Club Race Officer

1
Race Officer Training
Club Race Officer
NW Regional Race Management Co-ordinator Adrian
Stoggall Presented by Race Management Group of
Delph SC March 2007
2
Race Management Publications

• ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing
• including the Standard Sailing Instructions Guide
  (App L)
• including the Standard Notice of Race Guide
  (Appendix K)
• The Club Sailing Instructions
• ISAF Race Management Manual (New version on Web)
• PowerPoint format view with Notes
  Page activated
• RYA Race Management Newsletter

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Race Management Training Scheme

• Club Race Officer RYA
• One day seminar
• Club Race Officer RYA
• CRO Cert. Two day seminar written test
• Regional Race Officer RYA (Member)
• CRO Cert. Two day seminar written test submit
  sailing CV
• National Race Officer RYA (Member)
• RRO Cert. submit sailing CV
• International Race Officer ISAF

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Club Race Officer Seminar

• Module 1 - Club organisation
• Module 2 - Before the start preparation
• Module 3 - The start, the race
• Module 4 - The finish Post race tasks and
  evaluation

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How it works at Delph SC Before the start
1 - Club organisation 2 - Before the start
preparation
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Terminology

• A signal (flag) is always DISPLAYED
• A signal that is displayed is at some time
  REMOVED
• These are the terms used in the preamble to
  Racing Signals
• Use these terms at all times!

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Where does the Club Race Officer fit in the
scheme of things?
In the following it might look as though it is
bottom of the pile. BUT on the day its top of the
tree or at least in the limelight.
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The Management Structure
General Committee
Ad Hoc Groups
Race Management Group
Sailing Committee
Handicap Committee
Principal Race Officer
Results Secretariat and Trophies
(Monthly) Sailing Captain
Race Committee on the day
Race Officer on the Day
Race Team
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Racing and its management, what is it all about?

• You are on the Race Team.
• You are a sailor/racer.
• Consider what YOU want from a racing day as a
  sailor/racer,
• and,
• that is what you should be trying to provide for
  other members.

Everybody, including you should get some
enjoyment or satisfaction out of the day
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Sailing Committee
The General Committee relies on the Sailing
Committee to advise on all matters to do with
sailing
Chairman Graham Clow Rear Commodore Sailing
Secretary Andrew Taylor Principal Race Officer
Tony Cropper Results Secretary Patrick
Manning Fleet Representatives/Captains Training
Representative Bosuns (team)
The Sailing Committee considers all matters
involved with the use of the water at Delph SC.
Matters relate to policy and provision of social
sailing, training and racing.
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Race Management Group
The Race Management Group consists of several
members with a specific interest in Race
Management, some of whom are also members of the
Sailing Committee and/or qualified in race
management through the RYA
John Cronshaw RYA Judge and RRO Tony
Cropper PRO and RRO Andrew Taylor Sailing
secretary and RRO Rod Seath RRO Kathryn
Hayfield RRO Andrew Baddeley RRO Plus others
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Source of information
Much of what follows in the next few slides is
extracted from Delph Sailing Club Health and
Safety Policy. Copies can be found in the Club
House and Race Control Centre, and are available
on the Club Website. There are two Race
Management Files in the RCC, one including
standard courses. There should also be copies of
the Racing Rules of Sailing and Delph Sailing
Club Closed Event Sailing Instructions (also sent
to each member with the Calender).
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Principal Race Officer
Extract from Health and Safety Policy of Delph
SC The Principal Race Officer will be a member
of Sailing Committee, which delegates to the PRO
the responsibility for all aspects of club
racing.   The PRO will ensure the policies and
procedures agreed at Sailing Committee are
complied with and will set up appropriate systems
to communicate these to Sailing Captains.
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Sailing Captain
Extract from Health and Safety Policy of Delph
SC Under the direction of the PRO the Sailing
Captain will be responsible for overseeing the
general standard of race management for a given
duration, usually a calendar month.   The Sailing
Captain will communicate procedures to the Race
Officer and step in to guide or instruct the Race
Officer where appropriate but particularly with
regard to matters of Health and Safety.   Sailing
Captains will be club members who are experienced
racers at the club and who have the appropriate
skills to oversee the actions of the race team.
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Race Officer
Extract from Health and Safety Policy of Delph
SC The Race Officer and Sailing Captain manage
and deploy the race team.  There will usually be
a minimum of four members in the team though
additional members may be drafted in as
appropriate. (Now five)   Two of the team will be
deployed in a safety boat, which will be moored
on the jetty and ready for immediate action. The
Race Officer will expect the Safety Boat Crew to
read the Operating Procedures and sign the
declaration that they have read and understood
them.   The Race Officer will need to be
satisfied that adequate safety cover is available
and balance the ability of the safety boat crew
with the conditions on the course. In the event
of weather conditions leading to concerns about
the ability of the crew to cope with rescue, the
Race Officer may deploy additional safety boats
and/or abandon racing.
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The Race Team

• The first name is initially designated Race
  Officer for administrative reasons prior to the
  day. Primarily to get the team together.
• Five people are required to fulfil the following
  functions-
• Manage the team and allocate duties and
  responsibilities
• Recorder 1
• Recorder 2
• Safety Person 1
• Safety Person 2
• It is quite expected that these duties may be
  swapped during the racing day.

