Club Race Officer
(Trainers Seminar)
Module 1
Module 2
Before the Race
On the Water,
before the start
Module 3
During the Race
and the Finish
Post-Race and Safety
Module 4
Regional Race Management Training Coordinator:
Mike Harrison (National Race Officer & National Judge)
0131.554.7773
e-mail: sailing@scotsport.co.uk
CRO 3
Club Race Officer
Module 1
Module 2
Before the Race
On the Water,
before the start
Module 3
During the Race
and the Finish
Post-Race and Safety
Module 4
Regional Race Management Training Coordinator:
CRO 4
Group Discussion
 How does your club organise its Race Management?
 How effective is Race Management in your club?
 What are the main difficulties?
CRO 5
Race Management at Club level is
designed to
make the most of the club organisation
give customer satisfaction - good sailing
CRO 6
Who are the customers?
Beginners / Learners
Experienced recreational racers
The Open Meeting experts
(customers becoming competitors)
CRO 7
Learners (of all ages) require
Space
no-one carving them up
Tolerance
while they learn
Chance to finish the race
without being cursed by the Race Officer
CRO 8
Experienced recreational racers
require
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
CRO 9
Open Meeting experts require
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
CRO 10
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'
CRO 11
One method of club organisation
(race management aspects only)
SAILING COMMITTEE
Fleet
Captains
Bosun
Chief
Race
Officer
Results
Secretary
Others
CRO 12
Job Descriptions
 Sailing Captain
acts either as chairperson or
secretary to sailing committee
is responsible to club
management for efficient
running of the sailing
programme
 Bosun
ensures all equipment is in
good working order
 Chief Race Officer
co-ordinates all club race
management
trains Club Race Officers
issues Club Race Officer
Certificates in conjunction
with Regional Race
Management Training Coordinator
vets all Sailing Instructions
CRO 13
Job Descriptions
 Fleet Captains
communicate fleets' views to
the Sailing Committee
communicate committee
decisions to fleets
 Results Secretary
processes and publishes all
results
 Monthly Race Managers
responsible to Sailing
Committee for completion of
race programme in their duty
period
responsible for all race
management matters during
their duty period
CRO 14
Monthly Race Managers
(from Committee Members)
Monthly
Race Manager
April
May
June
July
Week 1
RO + team
Week 2
RO + team
etc.
August
etc.
CRO 15
Monthly Race Managers
these are the people the club needs to train
they will probably come to your training sessions
they will hopefully become your Chief Race Officers
CRO 16
Race Officer Duty - Preparation
Long before the day
go on duty with a good race officer
observe
make notes
CRO 17
D-day minus 7
Contact Monthly Race Manager (or be contacted)
Get a copy of the Club’s Race Management Guide
Check
programme is to run as scheduled
race team members are all available
experience (balance) of team is OK
all equipment is operational
CRO 18
Race Equipment
 If you start races away from a fixed Race Box - what
equipment is in the club’s race bag?
 What personal equipment does a CRO need to
provide?
 What has to be done in the time before the start
(especially the first 30 minutes after you arrive at
the clubhouse)?
CRO 19
The Race Officer’s bag
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
suncream
seasickness tablets
aspirin
insect repellent
shackle key
duct tape
memo recorder
batteries
pencils (chinagraph), pens
burgee
cotton wind indicator
neck towel
fingerless gloves
woolly hat, baseball cap
recording sheets & plain
notepad
• clipboards (2)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Additional Personal
Equipment
Rule Book
• waterproofs
SIs for the event
• buoyancy aid
VHF radio
• snacks (food & drink)
monocular
gas air horn
mouth-blown horn
whistles (2)
anemometer
hand-bearing compass
orienteering compasses (2)
(for handing to mark-layers)
• GPS
• complete flag set (including
orange, black, red, green &
blue)
• set of letters & numbers (for
course notification)
CRO 20
 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
CRO 21
 Start minus 1-2 hours
Arrive at Club with latest
forecast
Note wind direction at Club
Unlock/prepare equipment
Check all boat crews have
arrived and that they have
checked their craft and its
equipment
Check that all starting
equipment is in order
Complete radio checks
Check wind again
From forecast and current
observation predict wind
strength and direction at
start-time
If too strong/light prepare to
postpone
CRO 22
Pre-Start Preparation
Rescue craft afloat and ready
Watches ready
wound / batteries OK
set to correct (real) time
Recording Sheet ready
Pencils sharp
Guns ready
Flags bent on to halyards
CRO 23
The Start
 Do you know your flags?
