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Race Officers - Guidance
The following documents can be downloaded: Guidance for Race Officers (doc), Race Signals (pdf)
Index
Setting the Course
Information for competitors
Laying the Course
Laying the Start Line
Intermediate Times
Finishing Lines and Gates
Race Signals
Finish Signals
Safety Signals
Race Not Run
MOB
Results
How to Use the Calculator to Produce Race Results
Gate Starts
Arm Starts
Every boat and its crew will be asked to do Race Officer duty. This task should be enjoyable as well as an opportunity to see a race from a different perspective. Most crews and some skippers will learn something about the start sequence and be able to improve their racing by watching other boats do well or make a complete hash of it! Race Officer duty is easy and straightforward if you allow yourself sufficient time, so here is everything you need to know!
The week before the race make sure that you have a committee boat. Some crews may prefer to use their own yacht as committee boat. Most prefer to use Priscilla, but you must have a recognised driver. Nick Cornford is happy to drive most Sundays as long as he is not on holiday. If you are having difficulty arranging a driver, talk to the Series Officer well in advance.
Arrive in good time (08:00 on Sundays) with your helpers/crew on the day of the race. Collect the file and set a course. (See advice below).
Photocopy enough copies using the copier in the office for all competitors. Collect the race fee as the yachts sign on for the race. All yachts must sign on by 08:45 for Sunday races. Put the money in the envelope provided and then put it in the office drop safe. Leave promptly if using a committee boat. Try to make sure that races start promptly – there should be no reason for late starts with this signing on time except poor weather and very low tides. Do not wait for boats to turn up unless there is a genuine reason why they could not arrive in time.
Make sure you have the following from the office:
- VHF radio (use channel 77)
- Signing on sheet and pen
- Cartridges and guns
- Calculator (unless planning to use computer on your return)
Where practicable, port roundings of windward marks are to be preferred since this reduces the likelihood of collisions in the vicinity of the mark.
The course could if possible include a beat and a run. Courses set should have limited reaching. They should be mainly upwind and downwind legs. Check course with the series officer or experienced skipper.
Try to take into account likely changes in wind direction AND the effect of the tide.
Roundings should not require yachts approaching any mark to cross the course of yachts leaving the mark on a direct course to the next mark. If a mark is used more than once it should always be rounded the same way unless you are certain that there is no possibility that boats could be rounding in opposite directions at the same time.
All marks are presumed to be rounding marks unless you state otherwise.
Write the course legibly and unambiguously. Ask the series officer or experienced skipper to check what you have written makes sense.
Use the course sheet to inform competitors about any change to the usual race procedure (e.g. no gun signals, change of VHF frequency etc).
This should be set perpendicular to the wind, with the committee boat at the starboard end. If there is a bias it should be slight and at the port end to encourage yachts to start on starboard tack. The first mark should be upwind. Downwind starts are prone to more boat damage and are less fair.
The taking of intermediate times if SI 13.5 is to be used is essential, particularly in light wind conditions. This also helps in determining the positions of yachts in different classes when deciding on shortened courses. It will also be used in the future to calculate PY handicaps for IRC boats.
These should be set as perpendicular as practicable to the course from the preceding mark. When the start line is used as the finish or gate, this may require re-setting the line.
Start lines should be about 1½ times the length of all the boats in the fleet.
What race competitors should see and hear, i.e. what flags you should fly and the sound signals you make.
Orange Flag
Committee boat is on station (at the start line)
| Flags Shown | Time to Go | Sound Signal | Flag |
| (AP) red and white striped flag is flown | Start is postponed |
 |
|
| (AP) red and white flag is lowered | At 6 minutes to a start | 1 gun | |
| Class flag raised | 5 minutes start for this class | 1 gun | |
| Preparatory flag raised (P) | 4 minutes to start | 1 gun |  |
| Preparatory flag lowered (P) | 1 minute to start | 1 gun | |
| Class flag lowered | Start for this class | 1 gun |
If a boat is over the line before the start (‘OCS’ or ‘on course
side’) then fly the individual recall flag ‘X’ and fire 1 gun. The ‘X’ flag is
permanently attached to a pole kept on Priscilla. If the offending yacht(s)
return to restart then lower the flag. Otherwise fly it for 4 minutes and record
any boats still OCS on the signing on sheet.
