Race Management�For Race Committee and Sailors

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Agenda

2

Race Committee Goals

Sailors’ Expectations

What's New for 2021-2024

Preparation

Competitors' Meeting

Setting The Course

The Start

During The Race

Finishing

Protests

Scoring

After Racing

Race Committee Goals

• Run a safe race.
• Run an organized race.
• Do nothing to confuse the competitors.
• Equal treatment of all competitors.
• Enjoy a great day on the water.

3

Sailors’ Expectations

• Perfection?
• Prepared.
• Safety and good sense.

4

"It's Just Club Racing"

• Not an excuse for not being prepared or not following the Racing Rules of Sailing.
• Racing must be fair.
• Danger of developing bad habits.

5

Pop Quiz!

• Who is responsible for enforcing the Racing Rules of Sailing?
• RRS Basic Principles, Sportsmanship and the Rules:

Competitors in the sport of sailing are governed by a body or rules that they are expected to follow and enforce.

6

Pop Quiz!

• Can Race Committee DSQ a boat?
• No, Race Committee cannot DSQ a boat.

7

Pop Quiz!

• Can Race Committee protest a boat?
• Yes, Race Committee may protest a boat.

8

Pop Quiz!

• When is a boat racing?
• Racing A boat is racing from her preparatory signal until she finishes and clears the finishing line and marks or retires, or until the race committee signals a general recall, postponement or abandonment.

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What's Changed for 2021-2024?

• Hull and not equipment and crew - Start/Finish.
• RC may designate an object or a line an obstruction.
• Definition Sail the Course.
• Did not sail the course - NSC.
• Individual Recalls - hull and not equipment or crew.
• Scoring - 90.3 allows the NOR to include a time limit on scoring corrections by the Race Committee.

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What's Changed for 2021-2024?

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Preparation

• Notice of Race (NOR).
• Sailing Instructions (SIs).
• PROs approved - Race Operations Director.
• Race Committee Member Training.
• Race Committee Roles.
• Race Committee Equipment.

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Race Committee Equipment

Race day - arrive early enough to check equipment.

Questions?? - contact Equipment Manager.

Bring personal equipment.

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Race Committee Roles�Signal Vessel

PRO

Wind Reader

Line Sighter

Timer

Sounder

Signaler

Recorders

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Signal Vessel Equipment

• Class flags for each class.
• Signal flags AP, P, X, First Substitute, C, S, L, Y, N, A, H, Orange and Blue line flags.
• Check signal horns. Test the iStart or other automatic system to become familiar with its operation.
• Have a backup to the automatic system (hand held horns and watches).
• Make sure you have all required forms, clipboards, and pencils.

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Race Committee Roles�Mark/Pin Vessels

• One experienced person per vessel.
• Two person minimum per vessel.
• Vessel captain.
• Recorder.
• Signaler.

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Race Committee Roles�Mark Vessel Equipment

• Rodes and anchors. A spare mark anchor.
• Dead weights to hold rode down and make mark stand up.
• Marks as required by SIs.
• Signal flags on poles: C, M and S.
• May also need a blue flag and pin to set the finishing line.
• Finishing forms. Mark rounding forms.
• A clipboard with plenty of pencils.
• Test signal horn and have a backup (hand held horn or whistle).
• Working VHF, cell phones and telephone numbers.
• GPS and a person who knows how to use it.

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Just before the Competitors’ Meeting�

Send a Mark Vessel out to take wind readings before Competitors' Meeting.

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Competitors’ Meeting�

• Opened by a Club Officer who introduces PRO.
• Have all skippers signed up?
• Anyone need a copy of the SIs?
• Classes, class flags.
• Anticipated starting order of the classes.
• Time for first warning signal (SIs).
• Expected courses.
• Expected weather.
• Safety considerations.
• Questions?

19

Postpone Ashore�

Display AP with two sound signals.

Down with one sound signal.

SIs- not less than XX minutes to first warning (per SIs).

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20

Setting The Course�

• Determine Wind Direction and Speed.
• Select Course and Course Length.
• Setting a square course – square is fair.
• Setting the Course – Required Information.
• Lay Start Line.
• Lay Leeward mark/gate.
• Lay Windward mark and Offset if required.

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Determine Wind Direction and Speed�

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• Area of the Windward Mark
• Signal vessel.

Setting A Square Course

• Oscillating wind?
• Determine the average direction and set the course to the average and start racing!
• Persistent shift?

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Select Course and Course Length�

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Setting the Course - Required Information

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Lay Starting Pin�

• Direct your pin boat to stream the pin and set so that the start line is perpendicular to the wind at the desired length. The Mark Vessel deploys the mark and rode with its crew holding on to the anchor and moves the mark into position.

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Lay the Starting Pin

• Streaming the pin to lay.

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• The crew releases the anchor when the mark is in position. The “pendulum effect” moves the anchor into place.

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28

Starting Line – Is it Fair?

• Setting a square line – square is fair.
• Length of line 1.25 to 1.5 x the aggregate length of the longest class.
• Tweaking with anchor rode before Preparation Flag up.

29

Lay the Leeward and Windward Marks�

• Lay the Leeward Mark.
• The Leeward Mark is the course Reference Mark.
• Leeward Mark Vessel starts at the Signal Vessel, proceeds half-way down the start line then turns 90 degrees to weather and proceeds 300 feet to the Leeward Mark location.
• Lay Leeward Mark.

