Flag Signals

Looks like Starcross has got it taped.

RRS Appendix G was changed in 2021 to make it crystal clear that if sail numbers can't be read the boat is breaking rule 77. It's trivially easy for boats to get new numbers in proper contrasting colours and stick them on over the old ones. If boats are breaking rules and inconveniencing the race committee, you know what to do.

If you're using flags and are fussed about precisely syncing between line sight and flag drop, use a second camera with a WA lens to record the flags or position the primary camera behind the flags so they are in shot.


Edited by Brass - 04 Nov 21 at 11:17pm

Just a few personal opinions. Your club should do what your club wants to do. Within the RRS of course.

Automate. If you can automate visual signals using lights, go for it, but beware of getting hideously complicated light sequences that nobody can remember. Beware of LED screens and high intensity lights that are too highly directional. LED screens might be a bit of a big budget item. I'd be inclined to look at the revolving beacon type lights, or maybe strobes with necessary colours or coloured screens. I think you could get by with 3 colours as Wetabix proposed and I discussed upthread. You can't do everything that you can do with a full flag locker, but for club racing you can get by.

Use flags in sticks. Way easier than pole and halyard. You can double end some: AP and N, X and 1st Sub, etc.

5 starts with 10 minute sequence is very relaxed for the race management team, but it's robbing the competitors of 25 minutes of racing time, and if you General the first Class, and send them to the back of the queue, they lose 50 minutes of racing time, and then go tramping over the top of all the slower classes that are now in front of them. I'm sure Davidyacht has thought about this, and it might be an acceptable price to pay for automating the system, but if you automate your whole system, the system can easily cope with standard 5 min rolling starts.

Clubs should work hard at recruiting and refreshing race management people and NOT take a pride in running races on the smell of an oil rag. The more tasks a race management person has to do at once, the more chance they have of screwing up one or all of them.


Edited by Brass - 04 Nov 21 at 11:14pm

Originally posted by Wetabix Are there really places where there are fifty boats on the water? (Chew valley perhaps?)

We are on a 10 minute automated cycle with 5/4/3/2/1 countdown lights and hooters in the system.  In the event of a general recall fleet goes to the back of the queue.  It is possible to run the system on your own ... you leave the timer and hooters running in the back ground and do the flags manually.  On a Wednesday evening happy to do the finishing times on my own, but really need a second person for Saturday racing finishing times when there may be 50 boats on the water.  Really it is the Handicap racing that makes things complicated.

There's always an uneasy compromise between simplifying procedure and detracting from communication. Personally I think I prefer the separate recall flag on a stick. I very much admire the system Loch Lomond SC have - at least last time I was there with all the flags on sticks and a set of holders on every boat. Just lift the stick up on the gun, no messing with halyards, and put it in the holder at your leisure.