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Safety Boat Crew
Extract from Health and Safety Policy of Delph
SC The basic responsibility of the safety boat
crew is to ensure that the instructions of the
Race Officer are carried out. The single most
important part of this responsibility is to
attend every capsize, probably only briefly and
sometimes at a distance, to count heads, check
that the crew are not injured and need no further
assistance.   A Safety Boat Checklist is included
in Appendix One, a copy of which is included in
the Operating Manual held in the Race Control
Centre.   Temporary amendments to this checklist
will be displayed on the chalkboard in the Race
Control Centre.
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Race Committee on the day
See SI 20
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Handicap Committee
SI Appendix 3 Personal Handicap
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Group Discussion

• How does your club organise its Race Management?
• Does the system work?
• What are the main difficulties?
• Where can it be improved?

These are the questions we are going to try and
answer
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Club Race Management

• Is designed to
• make the most of the club organisation
• give member satisfaction - good sailing
• prepare for events requiring greater expertise
• Give members the chance to see the other side of
  racing

22

• Back to-
• What is it all about?
• You are on the Race Team.
• You are a sailor/racer.
• Consider what YOU want from a racing day as a
  sailor/racer,
• and,
• that is what you should be trying to provide for
  other members.

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Who are the members?

• Club members fall into three distinct groups
• Learners or beginners (of all ages)
• Space - no-one carving them up
• Tolerance - while they learn
• Chance to finish the race - without being
  cursed by the Race Officer
• Experienced recreational racers
• Enjoyable racing
• Competitive sailing at their level
• A regular pattern to the racing - don't want to
  have to think too much!
• Time to talk about the race in the bar
• The Open Meeting experts Competition in which
  they stand a fair chance of winning
• Perfect organisation -accurate start lines
• true beats - correctly angled reaches
• Emphasis on racing and winning
• Remember - for many of these, club racing is only
  a training session, but it must be good

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Group discussion

• How does your Club communicate with its members?
• Are the methods used effective? Do members react
  positively?
• Can the dissemination of information to members
  be improved?
• Do you consider the three points above

Sailing Instructions Newsletter Sailing
Captains Race Notice Board Fleet
Representatives Race Officer to Race
Team Committee Minutes Club Website
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To give competitor satisfaction, the club
organisation needs to

• Communicate efficiently
• Follow a regular pattern in its organisational
  structure
• Have an efficient method of encouraging members
  into taking and accepting responsibility
• GET AWAY FROM THE 'ONE-MAN BAND'

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Group discussion

• Risk assessment is carried out by the Club when
  producing its own club sailing programme.
• What are the areas where your club needs to
  assess the risks?
• Has your club carried out such a risk assessment?

YES
Check list on next slide
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Safety on the water

• Clubs should be aware of the risks involved when
• racing fast and slow boats together
• mixing large and small boats in the same fleet
• the type of course configurations that may cause
  problems when separate fleets race round the same
  marks.

• At Delph SC much the same applies
• Fast and slow dinghies
• Experienced sailors and beginners
• Course configurations ought to minimise crossing
• Risk assessment is part of the function of the
  General and Sailing Committees, but on the day
  the Race Officer is their representative and
  needs to do it for the situation and conditions
  on the day.

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Before the Start Preparation

• Many things identified in the RYA scheme have
  been simplified at Delph to make the Race Teams
  job easier, but there is still the need for
  preparation before the day for the Race Officer
  AND the rest of the Race Team.
• Know about the racing. If you dont know find
  out.
• Just observe what is going on when you are
  racing.
• Read the Sailing Instructions.
• Read the Race Rules or one of the Guides to the
  Racing Rules.
• Go on one of the safety boat courses.
• Go on duty with a more experienced Race Officer

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Before Duty Day(s)

• Confirm the team is available and remind them to
  be available at least an hour before start with
  their foul weather gear.
• Check for the likely weather, in particular
  changes forecast during the day.
• Get your gear together,
• wet weather gear
• pencils/pens
• stop watch you still need it the computer is
  not infallible
• binoculars
• Read the Sailing Instructions
• Check for the type of event you are running - if
  a special event check with Sailing Captain or PRO.

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• What starting equipment would you expect the club
  to supply?
• What personal equipment does a Club Race Officer
  need to provide?

