Week before: phone
members on box and rescue boat duty to remind them to turn up.
At home: refresh
memory on Racing Rules, Sailing Instructions.
Get weather forecast. Take
waterproofs, wellies, warm clothing if cold. Make sure you have club key.
At club: Open
gate, clubhouse, disarm security system.
Open changing rooms, office, boatshed.
Hoist Red Ensign (stored in lobby) first to flagpole yard, then club
burgee to topmast.
Take starting equipment from office to starting box.
Hoist orange flag at top of box flagpole and flag Y if personal buoyancy to be
worn. Bend on answering pennant
(postponement), first substitute (general recall), flag S (shorten), flag P
(preparatory) and class flags. Check
hooter and loudhailer work. Prepare
race entry forms.
Brief rescue boat crew. Bail out bilges. Check enough fuel in tank, tow ropes, ladder (secured to boat),
boathook, anchor, bucket, fire extinguishers, and oars on board. Check radios, agree call signs. Load course marks.
Take entries. Welcome visitors. Introduce potential members to available
officers, class captains. Try to find
places for spare crews.
Choose course from Blue Book. Always try for nearest to windward start. Put up course letters, mark rounding
symbols, and number of rounds (too many rather than too few - you can always
shorten). Get launch crew to set marks; go out with them if
necessary. Keep check on time.
Follow starting schedule in Blue Book. Start first handicap race at 10.30 and
finish by 11.00 to start main race at 11.10. Give first signal 5 minutes before
first start. On Thursday evenings start
all-in handicap at 19.15, National 18s at 19.20; finish leading boat soon after
20.00.
Check all boats on water are entered.
If boat(s) over line at start, make second sound signal and
keep flag at half drop (club races) or display flag X (open meetings). Hail sail number(s) of boat(s) if
possible. Hail when clear. If many boats over line, break out first substitute
with two sound signals for general recall and set new start time behind
all other classes.
On race sheet enter position of each boat at end of each
lap. Mark retirements against boat
number. Decide in good time when to
shorten course; two sound signals and S flag when class leader has rounded last
mark. Finish all boats when they cross
line in same direction whether lapped or not.
Boats must finish outside distance mark. Record finishing order and times in final column of race
sheet. Make sure all boats are in.
Protests: ask
protester to fill in protest form (forms in office). Notify flag officer.
Co-opt protest committee of three.
Arrange hearing. Mark result on
race sheet and give details to Sailing Secretary.
Clearing up: tidy
box, secure halyards, put flags away, lock starting box door. Return kit to office.
When members have left club, take down flags, lock
all windows and doors, re-alarm security system. Make sure car park is empty.
Lock main gate.
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22.12.05