Our club can only function successfully
through the efforts of all of the members. We provide safety cover at all times
of scheduled sailing, including during public access sailing, through the
efforts of our members. To run club
racing also requires members to take turns at running the races or providing
hot food between races.
The roster is normally published
for three month periods with at least one month’s notice. Existing members are
requested to record their preferences by mailing or emailing the Sailing
Captain. A preferences form is available from the website www.gdsc.org. If you are not able to do this,
you should contact the Sailing Captain by phone. New members should record
their preferences on the joining form.
When you accept the conditions of
membership, you are committing to fulfilling your rostered duties. If you are
unavailable for a rostered duty, please make every attempt to swap with another
club member. It is easiest to swap with
those rostered on the dates either side of yours. Please do not wait for the Officer of the Day
to contact you if you know that you will not be available.
Members who miss duties will be
re-rostered and those who continually miss duties may not be accepted for
membership next year.
The Officer of the Day (OD), or Race Officer,
has responsibility for all aspects of racing and safety on the water, please
obey their request and assist them if asked.
The OD sets the racing course, organises the start line and controls the
race as well as ensuring that results are calculated and recorded. Like a football referee, they are never
wrong. Please remember that they are
also fellow members of the club.
Assistant Officers of
the Day (AODs)
help the OD by hoisting and lowering flags or starting light signal sequences
and making the sound signals as well as providing extra eyes and ears for
ensuring fair play on the water (the racing rules). This role is only rostered for major events.
Safety crew are responsible for
ensuring that a safety boat, adequately equipped and crewed, is in a state of
readiness at all times. In medium and
strong winds, where the dangers of capsize are greater, the safety boat should
be on the water at all times. The OD
will not start racing until a safety boat and crew are prepared.
All safety boat crew must be aged 16 or over and members of the club.
One member of the crew must be 18 or over.
Galley crew look after the drinks
and hot food for sailing members as well as ensuring that the clubhouse
facilities are available, particularly the hot showers.
All members of a day’s duty team may swap roles during the day,
providing that safety cover is maintained at all times and that racing is
competently run. The duty team are also responsible for tidying up after sailing
and closing the premises unless another member agrees to take the
responsibility.
1.
Ready for sailing (on the day of duty)
Check
the local weather forecast.
Get
the ODs keys from the club key-safe in the boiler room.
Collect
the results book from the shelf just inside the wet-room.
Make
signing-on sheets available on the shelf in Race Control (if racing).
Ensure
that the safety boat and crew are ready, check that they have oars and an
emergency kit (black tube).
Record
the duty team on the results sheet in the Handicap Results Book.
Hoist
the GDSC club flag on club mast adjacent to the slipway.
2.
Set the course
Check
equipment - binoculars, timing devices, flags, sound signalling,
GDSC
results book, race instructions.
Check
wind direction and strength and, using the suggested courses, set
suitable course for prevailing conditions, race type and entries.
3.
Run any races.
Sunday
club racing should start with a pursuit at 11:15.
After
lunch, handicap races should be run at approximately 13:45 and 15:15
−
Note the class and sail
numbers of all boats on the race card.
−
Make the warning and
preparatory signals (usually –10 min. and –5 min.).
−
Signal the race start.
−
Note each lap completed
for each boat.
−
Note the finish
positions (pursuit race) or elapsed time (handicap race).
−
Calculate the actual
positions (handicap race or adjusted pursuit race).
Publicise the start time of next race by telling sailors inside and
outside the clubhouse.
4.
Finish sailing.
Signal
'racing abandoned' with three long sound signals.
Note
any problems, breakages on the whiteboard behind you.
Ensure
all safety boats are returned to the boat store.
Lock
the boat store and the fuel locker and return all keys to clubhouse safe.
Return
the results book to the shelf in the clubhouse wet-room and update the results
of any series on the notice-boards.
Ensure
that club premises are secure before leaving or that someone responsible has
agreed to do this.
1.
Ready for sailing (on the day of duty)
Check
the local weather forecast.
Get
the ODs and safety boat keys from the club key-safe in the boiler room.
Ensure
that the safety boat and crew are ready; check that they have oars and an
emergency kit (black tube).
Record
the names of the duty team on the Saturday Sailing Log.
Hoist
GDSC club flag and sailing flags on club mast adjacent to the slipway.
2.
Supervise sailing.
Collect
any day sailing or entry fees.
Record all sailors (club members or visitors) in the Saturday Sailing
Log.
If the container is opened, make sure that a responsible adult has
agreed to supervise the equipment and ensure its return to the container
Note: Container keys are available only from committee members or designated
club sailing instructors
3.
Finish sailing.
At 5pm,
signal 'sailing over' with three long sound signals.
Note
any problems, breakages on the daily log.
Ensure
all safety boats are returned to the boat store.
Lock
the boat store and the fuel lockers and return all keys to clubhouse safe.
Ensure
that equipment has been returned to the container and it is locked.
Ensure
that club premises are secure before leaving or that someone responsible has
agreed to do this.
Important guidelines on safety boat handling are printed on the
laminated card in each boat and in Race Control. These instructions must be read by the safety
crew before launching.
1.
Wear warm clothing (including gloves) - remember, sitting in a safety boat in the wind,
you will feel far colder than racing a sailing dinghy.
2.
