Crew Chief Guidelines
Revised by the WLYC Race Committee - 7/19/08

Introduction: Make it a matter of honor that the races during your service as crew chief will be done well. If you are unable to serve as chief on your appointed day, it is your responsibility to find a replacement or trade with someone. Please notify the race committee chairmen of any changes in the appointments as soon as possible.

1. A boat can use a sail that does not correspond to her hull number for only one weekend of racing. The proper numbers must then be displayed on the sail or the boat will be considered as a DNS and no points will be awarded for finish position.

2. Drop races will only be 25% of total races

3. All sailors 19 years of age and older will be required to pay the $75.00 racing fee.

Load necessary equipment aboard Chopper. You cannot assume the chief before you have loaded everything that is needed.

A. Course board and marker

B. Air horn and air

C. Timing watch (and back up watch), you must supply this

D. Load hailer. Check to see if hailer works.

E. Pencils, score sheet, and clipboard.

F. Starting buoy, line and anchor.

G. Confirm that sufficient gasoline and life jackets are aboard.

H. Necessary flags: Class flag- MC, Butterfly, Laser, M-17 or E, Preparatory Flag- blue with white square, Finish line- blue flag, Abandonment- blue and white checkered, Postponement- red and white vertical strips, Shorten Course- white with blue square, Actual line- orange square

2.) Leave the dock 45 minutes before scheduled warning and blow horn.

3.) 30 minutes before scheduled warning: Set line. Set line downwind of the first mark. Set line to favor leeward end 5 to 10 degrees. Set line as long as yacht length times total number of yachts expected to start.

Use about 2/3 to 3/4 of the anchor line so that you can adjust starting line angle by pulling in or letting out the anchor line. Ask the crash boat to move the port end mark if there is a large wind shift. Watch sailboats to detect shifts immediately. Adjust line at any time to preparatory signal.

4.) 20 minutes before scheduled warning: Write course, sail numbers, date, race crew names, and class on the score sheet. Write legibly. Write down sail numbers of all yachts in the starting area as they come; make accurate count of all the starters in each race in addition to all finishers in order to score properly. Use no-carbon required score sheets. Check line to be sure the anchor is not dragging. Check the average direction of line to be sure the leeward end is favored slightly. If there is a problem, fix it. Hoist the postponement flag if necessary.

5.) Starting races: Races shall be started by using the following signals. Times shall be taken from the visual signals; the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded. Just before the following sequence 3 to 5 short sounds than pause and start the sequence.

During sequence keep eye on watch, do not lose track of count. If you miss count, sound two horns and raise postponement flag. Lower it one minute later. One minute after that begin a new sequence starting with the preparatory flag and horn. Yachts are officially racing with the preparatory signal and horn. Yachts which have not started by ten minutes after their starting signal are recorded DNS. Remember that a 10:30 on the schedule means warning flag and horn at 10:30 and 1:15 on the schedule means warning flag and horn at 1:15. Reward skippers who have arrived on time. Do not punish promptness by making competitors wait for skippers who are tardy.

6.) Calling yachts over at the start can best be done by positioning your line of sight from the leeward side of the flag staff (rather than the windward side of the flagstaff~ because you can see yachts approaching the line rather than have them burst through all of a sudden. Be alert to see confrontation and fouls. You may be called upon to testify at a protest meeting. You do not have to know the applications rules to testify; you only have to report what you saw.

7.) If this is the first of two classes starting, lower the class flag after a two minutes. Then start a new sequence for the next fleet.

8.) Set the finish line 20 minutes early. Then hoist a solid blue flag signifying that the finish line is set and the finish boat is on station. Write down the names of the finishers in order. Acknowledge the finish of the first place finished with a sound signal. Take the first yachts time. The maximum time limit is 1.75 hours for a race to be scored. Yachts which have not finished by 30 minutes after the first yacht are recorded DNF. Note who is flying a protest flag or who notifies you verbally of intent to protest and the number of the yacht protested. Note who acknowledges a foul. E's must fly a protest flag. (Code flag B from starboard shroud is always acceptable, but protest committee usually allows any dark flag.)

Note: Calling yachts over at the finish can best be done by positioning your line of sight from the course side of the flag staff, (rather than the finished side of the Flagstaff, because you can see yachts approaching the line rather than have them burst through all of a sudden.

9.) For back-to-back races, start sequence for the next race after the last yacht finishes, or 30 minutes after the finish of the first yacht, whichever is sooner. The finish line for the 1~ race in a back-to-back series may be set so it may also serve as a starting line for the second race.

10.) After the final race, return to the club and properly put everything away, If you are the last races of the day. Post one copy of the race results on the official race bulletin board in front of the club and place the other copy of the results in the scorer's box behind the Anchor Room cash register in the hallway leading to the sail room.