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Lay the Leeward and Windward Marks

• Lay the Windward Mark.
• PRO determines the course axis and gives the bearing to the Windward Mark Vessel – 40 degrees.
• The Mark Vessel lays the Windward Mark to the reciprocal or back bearing to the course axis. In this case the reciprocal of 40 is 220. The Mark Vessel lays the Windward Mark at 220 degrees to the Reference Mark which is the Leeward Mark.

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Setting The Course�

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Rode length and counter-weights are critical.

Check-in

• As stated in the Sailing Instructions, Signal Flag L.
• Recommended for safety.
• Set the tone for racing.

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�Displaying the Course�

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Display on course board before warning signal, RRS 27.1.

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Starting Races�

• Postponement flag?
• Start on time or postpone, but don’t just no signal anything.
• Ten minutes before the warning signal the Timer takes control of the signal vessel.
• Begin start sequence for the first fleet.
• Record the starting time.
• Record boats OCS, do not hail "All Clear" or OCS boats sail #s.
• Count the boats that start, record, and pass on to the Mark Vessel.
• General recall if required.

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Postpone

• Postpone anytime before the start.
• Something messed up, postpone and get it right.
• Stop iStart/Autohoot sequence first.
• AP up with two sounds.
• Down with one sound.
• One minute after AP comes down start the sequence.

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Starting Races�Force 4 – 13-18 MPH

• Life jackets mandatory, Signal Flag Y with one sound.
• Displayed ashore applies at all times.
• Afloat before the Warning signal.
• Whistles are not a bad idea.

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Start Sequence

• Class Flag - warning - 5 minutes before start

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• Preparatory Flag - 4 minutes before start

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• Preparatory Flag down - 1 minute before start - long sound

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• Class Flag down - start - sound

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Start Sequence�Appendix U - Audible-Signal Racing System

• "Whistle Start“ 3 minute sequence.
• No class, Preparatory or Recall Flags.
• Individual recalls signaled by hailing the sail number.

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39

On Course Side, OCS�

• Signal X with one sound - quickly!!
• Display until all OCS boats have returned to prestart side of the line or 4 minutes. No sound signal down.

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General Recall��

• More than 3 (no requirement in RRS) OCS.
• Not so fair to those who started properly.
• Starting sequence or other error.
• First substitute up with two sounds
• Down with 1, 1 minute to warning.
• Same fleet restarts.

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During the Race��

• Be ready to assist anyone in trouble, safety first.
• Time limits and curfew - SIs.
• Record mark roundings, boat count.
• Monitor & record wind speed and direction.
• Change course.
• Shorten course.
• Missing mark.
• Abandon the race.

42

Change Course��

• Persistent wind shift of 10 degrees or more.
• Lengthen or shorten.
• Must be signaled to the fleet before the first boat begins the changed leg.
• Repetitive sound signals (whistle is a best practice).

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Change Course�

• Vessel location for signaling change or shorten.
• Anchor rode float.

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Change Course��

• To change the next leg of the course, Race Committee will lay a new mark and remove the original mark as soon as practicable. When in a subsequent change of course a new mark is replaced, it will be replaced with the original mark. There will be no offset mark for new or subsequent marks.

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Change of Course Boards�

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Flags are hard to see in light air - drooping.

Strong air flags are straight back.

Shorten Course

• Position boat to leave no doubt where finish line is, force competitors to finish.
• As the first boat(s) approaches display S with two sound signals.

47

Shorten Course

• Position boat to leave no doubt where finish line is - force competitors to finish. Which position is correct for a port rounding?
• As the first boat(s) approaches display S with two sound signals.

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Missing Mark

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Deflated or moved a looong way.

Signal flag M with repetitive signals (whistle).

Abandon

• When to abandon:
• No boat finishes within the time limit.
• Wind is gone.
• Storm is coming.
• Signal flag N with 3 sound signals up, 1 down.

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Abandon�Return to the Starting Area

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Abandon�No More Racing Today

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Abandon�Further Signals Ashore

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Finishing

• Close line to 6-10 boat lengths.
• Two recorders.
• Sound signal?

54

Finishing

• Reaching finish.
• Round leeward mark.
• Facilitates reading sail numbers.

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No More Racing Today

• US Sailing Prescription Rule 32.
• US Sailing prescribes that, if the sailing instructions so state, the race committee may display flag A (with no sound) while boats are finishing to signal that there will be no more races conducted that day.

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Protests?

• Form a Protest Committee, 3 experienced sailors.
• Find a quiet space with a table and at least 5 chairs.
• Follow Appendix M.

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Protests?

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Scoring

• The Race Committee is responsible for scoring.
• The Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions contain vital information.
• Appendix A by default.
• Coordinate with scorekeeper before the race.

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After Racing

• Complete scoresheets and turn-in to scorekeeper.
• Put equipment away: Note any problems and alert equipment manager(s).
• Return the equipment in better shape than you found it.
• Fuel? Top off and turn in receipts.
• Tuck in (cover) boats. ****

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US Sailing Certified

• Consider becoming a Certified Race Official.
• Consistent race experience for competitors
• Keep abreast of best practices/changes.
• Club Race Officer – Basic Race Management Seminar

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Race Management�For Race Committee and Sailors

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