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Members information for Whitstable Yacht Club

Notes for ROD

Radio call signs

Control & rescue units call sign:

Please operate with due consideration for other users. We do not have a private channel.

  • RACE BOX - WHITSTABLE BRIDGE;
  • RIB - RIBCRAFT1;
  • RIB - RIBCRAFT2;
  • RIB - VALIANT and;
  • COMMITTEE BOAT - WHITSTABLE COMMITTEE BOAT.

N.B. Do not use the call signs "BRIDGE or "RESCUE ONE" or "COMMITTEE BOAT" without the prefix "WHITSTABLE" to avoid confusion with other sailing clubs and marinas, which are also operating on the same channel.

Safety boat

Safety boat personnel should be at the club one hour before the start and ready to go afloat on race officer's instructions, at least half an hour before the start.

There should always be two persons in a Safety Boat and they must not carry passengers.

A Safety Boat must not be driven by anyone who is not a Club member. A Safety Boat driver must be qualified to "RYA Power Boat level 2"

Experienced sailors over 15 years of age may crew a Safety Boat, but not drive it.

Brief the Safety Boat crew on the course which is to be sailed, the number of rounds, and any additional buoys which you need to be laid.

The Safety Boat crew have a first aid kit, tool kit, flares, anchor, lines and paddles. They will also take a hand-held radio. Carry out a radio check before they leave the beach.

At the end of the race, ask the Safety Boat to pick up any temporary buoys and tell them when they can come off the water.

Race officer guidelines

Don’t panic – If in doubt, ask.

On arrival take the key for the Race Hut from the Race Officers Cupboard in the Regatta Office. Open the Race Hut and turn on the Radio and the compressor for the hooter. Take blank copies of the declaration (signing on) and lap recording / results sheets from the Race Officers Cupboard. Put the signing on sheet on the course board on the veranda together with a pencil. Check that the 2 clocks are working in the Race Box.

If your assistant R.O. or your recorder has not come, volunteer a helper - you will need a 3 pairs of hands to help hoist and drop flags and to help with recording laps and finish times.

For an up to date weather forecast, call up wyc.org.uk on the internet and view the weather page.

Radios

Note the call signs elsewhere in section 1 of this folder. The Safety boat crew will have onboard hand-held radios. If you leave the Race Bridge take a hand-held radio with you. To operate the hand held set; switch on using combined on/off and volume control. Turn up volume. Turn up the squelch knob until the radio starts crackling and then turn it down until it stops. Press the transmit button when speaking.

Racing

The Race Officer decides the course to be sailed and number of rounds and displays this information on the course board taking into account:

  • the wind strength and direction, now and forecast;
  • the state of the tide, whether rising or falling;
  • the condition of the sea;
  • whether wind with or against tide; and
  • the availability of safety boats.

Note – If you are in any doubt about the course or conditions, discuss the situation with a member of the Sailing committee or a Class captain or the Safety Crew, but remember that the final decision is yours. If the wind direction makes it difficult to give the racers a fair start line reasonably square to the wind, you should start the race from the Committee Boat. This can be done simply by laying a buoy at right angles to the wind, without needing to start the engine or move the Committee boat from it's mooring.

If the conditions are poor but there is a prospect of improvement shortly, e.g. when the tide turns, postpone the start rather than cancel the race. If the postponement is likely to be for a couple of hours, let the competitors and Safety boat crews know. If the conditions do not improve within a reasonable time, abandon the race to save everyone hanging about unnecessarily. To abandon race see section on FLAGS AND SIGNALS.

N.B. You cannot bring forward the start time of a race.

The course

The course should give a race of one to one-and-a-half hours for all boats, daylight permitting. In anything other than a Westerly wind, you may need to ask the Safety boat crew to lay an extra buoy a short distance from the Start line in order to give a Windward leg.

A windward –Leeward round which does not go through the Start/Finish line restricts your opportunities for shortening the course.

Always avoid a hook finish.

Ask the cat and asymmetric skiff fleets if they want a larger course e.g an additional mark could be placed off Seasalter, or perhaps use the Sand End buoy as a mark of the course?

Suggested number of rounds
Use this guide for the relative number of rounds sailed by the various classes.

  • Big Catamarans - 5 rounds, windward / leeward
  • Asymmetrics - 4 rounds, windward / leeward
  • Small Cats, Merlins & Fast Handicap - triangle & sausage x 4
  • Lasers - triangle & sausage x 3
  • Slow Handicap - triangle & sausage x 2

Remember that mark "W" may dry at low water, with risk of damage to foils.

Starting sequence

Recalls
Use the X-flag, on a pole, with one sound signal to indicate premature starters. Boats which are premature starters and which do not return completely to the correct side of the start line after an individual recall should be recorded as "OCS" (=on corse side). Put the X-flag down when the (last) recalled boat has returned to the correct side of the line, or after 2 minutes anyway

If any class has a general recall, slot that class in again at the end of the sequence. If it is the last class which is recalled, re-hoist the Blue Peter with the class flag as a 3-minute signal. Do not go all the way back to 6 – 3 – start.

During the race

Record the numbers of each boat as they pass through the start/finish line on each lap. If you can, record their times as they go through, especially for the leading boat in the class, but do not time Lasers or Merlins which race level. Use these times to work out whether you need to shorten the race. If the wind dies completely, you can use the last set of lap times to declare a result for the race. Keep an eye on any youngsters who are sailing, and on the safety boat, directing it to any boat which appears to be in difficulty. Bring up the signing on sheets and start making up the results sheets. Don’t forget to put the sheet back on the Course Board for signing off.

Shortening course

To shorten all boats, hoist Flat S when the leading boat is on it’s way from the last mark to the finish line. You can shorten individual classes by hoisting Flag S with the class flag. Give two sound signals when you hoist S.

Finishing

Record the sail number of each boat as it crosses the finish line, and its time of finishing (except Lasers and Merlins). Give each finishing boat a brief sound signal.

After the race

After the last boat has finished, the Safety Boats can pick up any additional marks which have been laid and return them to the shore.

Results

Take down the signing off sheets 30 minutes after the last boat has finished. On the results sheet, mark up any OCS, retirements and did-not-sign-off’s.

Leave the results for the Racing Secretary or qualified recorders to process on the computer system.

Make out two sets of results sheets. Pin one on the Notice Board in the Sea Room and put the other, with the declaration sheets, on the clip in the Race Box for the Racing Secretary.

And finally

Turn off the radio and the compressor. Empty the ashtrays and rubbish bin. Return mugs and glasses to the galley. Lock up the Race Box and put the key back in the Race Officers cupboard.

Thank you!

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