No race officer sailing

Originally posted by Rupert Looks like from the above comments we need more than added technology to have a change. My OOD day would be similar but not identical to Late Starter. Only a small part of it is actually doing the but that an app could do.

Haven't seen anything to persuade me you can get away without having a OOD, three minimum, two on the safety boat and OOD, OOD will run whole club.

OK, we obviously have to get past the "tech needs to work" phase. But I guess people said the same when the telephone was invented.


Such as chase up missing duty crews,

- presumably needs done before the race starts. So you can still race when they arrive?

drive the tractor, launch the com and safety boats, drop the start marks

- possible they don't need com boat? Safety team can drop a mark. Or you can before the race.

set the course,

- someone still needs to do that.

advise newbie racers,

- still done. For those who race from boxes, it likely isn't the OOD doing it currently..

tell the safety crew Fred had capsized,

- Why don't they know?

look at an approaching weather front and shorten the course,

- There will need to be a process. It could be done by safety? The bad weather may actually be less of a pain than the dropping wind!

mediate at a protest hearing,

- technically the race officer shouldn't be! They could after all protest you! In 20 years of club racing. I know if 2 protests. I know other clubs are more aggressive with them. Would need to be a plan obviously. Because if you raced even less likely to be right that you chair the protest committee. But safety could? So perhaps your OOD is actually on the safety boat and one of the safety guys gets to race. One less duty overall?

put the kit away for next time

- race is over. Doesn't stop you. Or doesn't stop everyone helping.

I'm thinking of small clubs like mine - this is a solution looking for a problem.

- I suspect very small clubs with very low turn out and low numbers then this may help. Medium clubs who get 15+ boats in a race it may be less of an issue. You have more people to draw from to volunteer. But I also suspect there are a number of clubs with people who do these slots very regularly. Perhaps they don't race anymore as they got older and health reduced. Is there a batch of keen replacements behind them?

Late starter...

What if that tech, meant you and the AOD could actually... Sail?

Been pondering the "standards" question since it was raised. A few observations:

- the governing body has little interest. At top level racing they have plenty of race officials (that's my perception - happy to be corrected) - I suspect many sports get their tech from "media" requirements or coaching wants.)

- top level racing is class based. They don't need times. Just a finish order so an spec would presumably only require that

- top level racing can dual operate, and have as much tech and set up as required. If you want to track Olympic lasers - someone from a tracking company will be on-site, install, test, download, reset etc.

For grassroots sailing. You are much more likely to need:

- finish time
- number of laps (but perhaps happy enough with honesty for sailing proper course?)
- automation for charge, download and start
- some means to say what boat (or rig) the result is from.


For events in between -

Live tracking
Live results

For team racing -

Some ability to know who is on which boat!