Join The Race Committee Team
J World is welcoming folks who would like to gain experience on our Thursday Night Racing Race Management Team to join us this season onboard the J World race committee boat. No previous experience is necessary to make a huge contribution to the best weeknight one design racing taking place in the country. Maybe even the GALAXY!
The race management team is made up of lots of people, so there is something for everyone who is interested. No one person can run the whole thing (all though we’ve tried) and it takes a great team to make something as important as Thursday Night Racing in Annapolis happen for the J/22, J/24, J/70 and J/80 classes happen with the quality we expect each week.
Here is an outline of some of the volunteers needed each week to make J World’s Thursday Night Racing – Sponsored by Quantum Sails happen.
Mark Setter – The mark setter is responsible for operating a small powerboat while positioning and possibly relocating marks of the race course. They may also be responsible for communicating changes to the course and even recording finishes on a shortened course.
Wind Reader – The wind reader is responsible for observing, tracking and recording changes in the wind direction and velocity and making suggestions about course axis and course lengths. This information is relayed to the principle race officer (PRO) who will make the final decisions about course configurations.
Spotter/Recorder – Identifies and records all boats starting and finishing, including competitors who do not start or complete the race.
Signaller – The signaller is responsible for flags and other visual signals from the race committee to the competitors. An exciting position; the signaller raises and lowers class flags, individual and general recall flags and more.
Line Sighter – Sights starting and finishing lines to track boats that are over early, returning to the start and finishing.
Timer – The timer is the “heartbeat” of the race management team. The timer calls the time sequence aloud so the start and finish can be properly run.
Scorer – The scorer takes the recorded finishes made by the Spotter/Recorder and tabulates points and finishing times.
Sounder – The sounder is in charge of sound signals including our electronic “ollie” as well as horns and whistles in the event that there is a failure of the “ollie.”
Committee Boat Operator – The committee boat operator plays a crucial role in preparing, outfitting and operating the RC boat. The CBO ensures that the RC is on station at the correct location and manages the boat while the other members of the race management team are focused on their important roles.
Principle Race Officer – The PRO is the chief executive of the race management team. Makes the major decisions about the management of each race night.
If you would like to join us for Thursday Night Racing as volunteer, please contact us at 410-280-2040. If you would like to learn more about the roles of race management teams you can check out these resources:
US Sailing’s Materials for Race Officers
