Race Management For Local Regattas
Pat Healey is widely quoted as saying you cannot develop top quality racers without providing them with top-quality race management. With this in mind, a group of local sailors sharing an interest in race management have banded together to create a team with top-notch skills.
RCs-R-Us started years ago when several of us, headed by Tom Winlow, started going to Kingston for a week to act as race committee for CORK. We quickly
realized that not only were many things we didn’t know but there was also a larger group of individuals with diverse experiences and interests attempting to develop these skills on their own. As a result, we started running winter seminars to go over specific skills and procedures, bringing in courses from both OSA and CYA. We now have several Provincially and Nationally certificated race officers, and many of us are working our way up through the ranks of race management. We are also expanding the group to include judges and regatta managers. We concentrate on doing the best job we can but keep the emphasis on having fun out there.
In 2003, RCs-R-Us provided race management for several local regattas, including the highly successful Discover Boating Mobility Cup (CYA Regatta of the Year) and Volvo Shark Worlds. While we started as an NSC group, we now have people from other clubs joining in. Our objectives are to provide top-level race management for all clubs in the area and encourage those interested in race officers to develop their skills.
If anyone else wants to join in, you are more than welcome. No race management experience is needed but some racing background is helpful. We can quickly give you an overview of the tasks required by all positions on the race committee, and give detailed instructions for the job you will be assigned to. You are then classified as a trainee and will do the job under the supervision of an experienced officer. You will be able then to do the job next time, or try another position if you choose.
From there the sky is the limit. You can remain a valuable member of the team capable of one or two jobs, or join us on race management courses and get your OSA or CYA certification. The only rule is to have fun!
Jack LeMay