 What are the main problems in getting a clean start?
 How can you try to ensure a good start?
 Write out a simple ‘Idiot’s Guide’ for dealing with one
or more OCS yachts.
 When ‘short-handed’ in the Race Box, which are the
most difficult times? And how can these situations
be resolved?
CRO 24
Linlithgow Loch Courses
CRO 25
CRO 26
Port Edgar Dinghy
Courses
E1
E2
E3
E4
E5
E6
E7
E8
E9
E
E
E
E&S
E
NE
NE
SE
SE
Y-QX-Y
Y-KGT-Y
Y-HKzX-Y
Y-KGwX-Y
Y-LHzX-Y
Y-QtGB-Y
Y-KQZKX-Y
Y-QKGB-Y
Y-ZHT-Y
1.3
2.7
2.5
2.5
3.0
3.2
2.8
2.7
2.7
W1
W2
W3
W4
W5
W6
W7
W8
W9
W10
W
W
W
W
W&N
W
NW
NW
SW
SW
y-xq-y
y-xgfk-y
y-tgk-y
y-xZkh-y
y-xWgk-y
y-xfl-y
y-xWbq-y
y-xKGq-y
y-xhzkz-y
y-xgf-y
1.3
2.4
2.5
2.5
3.1
3.1
2.7
3.1
3.0
2.1
CRO 27
Courses
 What factors influence course setting in your club?
 Using the Port Edgar course card, select a course for
an evening race for Fast Yachts. The wind is 8-12
knots South-Westerly. High water was at 15:58
(5.9m); low water is at 21:18 (0.7m). The race
starts at 19:00.
CRO 28
CRO 29
Setting a Course
 Refer to recommended
courses in Club’s Race
Manual
 Select a course that is
suitable for
the PREDICTED wind strength
and direction
the tide
 Seek advice if necessary
 Note start and finish line
positions
 Check that marks shown on
recommended course
actually are in situ
 Prepare course display,
double-check that rounding
sides of marks are correctly
displayed
NO LOOPING OF MARKS!
 Confirm choice with duty
Race Manager or get
someone else to check
CRO 30
Decision Time!
A Race Officer must use his/her judgement to
decide length of start line
how many last minute starters?
how much bias is necessary?
how shifty is the wind?
any current to be considered?
postpone the start
organisation not ready (race team, rescue)
wind - too little, too much
CRO 31
The Race Officer must also use his
judgement to
start the race
recognise on-course-side at start time and signal
an individual recall
or
a general recall
shorten course
CRO 32
Before the Warning Signal
The Race Officer must signal or otherwise designate
the course
The Race Officer may remove and substitute a new
course signal
CRO 33
Warning Signal
When
in ‘System 3’ 1 minute prior to
Preparatory Signal
at advertised time
at 00 seconds on
real-time clock
Method
class flag displayed
one sound signal
CRO 34
Before the Preparatory Signal
The Race Officer may shift a starting mark
CRO 35
Preparatory Signal
 Fleet now
under racing
rules
 Yachts sailing
in the vicinity
of the Starting
Line rank as
competing
yachts
CRO 36
Before the Start
The Race Officer may
shorten course to one prescribed in the Sailing
Instructions
postpone, to designate a new course before or with the
new warning signal, or for any other reason
postpone to a later day
CRO 37
Start
CRO 38
Identifiable Boat(s) On Course Side
of the line
hoist X
one gun
record OCS on race
sheet
watch boat(s)
CRO 39
Identifiable Boat(s) On Course Side
of the line - Re-Starting
When all have returned
behind the start line
lower X
delete OCS
If some do not return,
keep X up until 1 minute
before next start or until
starting line is closed
CRO 40
‘I didn’t see anything...’
 A Sunday race has three starts. A strong tide pushes
several boats of the first fleet over the line. Your
view is blocked by the nearest boat. What is the
sequence of actions you follow?
CRO 41
General Recall
To be used
when there are several
unidentified OCSs or
if there is an error in
procedure
Method
hoist 1st Substitute
two guns
CRO 42
Re-Start after General Recall
Try to keep to
multiples of the time
sequence - start on
next 5 minute (or 3
minute) interval
always at 00 seconds
on real-time clock!
One minute before
this time
lower 1st Substitute
one gun
CRO 43
Re-Start after General Recall :
Stage Two
Remember you
go straight into
the Preparatory
signal
One minute
after lowering
1st Sub.
hoist class flag
and preparatory
flag (P or other)
fire one gun
CRO 44
Club Rules
 What is the rule in your club about late starters?
