OOD Checklist

OOD Guidance see pdf and the notes below that.

Please confirm your duty when you receive the allocation and at least by a week before the duty day and check with your team that they are all available for their duties because their availability might have changed since their original confirmation.

The time stated is the time that you need to be at the club as this will give the team enough time to prepare properly for the racing.

The Clubhouse door is alarmed so must not be opened unless you have a fob to unset the burglar alarm.

The Changing rooms should be opened for use of the changing areas and the toilets.

Everything the OOD/Box needs should be either in the upper steel cupboard in the boatshed or in the Smithy (the starter's box). Access to the boathouse is through the smaller blue boathouse door using the 'old' Clubhouse key but if you don't have an 'old' clubhouse key there is one in the keysafe on the wall in the undercroft under the Ladies changing room which may be opened with the usual combination.

The flags for the Club flagpole are in the upper steel cabinet in the boathouse. The Red Ensign should be hoisted to the yard and the Club triangular burgee should be hoisted to the masthead (unless you have time to find the flag of most senior Flag Officer present on the day which should be in the blue box at the back of the boatshed).

Those on OOD/Box duty should agree 'who does what' between themselves. Please note that the combined Orange and Blue flag should be hoisted to the top of the transit mast rather than on the Smithy mast. However, for pursuit races the Orange flag on its own should be hoisted to the top of the transit mast.

The Hooter should be used as the sound signal for all Start Sequence signals and for Shortening Course whereas the Alert sound should be used for finishing signals.

Specific points to note:

SUNDAY START SEQUENCES

For Sunday Series races there are 6 starts, some of which are for multiple events.

BLUE Races

10:30 All classes start except N18s, which includes competitors in the Junior series

10:35 N18s start

Blue races complete by ~11:15 (30 mins lead boat) and note that there is an overall time limit of 50 minutes just for Blue races

WHITE Races

11:30 Merlin race start

11:35 Laser race start

11:40 Enterprise & Handicap race start, which is when the Junior series competitors start, under Flag G.

11.45 N18 race start

White races to be completed by ~12:30 (about 45 mins lead boat or a little longer depending on conditions)

THURSDAY EVENING START SEQUENCE

For Thursday evening races there are 2 starts with all classes recorded on the same race sheet:

19:15 for all except N18s

19.17 for N18s

PLEASE NOTE:

• Separate race sheets are required for each start where it is obvious that there are too many boats to manage effectively on a single race sheet.
• Clearly indicate any Juniors on the race sheet.
• For Blue keep a short course and aim for three laps at least.
• Keep lap times for all boats.
• Boat finishing times must be recorded, chronologically in the Finishing Order columns, by Class.
• For safety, clean boats and hygiene please ensure the jetties are cleared of goose droppings.
• Completed race-sheets should be photographed and distributed on the Tamesis Club Sailing WhatsApp group. The paper originals should be left in the appropriate pigeonhole in the race sheet cabinet in the Smithy.
• If a postponement took place, make sure you record the actual start time of the rolling starts sequence on the race sheet.
• If no racing took place please ensure that you complete a race sheet with the details at the top and with 'CANCELLED' written large across the page. This way the record of race sheets remains complete, fully reflecting the Sailing Programme.

Full OOD duties are as below and in the Green OOD's folder:

Allocation

1. Accept your duty on SCM in order to activate the duty
2. Check your calendar and ACCEPT or arrange a SWAP in SCM

Week before

1. Confirm your duty on SCM at least a week before race day
2. Phone members on box and patrol boat duty to remind them to turn up.
3. Set up a Whatsapp group for the team, outline the details for the specific event.
4. At home, refresh memory on Racing Rules, Sailing Instructions.
5. Familiarise yourself with the Risk Assessment sheet.
6. Read the OOD Guidance, and Junior Racing Guidance
7. Start checking the weather forecast and stream.
8. Assess the weather and decide early whether to arrange a second safety patrol boat.
9. If there are doubts, open conversations with others about cancellation - see the OOD Guidance
10. Take waterproofs, wellies, warm clothing if cold.
11. Make sure you have the boatshed key or know how to access it. If in doubt ask a Flag Officer or the Sailing Secretary.

On the Day

Wind Guru
Patrol Boat Handbook

1. Safety is your prime concern so you must complete the Risk Assessment and be prepared to re-evaluate the risks if there are subsequent significant changes in the weather and/or flow.
2. Decide if you want to insist on buoyancy aids, with Flag Y on the tall central mast.
3. Assess the weather and your choice of course, and decide early whether two patrol boats are definitely required. If so, ensure that a second crew is found and both boats are on the water and suitably deployed through the racing.
4. Ariel I (the Dory) or Trinity Lion (orange Rigiflex) should be the primary safety patrol boat, Tamesis III is the secondary boat and also ideal for mark laying.