Check that oars or
paddles are secured, that a tow rope and an emergency kit (black tube) are in the boat and that the kill-cord is fitted -
keys are kept in the club key safe in the storage cupboard, tow rope and
emergency kit are kept in the boat store.
3.
Confirm the OD's
requirements - the Officer of the Day ( OD ) may
ask you to move racing marks before racing or to assist in starting and finishing races.
4.
Check that the fuel tank
is full - if not, fill it using petrol from the fuel safe
behind the blue dory’s berth. Both RIBs
use the same pre-oiled fuel.
5.
Check hull and fittings
- the dory may need water draining by removing hull
bungs. Always replace the bungs securely.
6.
Check crew readiness - ensure that buoyancy aids are being worn by all crew and that all
safety crew are club members and at least 16 years old.
7.
Tie the fuel tank into
the safety boat - do not rely on the
bung attached to the wire strap.
8.
Attach the kill-cord - the driver of the safety boat should always have the kill-cord attached
to them.
Guidance on how to
perform the role of safety boat crew is included in the club handbook and is
also available from the Officer of the Day.
1. Capsizes - approach the capsized boat as quickly as is possible. Stand off
up-wind by at least 20 feet (2 boat lengths).
Do not approach closer unless requested to by the capsized crew (only attempt
a rescue if their judgment appears impaired through hypothermia). If all crew members are visible and free of
entanglement, look and check that no other boats have capsized or have got into
difficulties.
If
other boats have capsized, go to each in turn to check that all crew are
visible, un-hurt and un-entangled.
Otherwise, attend the initial capsize for as long as is necessary to
check that all crew are back in the boat, un-hurt and able to continue.
2. Righting - If the crew request your assistance in righting their boat, remember
that boats right more easily if the bow is towed to windward. If the crew are hurt, tired or cold, assist
them onto the rescue boat and leave the capsized boat to drift.
3. Rescuing - approach floating sailors SLOWLY, from down-wind - it's better
to make a second attempt than to hit them!
Haul them over the front of the safety boat by leaning over and gripping
their clothing at their lower back - not by pulling their buoyancy aid.
4. Towing - A righted boat is best towed by a long (20 feet or more) warp over the
stern of the safety boat, attached forming a 'Y' to the safety boat transom.
The warp should be attached to the mast of the boat being towed and secured to
a central foredeck fairlead. Ensure that
the centre-board / dagger-board is lifted fully and ensure that someone sits in
the stern and steers with the rudder.
5. Towing (alongside) - If towing a single boat alongside the safety boat,
ensure that the towed boat's transom is level with, or in front of, the safety
boats transom. Failure to do this will
result in a pronounced bias to the steering which may make recovery
impossible. If towing two boats, put one
on each side of the safety boat with their masts level.
6. Sailboards
- always take the sailboarder into the safety
boat. Lay the sailboard rig across the
safety boat, with the mast at right angles to the side of the safety boat and
the boom lying toward the stern. The
safety crew or sailboarder can then hold onto the rig, lifting the sailboard
partly out of the water and allowing moderate speed of return to the slipway.
Sailors should stay with their vessel unless instructed otherwise by
safety crew.
The quickest way to shore in most cases for a windsurfer is to detach the rig
and be towed (the rig can be recovered later); for a dinghy, it is to drop all
sails and await a tow.
1.
Estimate the number of
sailors - in good weather, Sunday racing attracts 30 to 40
sailors. In poor weather there may be 15
or less sailors.
2.
Buy ingredients - keep the receipt. Aim for 75p
– £1 per person for ingredients and sell for £2. The galley will reimburse all of your costs.
Dried food, tinned hotdogs and other supplies are kept at
the clubhouse to cover unexpected numbers or other emergencies. Please remember that sailors may be hungry
and muddy but do like a little variation in what they eat. If possible, bring fresh milk, bread,
margarine and clean tea-towels.
3.
Open up the galley – you will need to find an exec member for the keys.
They will usually open the galley when they arrive, then give you their keys.
4.
Start the generator - instructions are in the generator outhouse (if the day is warm and
sunny, leave the generator until evening).
5.
Boil a kettle of water
- to provide coffee / tea for the early arrivals.
Check the shower boiler is lit - instructions
in the boiler room.
Light the instant hot-water boiler
on the wall above the sink.
Half-fill and light the gas urn - check
the water level.
6.
Advertise the hot meal
- write the choices and prices on the
chalkboard. Display a range of snack
foods, chocolate and soft drinks on the counter.
7.
Prepare the hot meal - once the first race starts, count the names on the signing-on sheet and
allow a few extra. Plan for the meal to
be ready for the first finishers (usually just after 12:45 for club Sunday racing).
8.
Keep all moneys in the
drawer under the counter - accept IOUs only if
customers under 16 threaten to cry.
9.
Clean up the galley - collect any plates and cups and wash and replace them in the cupboards.
10.
Place all rubbish in
black bin-bags and put them in the green trolley-bin. Check the
trolley-bin collection date list pinned in the galley. If it’s today, wheel the
trolley-bin to outside of the club gates.
11.
Close the galley – when racing is finished, total the money in the drawer and remove all
but £2 - £3 of change. Record the amount
in the receipt book, bag the money with the receipt and place it in the bar
cash-box, lock the galley and return the keys to their owner or to the OD.
What do I do?