 The first fleet of an evening race is due to start at
19:00. At 18:56 you see a yacht cast off from its
mooring, sail to the pre-course side of the line and
start at 19:02. What do you do (or should you have
done)?
CRO 45
Postponement Signals
These can be used for ANY REASON WHATSOEVER!
Use them as the panic button - a cry for help
Reasons can include
buoy drifting
major wind shift leading to heavily biased line
mistiming between signals
misfiring of sound signals
broken halyards
etc. etc.
CRO 46
The Postponement Signals : 1
AP
All races not started are
postponed
Keep to multiples of
original time sequence if
possible when lowering
Warning Signal made one
minute after this signal is
lowered
CRO 47
The Postponement Signals : 2
 All races are abandoned
N
This includes ones already
under way as well as those
preparing to start
CRO 48
The Postponement Signals :3
 AP over numeral pennant
postponed x hours from
scheduled start time
 AP over H and N over H
as for AP and N but - "further
signals will be made ashore"
i.e. go back to the
beach/harbour
 AP over A and N over A
postponed/abandoned to
another day
CRO 49
After the Start : Race Control
 To remain in control of the
race, the Race Officer must,
at regular intervals, check:
Safety
the weather conditions (that
the crews can handle stronger
winds)
that rescue craft are still
operational
that rescue craft know of
vessels which appear to be in
trouble
that priority is being given to
people and not boats
Time
by timing boats on various legs
of the course
calculating the approximate
finishing time for the first yacht
comparing this time with the
time limit, and preparing to
shorten course if necessary
Recording of Yachts
ensure that recorders have
positions of each yacht at end of
each round
keep track of leaders of each
fleet
keep track of 'tail-end charlies'
of each fleet relative to leaders
CRO 50
Date:
Series:
Race No:
Fleet:
NAME
OOD:
Asst OOD:
Rescue:
Asst Rescue:
SAIL
NO.
‘Passings’
Wind Strength:
Wind Direction:
Water conditions:
Course & Laps:
Clock
h m s
Lapsed
Corr’d
h m s h m s
Pos
CRO 51
Shorten Course or Abandon
valid reasons in Rule 32
error in starting procedure
foul weather
insufficient wind, making it unlikely that any boat
will finish within the time limit
a mark missing or out of place
any other reason affecting the safety or fairness of
the competition
CRO 52
Shorten Course Signal means
 displayed at the starting line
sail the shortened course
prescribed in the Sailing
Instructions
 displayed at the finishing
line
finish the race either:
at the finishing line at the
end of the round still to be
completed by the leading
yacht or
as prescribed in the Sailing
Instructions
 displayed at a rounding
mark
finish between the rounding
mark and the committee boat
(see definition of finishing later)
 in multi-class, fly over class
flag(s) if not shortening all
classes
CRO 53
Shorten Course : the method
At Club Race Officer level, the most important thing
is knowing when to shorten course
The position of the leading boat must be known
If the race is a close one, with the leader covering the
second boat, it is essential that the boats all see and hear
the shorten course signal, as this may affect their tactical
sailing to the finishing line
In club racing the signal is normally flown when the leader
rounds the penultimate mark before the shortened course
finishing line
CRO 54
Shorten Course : the signal
 When the leader rounds the
last mark before the
finishing line (i.e. is just on
the last leg)
hoist flag S
two guns
CRO 55
Finishing the Race
The Race Officer has to
set a finishing line
(in most clubs this is frequently the same as the starting line)
has the race team set up for the finish
Gunner with sound signals
Timekeeper ready to record finishing times
Recorder ready to record sail numbers and times
note any protest flags
CRO 56
The Finishing Line
 Yachts must cross the
finishing line in the direction
of the course from the last
mark
 Hook finishes are not
permitted or valid
CRO 57
FINALLY -
Tidy up
Give out and receive protest forms, noting relevant times
Present the results in the agreed manner required by the
results secretary
Prepare, if required, a brief report on the race for the
Press Officer
Report any defects in the equipment to the Bosun
Ensure that all equipment is securely locked away
GO TO THE BAR AND RECEIVE PRAISE FOR A GOOD JOB
WELL DONE!!!
CRO 58
It couldn’t happen to us...
 What safety precautions does your club insist on
before a club race starts?
CRO 59
Twice a year....
 What standards can you (reasonably) expect from
the person who does a duty (Race Officer or Safety
Officer) twice a year?
 As trainers, how can you effectively organise training
for these people?
CRO 60