If it is impossible to establish fairly how many boats are OCS then
abandon the start by flying the general recall flag ‘First Substitute’ and
firing two guns. Recommence the start sequence.
If you wish to finish the course at the committee boat then fly the Blue Flag to indicate the boat is at the finishing line.
Fly the shortened course flag ‘S’
and fire two guns to draw attention to it. Also fly the class flag(s) of the
class(es) you want to finish. If you want to finish all the classes then fly
the ‘S’ flag alone.
Remember to time the finish of each yacht. The first boat in each class to cross the finish line should receive a gun salute as the cross the line. Other finishers should be greeted with a long blast on the horn as they finish.
Red and yellow diagonal striped flag ‘Y’ flown means:
Life Jackets must be worn.
Blue and white checked flag ‘N’ flown means:
All races which have started are abandoned.
For additional signals see the Race Signals document.
RACE NOT RUN
If the race is not run for any reason, do not declare the race abandoned. Instead declare it postponed – it might be possible to run it on another day. Then discuss with the Series Officer when it might be run. If the decision is made to run it another day then ensure skippers are made aware of this and when it will be run.
MOB
If there is a man overboard situation during the race, if there is doubt about the safety of the man overboard then abandon racing and ask competitors the make rescuing the man a priority.
Now that everyone has finished, relax and start to calculate the elapsed times for each boat. The adjustments for PY and IRC Handicaps Systems are different so remember to do it the correct way. For IRC multiply the elapsed time by the handicap to get the corrected time, For PY divide the elapsed time by the PY handicap (after it has itself been divided by 1000).
You can use the calculator exactly as described below. Alternatively enter all the times on the office computer and it will calculate and print all results quickly.
Please show the results to the Series Officer before publishing them.
HOW TO USE THE CALCULATOR TO PRODUCE RACE RESULTS
BMYC uses a SHARP scientific calculator EL 531GH. The “ON“ button is in the top right hand corner and also doubles up as the “CLEAR“ button. The other main button required is the “DMS“ [degrees, minutes, seconds] button which is located near the middle of the calculator.
The corrected time for a yacht is a function of the yacht's elapsed time [the duration from the start time of the race to the finish time for the yacht] and the yacht's handicap.
- The start time for the race must be noted on the race officer's results form.
- The lap times and the finish time for each yacht should also be noted on this same form.
- To calculate the elapsed time for a yacht subtract the finish time from the start time and note the result on the race officers results form in hours, minutes and seconds.
- This subtraction can either be performed by inspection [manually] or with the calculator.
- Using the calculator perform the following steps to calculate the elapsed time.
| a. | Press “CLEAR” | |
| b. | Enter the Start Time hour | 24 hour clock |
| c. | Press “DMS” | |
| d. | Enter the Start Time minutes | If the start time is on the hour enter zero |
| e. | Press “DMS” | |
| f. | Enter the Start Time seconds | A race is normally started on whole minutes and so zero should be entered |
| g. | Press “DMS” | |
| h. | Press “Minus” | |
| i. | Enter the Finish Time of the yacht | Using the same process described in steps b to g enter the finish time. Ensure hours, minutes and seconds are all entered even if zero. |
| j. | Press “Equals” | The result comes out as hours, minutes and seconds. |
Using the elapsed time of the yacht and its IRC number perform the following steps to calculate the corrected time.
| 1. | Press “CLEAR” | |
| 2. | Enter the number of hours | If less than an hour enter zero |
| 3. | Press “DMS” | |
| 4. | Enter the number of minutes | |
| 5. | Press “DMS” | |
| 6. | Enter the number of seconds | |
| 7. | Press “DMS” | |
| 8. | Press X [Multiply] | |
| 9. | Enter IRC number | The IRC number is in the format n.nnn. All digits including the decimal point must be entered. |
| 10. | Press = [Equals] | The result comes out as hours, minutes and seconds, along with decimal points of seconds. The decimal points must be ignored, as they don’t count. |
To calculate the corrected time using PY handicaps follow the above steps but at step 8 divide not multiply. The format for a PY handicap IS the same as a IRC handicap, n.nnn. The leading zero and decimal point should always be used.
