Race Officer Guidance

An account by Sam Gillcrest (with additions by Godfrey Whitehouse, Cruiser Captain)

Sailing Instructions put the fear of god into me! Line after line of incomprehensible size 10 Aerial font, one misinterpretation away from immediate disqualification and humiliation!

So, it was with some fear and trepidation that I received my notification of 'Race Officer Duty'.

Many reading this will be old salts, well accustomed to the flags, hooters and etiquette of the start line. If that's you, congratulations read no further, you've got this sorted. For my fellow new racers - read on.

To avoid the Cruiser Captain's wrath, I must point you to the sailing instructions for the official doctrine, they can be found on the 'Sailing' page of the TSC website.

The following text provides a practical no nonsense summary of the key steps and includes reference to a handy spreadsheet tool from Jerry Row which you can download, print out and take with you. However, bear in mind that Jerry's spreadsheet only works if you start the race exactly on the designated start time.

Instructions

1. Firstly, assume it is going to rain and blow a gale of wind prepare accordingly and your hours on the start line won't be so miserable. Bring a picnic.
2. Take some friends. Preferably ones who have done start boat duty before. At least three people makes it easier.
3. Collect the start gear from the grey filing cabinet in the Green Shed, you need the hooter, bag of paperwork, bag of flags, the box of numbered paddles and tube/holder for the paddles. Check that the Cruiser Captain has put a correctly dated Start Work Sheet in the Cruiser folder. This shows you the starting order and current start time for each boat.
4. Take your dinghy, this can make mooring up at the start line easier. Remember you will need to moor fore and aft which may not be head to wind and tide.
5. Check the Yawl and Cruiser start times in advance and give yourself sufficient time to get down river, moored up and ready to go. There will be a current copy of the handicaps in the Cruiser Folder along with the Sailing Instructions.
6. You need a stopwatch, the radio clock in the bag may be unreliable, so take a backup. Remember it is the time of the flags that determine the start time not the sound signals, so focus on getting the flags to go up at the correct time. As Race Officer, you can choose to start the race when you are ready but it does make it easier for everyone if you can stick to the advertised start times. The Cruiser Captain recommends using a phone app called Digital Clock as it displays the essential seconds and runs almost exactly in sync with UTC.
7. Once moored up - go through the start process with your crew, get the flags bent on to halyards, number board holder secured to stern, hooter lashed on so it can't go overboard in the excitement. Designate crew to watch the clock, put up the number boards and crank the hooter. Position someone at the mast the start line forms the transit between the mast of the start boat and the wonky pole. Finally, you need one of your team to record the start times and fill out Jerry's spreadsheet and/or the Cruiser Fleet Start Worksheet.
8. As the cruisers come down towards the start line, tick them off on the Cruiser Fleet Worksheet so you know which ones you are expecting to see starting the race.
9. So now you are down river moored up and everyone knows their job, let's get to the crunchy bit:

A. Yawls
i. Yawls go first. 5 minutes before the Yawl start make the Warning Signal by raising Flag 'D', as the flag goes up make one short blast on the hooter, then make a list of the competing Yawls (use sail numbers for ease).
ii. 4 minutes before the Yawl start, make the Preparatory Signal, raise Flag 'P' and make one short blast of the hooter.
iii. 1 minute before the start time lower Flag 'P' and make a long sound signal.
iv. At the start time, lower Flag D and make a short blast. If any part of a boat is over the line, you may shout to let them know they are over. They must go back across the line and start accordingly. If they fail to start correctly, they are recorded as OCS (think of any acronym you like here)
v. Watch the Yawls sail off into the distance and prepare for the cruiser start. You need the Cruiser Flag C ready on the halyard.
vi. If the leading Yawl has not reached the Finish Line from the direction of 22 Ting Tong, within 60 minutes of the Yawl start, then the course will be shortened. Hoist Flag 'S' and make two short sound signals. Boats shall finish as they cross the Finish Line coming from the direction of 22 Buoy.
vii. (For races sailed in September only). Boats will finish coming from the direction of 22 Ting Tong. The Start Boat will not display any signal to this effect.
viii. As the Yawls are finish, simply take a note of the positions and sail numbers, and make a sound signal as each boat crosses the line. In light winds, you may need to note if any of the yawls retire. You should also look out for and make a note of any yawls flying a red protest flag as they finish. Job done.

B. Cruisers
i. Cruisers go 10 minutes after the Yawls, this process is a bit more involved so bear with me
ii. 5 minutes before the Cruiser start make the Warning Signal - raise the Flag C and as the flag goes up make one short blast on the hooter.
iii. 4 minutes before the Cruiser start, make the Preparatory Signal, raise Flag 'P' and make one short blast of the hooter.
iv. At 1 minute before the start, lower Flag P, make a long sound signal and display Paddle '0'.
v. At the start time, lower Flag C, make a short blast, take off Paddle '0' and display Paddle '1'. Any boats over the line may be shouted at to go back across the line.
vi. For each subsequent minute, drop the former paddle and raise the next one until you get to the end of the handicap. Make a short blast at each minute and change of paddle.
vii. Take a note of the actual time of the boats crossing the start line in Jerry's table and in the Cruiser Start Worksheet. Times are to be recorded in BST format - HH.MM.SS. Make a note of any boats crossing the line with their ensign still flying as they must take a penalty.
viii. Sometimes, boats will come to the vicinity of the start line but change their minds and not start. They are to be recorded as DNS.
ix. Relax, break out the picnic or do a spot of fishing, but do keep a lookout for the yawls and cruisers returning and be aware of the need to shorten course - see below.
x. As each cruisers finishes, record the time that the boat crosses the line and make a sound signal. The time is taken when the first part of the boat crosses the line. Finish times are to be recorded in BST format - HH.MM.SS. This is used to inform the positions of the boats in the fleets so needs to be as accurate as possible. When a group of boats finish close together, it can be difficult to record the exact order and finish time of each. Taking multiple photos along the line can help to establish what happened.
xi. Make a note of any boats which are flying a red protest flag as they finish.
xii. Make a note of any boats which retire. They are to be recorded as DNF.

C. Shorten Course
i. If after 50 minutes from the zero start time, no boat reaches the finish line from the direction of Turf, Flag 'S' is to be raised and two short sound signals are to be made to signify the shortening of the course.
ii. For races in September, the Race Officer will always shorten the course.

D. Aftermath
i. After the last boat has finished, or a maximum of 2 hours after the start (whichever happens first); let go and head back to the club.
ii. When ashore put the start gear back where it belongs for the next race.
iii. Find the Results books and fill it them out following the standard method. Seek Cruiser/Yawl Captains guidance if you have any queries.
iv. If any boat was flying a protest flag at the finish, find the skipper and ascertain what the issue was and work out what to do next. Most issues can be resolved with a drink and an informal hearing with a rules-knowledgeable person. Be aware that difficult issues where boats have been damaged may involve insurance companies and they will want to see records of hearings.

v. Have a drink, enjoy your supper and reflect on a job well done!

Last updated 08:59 on 2 April 2024