New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Junior events race officers
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

Junior events race officers

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12
Author
john.d.knight View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie
Avatar

Joined: 09 Jul 04
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 42
Post Options Post Options   Quote john.d.knight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Junior events race officers
    Posted: 11 Apr 05 at 10:25am

At a topper open my son recently took part in there was a bit of a mess up by the race committee. They put up a numer on the course board the wrong way round. So instead of going round to startboard, the obvious way, the course board instructed the toppers to loop round on port. Needless to say most of the fleet went the wong way and then were not finished at the end. I know that this was technically the correct thing to do but this was a junior open meeting, some of the children were in tears when they came off the water. I see this a very hard lesson to learn from a race officers error. There were several things that irritated me about the race organisation given that it was an open meeting for juniors.

  1. The course was posted on the side of the committee boat in the form of red and green numbers. Fine if it's your local club, but not for visiting juniors. Would it be too much trouble to draw it on a board.
  2. When so many boats went round the mark the wrong way couldn't the race officer admit to a mistake and restart the race.
  3. There was a rescue boat at the mark making a note of which boats had gone the right and wrong way round. Would if have been too much trouble to inform the boats who had got it wrong to either correct themselves or to retire. As it was 80% of the fleet sailed to the end of the race only to not receive a finish gun.
  4. It got quite windy in the race and quite a few boats retired. These boats got a DNF whilst those that completed to course and didn't get a finish gun got a DSQ.
  5. This comment is aimed a junior opens in general, why 3 long races? The positions don't change that much after the first 20 minutes. I would prefer to see 5 short races if the lake is small. It does get quite boring sailing round the same course 8 or 9 times. 

Again, I know technically the race officer was right, but this was a junior event and I do think that some clubs do need to make some allowances for the inexperience of the children. Unfortunately this spoiled what was a good and up until that point, well organised event

And I have now joined the long line of Annoyed sailing parents and am now starting to realise what my parents went through.

Pain is just weakness leaving the body.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.665y
Copyright ©2001-2010 Web Wiz
Change your personal settings, or read our privacy policy