The yacht's corrected time to be noted on the race officer's results form.
A gate start has the advantage that the race officer can race. But there are disadvantages as well. It is more difficult to get a fair and safe start. There have recently been collisions on the starts – the chance of these can be minimised by adherence to the instructions below. Also gate starts require each boat to take their own finish time (using GPS clocks for accuracy). The use of “elapsed time” has its own problems as it requires two measurements at precise times, not one, and one clock that keeps going all the time. The race committee does not support used of “elapsed times”.
The start line will be an imaginary line between the nearest buoy and the pathfinder (the yacht starting the race).
Choose a reliable pathfinder boat. It does not have to be the race officer boat. Ideally it should be one of the faster boats - because the gate opens quicker – and who will follow these instructions. If there is a delay in big boats getting out due to tide, there is no reason which PY boats cannot have a separate start.
Set a specific time for the start (using GPS clocks for accuracy. Broadcast and adhere to that start time. Where feasible, use the standard start sequence (5,4,1,0) announced by radio from the pathfinder.
For an upwind start, the pathfinder will sail on port tack close hauled starting from the buoy at the time of the start. To do this the pathfinder must stay close to the buoy. The BMYC Sailing Instructions allow the pathfinder boat to use their engine right up until the start of the race to make this easy.
The gate should start “opening” at the start of the race. Delay in opening the gate (when the pathfinder arrives at the buoy after the start) substantially increases the chance of collision. Make sure that the gate does not “open” after the start. If you are going to more than two seconds late at the start, postpone the start and start again. It is better and acceptable to have the gate already open at the start, but in that case the pathfinder must look out for and notify boats that are OCS.
For a downwind start, the pathfinder should sail on either tack (which one must be specified to the competitors) at roughly 135º to the wind.
After the starting signal all other competing yachts then start by passing between the buoy and the stern of the pathfinder. The pathfinder should note and signal if any boat is OCS.
The pathfinder will proceed on the initial tack for two minutes after the starting signal, or until all boats have started.
The pathfinder shall have right of way over all other boats racing from the start of the race until 2 minutes after the start, or until all other boats have started or until the race is abandoned, whichever is the earlier. During the time that the pathfinder has right of way it must hold its course.
Inventory
| Item | Site |
| Guns | Gun cupboard (key in filing cabinet) |
| Handheld VHF Radio | ditto |
| Flags | Office |
| Race Officer folder (to record start and finish times) | Office |
| Pen | Office |
| Binoculars | None yet |
| Waterproof clothing | Yours! |
| Gantry bag (ensure it can open first!) | Bosun’s locker – ground floor, keys behind bar |
| 2 Orange Triangles for gantry | ditto |
Route to the Arm – can be done by car or by foot
- Get keys from security office
- If ladies in the race officer party who may need toilet on the arm, ask David Greenham in Fishing Tackle & Bait shop for toilet key (his discretion).
- Go to Brighton Marina Hand Car Wash
- By Foot
- Go up stairs on the right
- Turn sharp left along arm
- By Car
- Turn sharp right
- Then left along ramp on the right of the stairs
- Undo bollard at top of ramp with keys (stiff flange may need an implement)
- Drive through and replace bollard
- Hairpin left
- Turn right at stairs and along the arm only as far as white gate by toilet block.
- If the white gate at beginning of the arm is closed, open with key and close after you.
- At larger white gate next to round toilet block, open right half with key and close after.
- Straight ahead, level with steps, is a sign with two cut off pipes either side. Gantry fits in the pipes.
Starting Process
The sailing instructions state that the starting line is a transit of two orange triangles with the Day One Buoy (BMYC 1 - roughly south) as the ODM. In rough weather it may not be possible to place two triangles so the line should then be between one triangle and the buoy. This must be clear in the race instructions.
Please remember that it is very difficult for boats to see the flags from near the buoy. It is a good idea to give all instructions and a countdown on the radio as well as using flags and guns.
Please also remember that boats cannot reliably see shorten course flags that far away.
In all other respects the starts are the same.
For your protection – that key that opens the gate also opens the grey tower and toilets. Put equipment like the gun inside for protection.