TAMESIS CLUB - CHECKLIST FOR OFFICERS OF THE DAY

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.

On the Day: Remember that safety is your prime concern. Assess the weather and your choice of course and decide early whether two safety boats are required. If so, ensure that a second crew is found and both boats are on the water and suitably deployed through the racing. The Dory should be the primary safety boat, Tamesis III the secondary boat.

At club: Open gate, clubhouse, disarm security system. Open changing rooms, office, boatshed. Hoist Red Ensign (stored in blue chest in clubhouse) 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. Remove goose netting.

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 19.17; 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. Replace all goose netting.

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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24.06.11