Race Officer Duties (Trial)

This will work on a rotating basis for one race only per day. The roster will work by sail number – low to high and or high to low alternating each race day or recorded on the white board. Each sailor will generally do one RO duty race per day.

For a race the RO will be responsible for the following:

  • The Race Officer will not sail in the particular race that they are being Race Officer

  • Call “Boats to the water”

  • Initiate Start timer

  • Observe Start line

  • Call any premature starters 

  • Call a General Recall if required (whistle - 2 blasts)

  • Turn the start timer off if required

  • Call boat mark contact

  • Call boat on boat contact  

  • Record the first 3 boats that finish first and the 3 boats that finish last in handicap racing 

  • At the end of all competitors finishing the race advise and hand over to who is to be RO for the next race.

The RO is not suggesting or asking for penalties – that is up to the sailors – just calling out what they observe such as contact etc. There is likely to be different levels of competence of being RO…it is all a learning process for everyone and in particular the new sailors to the sport. Less experienced or new to radio sailing racing are welcome to ask for a more experienced racer to assist and guide them through the process during a race.

The concept is to spread the load of RO around the sailing group for that day. To have structured, clean racing where sailors are self disciplined. Racing is fair and rules are adhered to for the benefit of all sailors.