Race Officer Duty – Guidance Notes for Club Racing
It is part of your membership subscription to be a race officer /assistant or man a safety
boat. Many clubs charge financial penalties to those who fail to turn up for their turn!
Duty officers should come with suitable clothing to wear on the water – it’s a good idea
to bring a flask and snack too! All the other equipment you need is provided by the club.
Race officers and safety boat drivers should arrive as early as 9.30am and you
should sign-in where indicated on the notice-board. The first racing should be
sounded at 11.25am. Preparation includes:-
1. Collecting the committee boat from the mooring and preparing flags,
signal-horn, timers, course indication boards and recording sheets
2. Placing the sign-in sheet in the club house for competitors
3. Briefing the safety boat crews
It is the Race Officer’s duty to ring-round his team to remind them.
When conditions are unsuitable to sail, Race Officers should consult the Sailing
Secretary or a Flag Officer. If none is available, the decision to race rests with the
Race Officer. When departing in the committee boat to set-up a start-line, it has
become customary for race officers to give several short sounds on the hooter to
alert competitors.
We use the standard “5:4:1-Go!” timing sequence. The line should be set for a
long windward leg to the first mark. The start line must be long enough to cater for
all boats starting. If necessary a temporary windward mark can be set. The course
should take account of prevailing conditions and the degree of safety cover
available. Junior races usually require a shorter course. The course indicator board
needs to be set before the first sound-signal.
The start line can act as the “gate” to record lap-times (although the gate or finishline
can be set elsewhere). It is important to log lap-times to assist the results
coordinator in tracking any anomalies. Recording sheets must be completed clearly
including full names and sail numbers. Race Officers should write their name and
telephone number on the sheet in order that any queries can be resolved. It should
be clear if the race/lap-times include the 5 minute starting sequence or not. All
paperwork will be lodged in a ring-binder provided by the secretary.
If appropriate the Race Officer can shorten course – but this must be communicated
clearly to competitors (according to the sailing instructions) – and must be for the
whole fleet to ensure we have a valid result. NB: Different fleets (eg: Juniors) may
sail a different number of laps, however a fair result cannot be derived from a fleet
which is divided between boats which have completed different numbers of laps!
The results record sheets are sacred. The job is not complete until they are
delivered safely into the hands of the results coordinator - usually via the file
provided in the clubhouse. Race Officer and safety boat duty is fun: take a pair of
binoculars, a flask and a snack – and have fun being top dog for the day! (It’s a
great way to meet everyone – and everyone is very grateful!)