Have you looked at inside the cover of the
Fixture List/Calendar ?
See next slide
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The Race Officers bag

• Rule Book
• SIs for the event
• VHF radio
• Mobile phone
• binocular s
• gas air horn
• mouth-blown horn
• whistles (2)
• anemometer
• hand-bearing compass
• GPS
• complete flag set (including orange, black,
  red, green blue)
• waterproofs
• buoyancy aid
• snacks (food drink)

• suncream
• seasickness tablets
• aspirin
• insect repellent
• shackle key
• duct tape
• memo recorder
• batteries
• pencils, pens
• burgee
• cotton wind indicator
• neck towel
• fingerless gloves
• woolly hat, baseball cap
• recording sheets plain notepad
• clipboards (2)

Many of these, that are required on a pond,
should be available but there is no guarantee the
borrowers havent been there first.
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Race Officer Duty - Preparation

• D-day minus 5
• Check personal equipment
• Re-read Racing Rules -
• Part 3
• Racing Signals
• Re-read Club Sailing Instructions

• D-day minus 1
• Watch TV weather forecasts - get a picture of
  what is happening, fronts etc
• If bad weather is predicted then arrange
  additional safety boat coverage

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On the Day (1)
Arrive early - at least an hour before the start
time

• The Sailing Captain should have opened up for
  you.
• Put up the Club Flag and look at wind direction
• Get changed
• Put out the signing on sheet (with a pen) (You
  need Computer 2 for this because the forms are
  available there rather than as lots of printed
  sheet save the trees)
• Check the Race Notice board for any special
  notices that might affect the day.
• Check whether or not Committee Boat and Patrol
  Boats have been brought in from the water.
• Meet the team, introduce them, outline the day,
  allocate duties. They might rotate duties during
  the day. Do delegate things for people to do,
  dont try to do everything yourself. ( Delegate
  team members, to collect boat keys, oars and
  bring in boats.)
• Delegate somebody to check over boats. Fuel,
  anchors and warps, first aid kits, horn working,
  starting mark in boat you want to use.
• Check wind strength and direction (has it
  changed?), (if necessary) go on water. At same
  time you can check that marks are there and in
  position.

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On the Day (2)
Arrive early - at least an hour before the start
time

• Switch on computer and boot up program (otherwise
  the noise will deafen you).
• Check that recorder has got sheets, paper and
  pencil/pen and knows what will be required to be
  done.
• Delegate some one to get water, tea, coffee,
  sugar, milk and cups and spoons from galley.
• Check that radios are available, working. and
  team know how to use them. 1 Race Officer, 2
  Patrol Boat crew, 3 Recorders in RCC
• Check wind and select course in conjunction with
  Sailing Captain. Consider number of laps
  depending on wind strength and number of races
  relative to time available.
• Make sure lights are pointing at start area.
• Set up course board and get mark boards for front
  of box.
• Make sure shorten course flag is available.
• Put up course board at least 15 minutes before
  start time, giving signals to draw sailors
  attention.
• Have a drink ( if time allows)
• You should now be ready for the start

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What have I forgotten?

• Agree communication arrangements if radios fail.
• Does the Committee Boat crew know how to deal
  with Single Recall and General Recall. (Posted
  in RCC)
• Do we have an emergency procedure for abandonment?

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Major Incident Procedure(1)
(extract from Delph SC Health Safety Policy
In the case of a serious incident do the
following  1.   Inform a responsible adult The
responsible adult should make an assessment as
follows  1.1       Is first aid
necessary?       if yes, are trained first aid
personnel available? note that all instructors
are first aid qualified       if yes, inform
first aid personnel       if not, go to
1.2 1.2       Are emergency services
required?       if yes find out the following
information       what is the nature of the
emergency?       how many casualties are
there?       what is the nature of their
injuries?
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Major Incident Procedure(2) (extract from
Delph SC Health Safety Policy
1.3       In Case of Emergency dial 999 with the
following information       Location DELPH
SAILING CLUB LONGWORTH ROAD EGERTON BOLTON BL7
9TS       Phone number 01024 309033       Your
name       The number of casualties       The
nature of their injuries       A description of
first aid procedures that have been
administered   1.4       Do not become impatient
with the questions that will be asked,
            the emergency services will already
have been dispatched  
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Major Incident Procedure(3) (extract from
Delph SC Health Safety Policy
2.         Next of Kin If appropriate, a
responsible adult should be assigned to inform
the             next of kin of the following
information       the facts as known, without
any speculation, including       the name of
the hospital to which the casualty has been
removed       the nature of the injuries as far
as understood   3.         Dealing with the
Media Inform a Flag Officer, who should deal with
all enquiries from the media. RYA guidelines
overleaf. Lets hope it never happens BUT it
could AND has
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Setting a course

• There are standard courses for most wind
  directions.
• These have been refined and tested over the
  years.
• If the standard courses are not going to be used
  then this should be done in consultation with the
  Sailing Captain for the day.
• As a primary guide to courses
• Start on a beat with a PORT ROUNDING of the
  windward mark.
• Limit the number of times boats on different legs
  will cross each other.
• Do not create the confusion of a hooked finish.

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Preparing for the start - Setting the line

• The Start Line needs to be-
• Long enough for all the boats that will be
  starting.
• At right angles to the wind near the bottom of
  the first beat. (If in doubt can it be crossed on
  Starboard tack)
• Ideally be clear on any marks, i.e. windward of
  the bottom mark).
• Provide more than sufficient room for starters to
  manoeuvre behind the line and come in on
  starboard at the committee boat end.
• At least 50 m from a mark or shallows that a
  centre board would touch
• Committee boat should be positioned at Starboard
  end of line

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Session end
Its Lunch time if we havent already had it