At club

1. Open main gate, changing rooms and boatshed.
2. Collect flags, workboat keys, Smithy keys and VHF handsets from the upper steel cabinet in the boatshed.
3. Hoist Red Ensign first to club flagpole yard (sloping arm), then club burgee to topmast
4. Ensure that Safety Patrol boat crew clear the jetties and hard of goose droppings.
5. At the Smithy, hoist combined orange/blue flag to top of transit pole except for pursuit race where the orange flag alone should be flown.
6. If personal buoyancy is required to be worn hoist flag Y to top of Smithy flagpole, except in Winter when personal buoyancy is mandatory.
7. Bend on from left to right the first substitute (general recall), flag X (individual recall), flag S (shorten), flag P (preparatory), answering pennant (postponement), pennant No1 and relevant class flags.
8. Check hooter and loudhailer system are working.
9. If running a Pursuit race make sure the air horn is working loudly. Pump it up if necessary.
10. Prepare race entry forms and complete risk assessment on the reverse of race entry form.
11. Brief patrol boat crew. Use the Patrol boat instructions.
12. Bail out bilges.
13. Check enough fuel in tank, tow ropes, ladder (secured to boat), boathook, anchor, bucket, fire extinguishers, and oars on board.
14. Check radios Channel M, USE ONLY AUTHORISED CALLSIGNS:-"TAMESIS BOX", "TAMESIS LAUNCH', "TAMESIS TRINITY LION", "TAMESIS ARIEL 1", "TAMESIS TAMMY GREY" etc
15. Load course marks from blue trolley in boathouse.
16. Take entries, allow entrants to enter themselves on the Race Sheets.
17. Welcome visitors. Introduce potential members to available officers, class captains.
18. Run the Open Briefing if required Appendix O.
19. Try to find places for spare crews.
20. Choose course from Blue Recommended Courses folder.
21. Refer to the setting courses 'Guidance II' in the OOD Guidance.
22. Put up course letters, mark rounding symbols, and number of rounds (too many rather than too few because you can always shorten).
23. Get Patrol boat crew to set marks ensuring that correct marks are placed appropriately and the inner distance mark (IDM) leaves enough room for a rowing eight to pass through; go out with them if necessary.
24. Keep check on time.
25. Use the relevant starting sequence see Guidance III - Sunday Class Racing, IV Thursday Handicap Racing, V Pursuit Racing.
26. Refer to Guidance I - general race management - safety & personal buoyancy / single-handed sailing / Juniors / general starting notes / individual recalls / general recalls / black flag / lapping rule before starting / postponement abandoning / shortening / finishing
27. Refer to the Race recording Appendix R for best practice.

Race

1. Follow starting schedule in Green OOD's folder.
2. Refer to Appendix I general race management - starts.
3. Start first Blue race sequence at 10.30 and finish by 11.10 to start White races at 11.30.
4. Give first warning signal 5 minutes before start as a short hoot.
5. On Thursday evenings start all-in handicap at 19.15, National 18s at 19.17; finish leading boat soon after 20.00.
6. Check all boats on water are entered.
7. If boat(s) are over the line at start, make second sound signal and display flag X (individual recalls).
8. Hail sail number(s) of boat(s) if possible.
9. Hail when clear.
10. If too many boats are over line, hoist first substitute with two sound signals for general recall and restart the race sequence 1 minute after removal of first substitute. The starts for other classes will be delayed and scheduled after this restart.
11. Make a note on the race sheet that there was a general recall, to record the new start time.
12. On race sheet enter position of each boat at end of each lap and, if possible, also record each boat's lap time.
13. Mark retirements against boat number.
14. Decide in good time when to shorten course. Make two sound signals and hoist flag S when class leader has rounded last mark.
15. Finish all boats when they cross line in same direction whether lapped or not.
16. Boats can finish either side of the inner distance mark.
17. Record finishing order and times in final column of race sheet (NB. this sequence is different from the race entry sequence).
18. Make sure all boats are in.
19. If racing is cancelled be sure to write 'CANCELLED' on the race sheet so class captains know that no racing took place

Protests

1. Ask protester to fill in protest form.
2. Notify flag officer.
3. Co-opt protest committee of three.
4. Arrange hearing.
5. Mark result on race sheet and give details to Sailing Secretary.

Clearing up

1. Tidy box, secure halyards, put flags away, lock starting box door.
2. Check Patrol boats are securely put away and the engines are locked / chained down.
3. Return Patrol boat keys and VHF handsets to upper steel cabinet in boatshed ensuring all VHF handsets are switched off and the charging cables are attached.
4. When members have left club, take down flags and return them to upper steel cabinet in the boatshed, lock boatshed doors, lock all club windows and doors, re-arm security system if you have an alarm fob . Ensure changing room outer doors are closed.
5. Make sure car park is empty.
6. Lock main gate.

Last updated 17:50 on 15 May 2026