Duties, Roles, and Experience Required

Duty Arrangements

The Club depends on volunteers for all its activities, and we thank you in advance for helping to make our events and races possible.

All adult members are expected to fulfil at least three duties over the course of the season. The duties cover all activities and races on a Saturday or Sunday. The duty options include: Race Officer, Race Assistant, Safety Boat Driver, Safety Boat assistant, and for those who want an off the water role - beach manager or galley assistant on Saturday mornings.

To operate the safety boat we expect drivers to have successfully completed a training session run by the club as a minimum and preferably a recent powerboat level 2 certificate. The assistant roles are good for those who want to learn or feel they have less experience, either in running races or in handling the safety boat. Further description of the roles are below.

The beach manager helps participants of the Messing About in Boats sessions to rig their boats, launch and recover, and keeps the launching trolleys organised.

Helping in the galley is a great way to meet people in the Club, and is certainly a much appreciated service for members. We now have a number of people qualified as Galley managers with a food hygiene level 2 certificate. Galley assistants will be working under the direction of the manager and will need to be in the Galley by 9.30am on a Saturday through till the close of the Galley. If you wish to regularly assist in the galley, you should take an online course for food hygiene level 1 certification.

Time commitment: On a Saturday, the Safety Boat will need to be on the water for 10.30am for Messing About In Boats. The race officer and race assistant will spend the morning as beach managers assisting boats and crews around the jetties and keeping the launching trollies under control for the duration of the session, including assisting people in rigging different boats. In the afternoon the race officer, race assistant and safety boat crew will return to the traditional race roles that we are familiar with.

On Sunday, the duty officers should arrive at the club at least one hour before the start of the first race.

Sailing Duties: Roles and Experience Required:

Race Officer: Needs to have experience of race organisation and rules

Duties:

To organise race briefings if necessary;

Set the course;

Manage the race and ensure entries are properly recorded and timed;

Calculate and record results; Interpret and enforce rules as necessary; Report any disputes or protests to the sailing secretary if they cannot be resolved locally;

Ensure radio checks are completed at start of sailing and that the safety boat and undercroft are locked at end of session.

Race assistant: No sailing or racing experience required

Duties:

To assist the race officer in recording boat entries and sail numbers;

Assist with timing, raising flags and giving sound signals (hooter).

Ensure radios are returned to undercroft and put on charge after session.

Safety boat driver: Should be competent at driving the RIB or Rigiflex and have been instructed in basic safety around sailors in the water, manoeuvring and towing. We expect drivers to have completed a training session run by the club or hold RYA level 2 Power Boat qualification. Must wear a kill cord

Duties:

To ensure that both safety boats are ready to go on the water even if only one is used. The other should be ready for use in case of an emergency. Both boats should be equipped with the safety tubs, paddles or oars and other necessary equipment.

Ensure that there is sufficient fuel.

Escort dinghies to the start line, towing in light conditions if necessary and back to the jetty after the race;

Ensure that all have returned safely.

Relay messages to sailors from the race officer if required.

Keep a lookout for boats in difficulty or capsized and ensure helm and crew are safe.

Keep in touch with the committee boat by radio.

Report any damage to safety boats or equipment to Bosun immediately.

Safety boat assistant: No experience required, but it is hoped that, if conditions permit, will be instructed in driving the boat and gain experience.

Duties:

Act as a lookout for dinghies in difficulty;

Be 'an extra pair of hands' for the boat driver.

Last updated 14:36 on 2 March 2024