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DURING THE RACE

Abstract

Monitoring the fleet and observing the weather conditions are major tasks of the Race Committee during the race. The Race Officer has to ensure fair conditions for the competitors and therefore has to consider changes of the course or even abandonment, when major wind shifts occur or the security of the competitors is in question.

Contents

10.1 Fleet surveillance
10.2 Course changes

10.1 Fleet surveillance

With racing under way, there is still little time for the Race Committee to relax. The wind must be constantly checked for variation. Abandonment and re-sail may have to be considered if there is a major wind change during the first leg, or when conditions are extremely heavy, in which case safety factors require that the fleet be under constant observation.

The Race Officer will want to ensure that the Patrol teams are strategically placed to deal with emergencies. In case of little wind, close observation is also necessary: many classes have Championship Rules defining the maximum time allowed for a leg or a lap, or the minimum wind or board speed required, so there may be time limits to consider.

Information on wind strength and direction should come in or be sought from the RC boats around the course. The position of the leading competitors should be known at all times in case decisions have to be made regarding a course change.

The recording of mark roundings, of 360 or 720? penalty turns and of protest flags seen all comprise useful intelligence which should be recorded. Mark boats should all have a list of entrants and then be advised by the start boat the number of actual starters, mark rounding records can then be reconciled with the list of starters as the last competitors round the mark, any boards not recorded should then be accounted for. Retirement sheets should be available on shore for signing by sailors that retire as soon as they come ashore.

For more on Abandonment, see Chapters 8.7.1 (Setting the Course) &15.3.6 (Race Management Policies). No specific guidelines can be given as to when to abandon and re-sail a race and when to continue. Any decision on this matter should be made considering the "pros and cons" for each competitor. The ability to know when to do it and when not to is one of the means by which a Race Committee can prove its skill and experience. It is up to the Race Officer to make this decision based on his experience and the information he receives from his fellow Race Committee members around the course but only as a last resort after considering all other options such as altering or shortening the course. Once a race has started every effort should be made to achieve a finish.

10.2 Course changes

If the reports the Race Officer receives from the various boats around the course (particularly the one on the windward side of the course) indicate that the wind is shifting on a permanent basis and that the new wind direction is likely to prevail for at least the duration of the next windward leg, he may decide to move the windward mark. Other marks, too, may be moved to restore the shape of the course. How marks are to be moved and how this is to be signaled to the sailors can be found in Section B, Chapter 8.7 (Adjusting a course for wind changes).

Whether or not the course is to be changed will depend on a variety of considerations. The leading one must always be that the course change will result in the race becoming fairer. Changing the course in a long race will be more effective than a change in a short race. If races are short, there will usually be more races to follow and it might prove better to leave the course for the moment and set a better one for the next race.

Whether there is an opportunity to change a course will also depend on the number of classes sailing on the course at the same time, the spread of the sailors around the course and Ä equally importantly Ä the local conditions and the skills of the Race Committee. It has to handle the process in such a way that there will never be any confusion for the competitors. It is far better to keep going on a poor course and consider shortening the course at a mark (make sure that the class or championship rules allow races to be shortened) than to mess up a race because some sailors believe they must go to mark X while the rest of the fleet are heading for mark Y.

As in the case of abandonment, the ability to change the course Ä and knowing when to do it and when not to Ä is a typical Race Officer skill. It is up to him to decide, on the basis of his experience and the information received from the other Race Committee members. See also Section D, Chapter 15.3.9.