This post has been superseded by nsc.ca/an/racing/rc-volunteers-procedure/rcn-penalties/.
In 2013, NSC added new Sailing Instructions pertaining to people who volunteer for Race Committee duty, but then don’t show up for that duty, or cancel with little notice. While some racers do read the Sailing Instructions, many may not have fully appreciated the implications and consequences of these changes. In short, if you or your crew do not show up for an RC duty for which you have volunteered, your boat will be penalized. The same is true if you cancel with inadequate notice. See the full text of SI 21.11 below.
So why was this change introduced? The volunteer RC Duty program is critical to the success of our Interclub racing. Without the volunteers, we simply could not run our racing program. And when a volunteer cancels on short notice, it puts that race in jeopardy. In previous years, boats could be penalized, but the only penalty was disqualification from a race, which was considered too harsh for a single volunteer missing one RC duty.
Hence the new penalty of 3 points was introduced; the penalty is small to allow it to be applied regardless of circumstance. This is somewhat equivalent to the “handicap” that a boat might incur in a race if one of their crew didn’t show up as expected for a race. This penalty is automatic, and does not imply that the volunteer’s absence was unjustified. But it would be unfair to put the RC Volunteer Coordinator in the position of deciding whether a volunteer’s absence was justified; like the crew that doesn’t show up, the penalty is the same, regardless of the reason.
Of course, we do not want to have to apply the RCN penalty provided for in SI 21.11, and this may be avoided if the volunteer can find their own replacement. So what constitutes “inadequate notice to find a replacement”? A week’s notice may be considered adequate. If cancelling with less than a week’s notice, the RC Volunteer Coordinator will attempt to find a replacement, but if there is inadequate time for the volunteer to find their own replacement, then there may also be inadequate time for the RC Volunteer Coordinator to find a replacement.
Since skippers will be the ones penalized if their crew don’t show up, they may wish to keep track of the duties for which their crew have volunteered. The RC Volunteer Coordinator will attempt to notify the skipper if a crew member cancels on short notice, but this cannot be guaranteed. (For 2014, we will look at having the skipper’s e-mail address added to the RC Volunteer sign-up form, so that the skipper receives confirmation and reminders of the RC duties for which their crew have signed up.)
So what happens if a replacement can’t be found? That’s when SI 21.9 (also copied below) kicks in, and the bosuns will “press-gang” someone into duty.
For questions or comments on the above, please contact Jennifer Holliday, the RC Volunteer Coordinator.
SI 21.11: “21.11 When an NSC skipper or crew does not show up for an NSC RC duty for which they have signed up, or if the same provide inadequate notice to find a replacement, then the finish position for their boat, in the next race in which the boat races, shall be increased by 3 points for each crew member that did not show up for RC duty. If the boat does not race within three weeks of the RC duty which was missed, or prior to the end of the current series, whichever comes first, then three points for each crew member that did not show up for RC duty shall be added to their finish in the last race in which they raced, prior to the night on which they were a no-show for RC duty. Boats so scored shall appear in the results as “RCN” (for RC No-show), with the appropriate number of points.”
SI 21.9: “If an insufficient number of RC volunteers show up to run a race, the bosuns may “press-gang” the skipper and/or crew of any NSC boat that is intending to race that evening, but that has not yet signed up for the required number of RC duty slots. I.e., the skipper and/or crew of such a boat will be asked to perform RC duty that evening, instead of racing. If the skipper or crew refuses, their boat will be scored DNE in that evening’s races. This amends RRS 63.1 and A5, in accordance with RRS 86.1(b).