USC Race Committee Instructions
 

Posted Saturday, June 14, 2008

Union Sailing Club

Race Committee Instructions

Safety

The Race Committee has to make the decision for themselves about whether it is safe to be out on the water in the given conditions, just as each skipper has to make their own decision. You should abandon the races if you don’t feel safe either going out or being out on the water.

Have a PFD for each person on the RC boat and please wear them to set a good example for the sailors.

Remember to put the drain plug in before launching the RC boat. (Hopefully not an issue if the boat is already in the water.) (Not applicable to the pontoon boat.)

Take your cell phone (just in case), preferably in a waterproof container.

In a life or limb threatening emergency, call 911.

Park Ranger phone number is 303-772-1265

 

What to bring to the Lake

Watch (regular wristwatch will work fine if it displays seconds, it’s actually easier than a stopwatch)

Cell phone

PFD for each person on the RC boat.

Water

Snacks (or a meal)

Sunscreen, hat, long sleeves

Rain gear

Camera (in a waterproof case?)

Binoculars

Current rule book from US Sailing

 

Shed

RC flags, marks and equipment are all inside the shed. You will need the lock combination to open the shed

 

What to take from the shed

Just grab all the flags from the shed and at least one mark (for the pin, although you may not need to use it if you can anchor the RC boat off the #1 mark)

Course board (white board with two snap hooks on a cord).

Dry erase markers in the RC box.

Pens, pencils, paper and clipboards in the RC box

These RC Instructions in RC box

Copy of SI’s in the RC box

Timing forms and finishing forms in the RC box

Whistles in the RC box

Duct tape and electrical tape in RC box

Flashlight in RC box

Multi-tool in RC box

 

 

RC Boat

Did I mention the drain plug? The drain plug is usually stored on the starboard side near the stern when it is out. Put it in before you put the boat in the water. It might be in the top of the RC box, with the boat key.

We are using the green fiberglass Union Sailing Club boat for RC. When it is ready, the pontoon boat will also be available. If unsure which boat to take, call Robert: 303-775-8757, or Gib: 970-412-0219

If applicable, remove the tarp and store it on the ground with a cinderblock on top of it. Otherwise bail out any rain water that may have collected in the boat.

Load up the flags, mark, whiteboard and equipment in the boat.

If disconnected, then connect the battery terminal.

If applicable, the trailer takes a 1 7/8 in ch hitch ball.

Make sure the boat has gas. This should have been taken care of for you, but you don’t want to head out onto the lake without enough gas to get back.

If applicable, launch the boat and tie it up to the dock.

If applicable, connect the gas line.

Open the vent on the gas tank. Squeeze the gas line bulb until firm.

Move the idle speed lever up to vertical

Key and possible the safety clip should be in the top compartment of the RC box.

Turn the key to start the motor. Pressing the key in while you turn it applies the choke. Once it starts, relax your grip on the key. Adjust the idle speed down as the motor warms up

The RC boat will take water over the stern if you park it facing downwind in a blow. So turn it pointing upwind when docking.

Tilt the motor up when docking the boat. To lift it, the release lever is on the starboard side. To lower it, the release is on the port side.

 

 

Setup for the Start

Either anchor the RC boat across the starting line from the #1 mark, or tie up to the #1 mark after setting the pin. Anchoring gives you an easy way to adjust the start line angle by adjusting the length of the rode (anchor line). Tying up to the mark is more secure.

Regardless whether you anchor the RC boat or tie up to the #1 mark, it is common protocol for the RC boat to be at the starboard end of line when facing upwind. The pin should be off the port side of the RC boat.

Try to set the line square to the wind (not necessarily square to the first mark). (need diagram)

The length of the starting line should be about 1 ½ times the combined lengths of the boats in the start. (ie: five 12 foot Butterflies = 60 feet, times 1 ½, line should be 90 feet long.)

In moderate conditions you could ask a sailboat to move the pin for you.

Don’t obsess over the line with our shifty wind. With the limited amount of daylight, it’s more important to get the race going.

We have 9 permanent marks: 2 is to the north of 1, 8 is to the west of , 4 is to the east of 1 and, 6 is to the south of 1. 3 is between 2 and 4, roughly 30 degrees from #1, 5 is between 4 and 6, roughly 150 degrees from #1, 7 is between 6 and 8, roughly 210 degrees from #1, and 9 is between 8 and 2, roughly 330 degrees from #1.

 

Try to select a course that will take 20 – 30 minutes to sail on a Wednesday evening (for example, with a moderate easterly wind, 4-8-4-F could work out about right). . On Sunday afternoons the courses can be longer since we have more daylight to work with. In light wind, err on the side of too long; you’ll be surprised how quickly the boats will finish in a bunch if the wind picks up and the course is 4-F.

Record the type of boat, the sail number, and the skipper’s name for each boat before the starting sequence if you can. You can catch up later, but it’s better to get them all up front.

Raise the Postpone flag (with two sounds) at the announced start time (6pm Wed, 1pm Sun) if you are not ready to go.

Raise the Postpone flag (with two sounds) at any point where you need to regroup.

 

Start

Use the timing worksheet, fill in the times before you start the sequence. Use even minutes.

Lower the postpone flag with one sound one minute before raising the warning (class) flag. (6 minutes to start)

The class flag is yellow for a single start. If you start the multihulls separately, their class flag is green and the monohull class flag is red (or yellow if you can’t find the green flag).

Class flag up – one sound. (5 minutes to start)

Prep flag up – one sound (4 minutes to start) ( Racing Rules apply as of now)

Prep flag down – one long sound (1 minute to start)

Class flag down – one sound (0 minutes to start)

Don’t hail “all clear” (everyone may not hear you, giving some skippers an advantage)

The signaler (flag person) should sight the line (between the RC flag and the pin) for the start, with the Individual Recall (X) flag ready. If anyone is over early (any part of the boat on the course side of the starting line when the class flag comes down), raise the X flag with one sound. Record the sail number(s). Try to hail the skipper, but it is the skippers responsibility to start correctly even without hails (i.e. “643 over early”).

 

 

Finish

One person records all the finish TIMES, and notes the corresponding sail number when possible.

One person records all the SAIL NUMBERS in order of finish, and notes the corresponding finish time when possible.

Record on scratch paper and transfer to the finish form later.

Record every boat, even if there is a question about starting or sailing the course. If a boat finishes twice, write them both down! Sort it out later.

Make note of protests. There are protest forms in the shed.

 

 

 

Scoring

The races will be scored later by entering the start and finish times into Sailwave, the scoring software. Scores and standings will be available on the USC web site and the Yahoo Group site.

Deliver the results along with any protest forms to Paul Culnan. 303 938-8150. If you can’t find Paul, leave them in the RC box in the shed and let him know they are there.

 

Protests

Have the protestor fill out a protest form. There are protest forms in the shed. Deliver any protest forms along with the results to the RC Committee: Gib Charles, C-970-412-0219, Jim Daus c-303-912-2920, or Paul Culnan, 303 938-8150

 

Put Away the RC Boat and Equipment

Park the RC boat back where you found it. If in the water, be sure it is facing out into the waves.

Disconnect the gas line from the engine. Close the vent on the gas tank

Put the Flags, marks and RC equipment back in the shed.

If on the trailer, remove the drain plug and replace the tarp on the boat.