up the
marks. The windward mark boat
(the 19) takes the inflatable marks off of the Bayliner, inflates them
and, and brings out the course, drops them in approximate positions and goes to
the area of the windward mark to take wind readings and wait for further
instruction from the PRO. (The
mark boat can also perform the functions of the rescue boat below, but
it will take longer to set up and start the races.) The two people on
the mark boat are: 1.
Mark boat driver and VHF operator
(use VHF channel 68) 2.
Mark boat wind reader and mark puller / dragger.
The mark boat
spends most of its time at the windward mark.
Its job is to: a.
Take wind readings every few minutes.
This way they are able to warn the PRO of a changing wind pattern
before the PRO sees it b.
Move the windward and reach marks if necessary. The job of
the pin boat (16 Skiff) is to: a.
Communicate with PRO using the handheld VHF on channel 68. b.
Move start and finish pins. TIP: to accurately place the pin, the PRO decides on the
median wind direction (180, for example).
That means the pin needs to be at 90 to 95 (slight pin favored is
typical). Using a compass
(bring your own), the PRO sights at 90 to 95 degrees and holds arm up in
the air. Meanwhile, the
rescue or mark boat drags the pin upwind behind the boat by holding onto
the pin’s anchor. When
the PRO sees the mark at the proper position, he/she drops their arm and
the rescue or mark point drops the anchor.
The pin will stay in the proper place. c.
Move the leeward mark when instructed by the PRO. |