Race Day Equipment

1. Race Committee Boat Equipment
2. Equipment Required on the Start / Finishing line Vessel & Safety Boat
3. Equipment Required on the Rescue / Mark Layer Vessel
4. What I found on Temu for Equipment Required
5. Sailing Course Setting App – Buoy Zone on Trial

All good race officers arrive at the venue well ahead of the planned start of racing as there are many aspects that require attention, verification or action even though many items should have been resolved in the previous days.

Race Committee Boat Equipment:

The SA Sailing website includes a checklist for equipment needed in the various Race Committee Boats, see Appendix G. The following provides a little more context to the equipment required. This is in addition to the SAMSA and other basic requirements (life jackets, fuel, safety gear etc).

The equipment that would normally be available for a regatta should include the following:

• Full Set of International Flags
• Coloured flags: Red, Green Pennant, Blue, Orange & Black.
• One strong anchor with at least 5 metres of chain and adequate anchor rope. Anchor rope length should be six times the probably anchor depth. If in water with strong currents an additional anchor is recommended
• Motor sized to allow motoring at a minimum of 10 knots with fuel
• Communication equipment: Short wave radios (Marine Radios required when at sea). One per Race Committee boat and the shore. (One spare recommended)
• Sound signal device and backup – Should be loud enough to be easily heard at the end of the starting line
• Both main signal device and backup should be checked before the race – Comment: The back-up sound device is really important. All too often a hooter runs out of gas or battery power, and the effectiveness of the bridge is diminished. The RO should always ensure the availability of a simple but effective backup such as a football referee’s whistle.
• Wind Direction and strength tools – Burgee, Anemometer. Compass
• Countdown and count up clock – Clock must be easily set to the countdown times required and also immediately count up. The clock face should be large enough to be easily seen from at least 2 metres away.
• Spare batteries adequate to service all clocks used should be carried.
• Binoculars
• Administrative Stationary – Pens, recording sheets, sail numbers listings, clip boards
• Reference documents
• Any gear required by SI such as loud hailer, first aid boxes, Course Display Cards, Charts, GPS, Marine radio etc if required by location of racing.
• Cool box for on board refreshments during racing
• First Aid Kit including Sea Sickness pills

In addition to the above, the race officer should ensure the following personal equipment is available to the Race Committee members on each vessel.

• Personal equipment – Sun protection, adequate wet/windy weather gear Refreshments as required.

Equipment Required on the Start / Finishing line Vessel & Safety Boat:

This is in addition to the SAMSA and other basic requirements (life jackets, fuel, safety gear etc)

• Start / Finishing line mark with anchor and line. Anchor to be adequate in size to prevent drifting. Anchor to have at least 3m chain and line at least six times the probably anchor depth A device to keep unnecessary line away from surface
• Course Mark. Leeward mark with anchor and line. Anchor to be adequate in size to prevent drifting. Anchor to have at least 3m chain and line at least six times the probably anchor depth A device to keep unnecessary line away from surface
• Radio and Binoculars
• Clip board with a list of sail numbers
• Personal equipment. Sun protection, adequate wet/windy weather gear. Wet gear in case of emergency requiring one member to enter the water o Refreshments as required
• First Aid Kit including Sea Sickness pills
• 30 m tow line
• Flag sticks and flags
• South African Sailing Race Officer’s Guide. C flag, Red Flag, Green Δ Flag, M flag, +
• Flag/Board, – Flag / Board F Flag if stated in SI

This vessel is used by the Race Officer as the primary Safety Boat to attend to any capsize noted and is normally a smaller nimble boat with a motor allowing it to travel + 25 knots and often inflatable boats are found ideal.

In some circumstances it is a good idea for both the safety and mark-laying boats carry an S flag, whistle and a “wet notes” book so they can be used in the case of a shortened course.

Mark Layer Vessel:

This vessel is crewed by an Assistant Race Officer and a Skipper / crew. The key role of the crew on this boat is to assist the RO in setting the windward mark and other marks as determined by the RO with the Assistant Race Officers guidance for angle to the wind and leg length.

It is the duty of the ARO to ensure the marks have adequate anchor line so that the mark does not drift and also doesn’t have unnecessary line which may foul boats. The type of boat should be capable of both carrying the windward and wing marks as well as being suitable as a backup to the safety boat. The Assistant Race Officer should be competent sailor and hold the SA Sailing Safety Boat Operators certificate.

Equipment Required on the Rescue / Mark Layer Vessel:

This is in addition to the SAMSA and other basic requirements (life jackets, fuel, safety gear etc)

• Windward and Wing mark with anchors and lines. Anchors to be adequate in size to prevent drifting. Anchors to have at least 3m chain and line at least six times the probably anchor depth A device to keep unnecessary line away from surface. A 4th mark should be easily accessible (On board or at nearby shore)
• Radio and Binoculars
• Clip board with a list of sail numbers
• Personal equipment. Sun protection, adequate wet/windy weather gear. Refreshments as required
• First Aid Kit including Sea Sickness pills
• 30 m tow line
• Flag sticks and flags. C flag, Red Flag, Green Δ Flag, M flag, + Flag/Board, – Flag / Board

Since the vessel doubles as a backup a Safety boat, it should be able to travel at least at 20 but is normally larger than the safety boat as it should also be large enough to carry three course marks and often carries mark 4 during the race.

Equipment Required and Available From Temu Online Shopping:

RO Equipment from Temu

Please be aware that the equipment may not be 100% marinised. This list is provided as an indication of what you will have to spend on the equipment. Marinised two way radios and other equipment will add substantially to the equipment that a Race Officer is expected to carry on his/her person when running a regatta.

Plain Links to Temu:

Versatile Waterproof Compass for Cars & Boats – Ideal for Outdoor Adventures, Camping, Hiking, Fishing & More – Durable ABS/PMMA Construction

Digital Hand-held Wind Speed Gauge Meter GM816 30m/s (65MPH) Pocket Smart Anemometer Air Wind Speed Scale Anti-wrestling Measure, Batteries Not Included

1pc Premium Stainless Steel Whistle – Outdoor Survival and Referee Training Whistle with Loud and Clear Sound, Durable Construction, and Easy-to-Use Design – Perfect for Camping, Hiking, and Sports Events

Heavy-Duty Knitted Polyester Boat Flags with Dual Hooks – Durable Outdoor Decor, 30.48×45.72cm or 45.72×60.96cm, Alphabet A-Z

Walkie-talkie Universal Waterproof Bag, Rain And Dust Protective Cover, Walkie-talkie Bag With Waterproof Strap

Multi-Purpose, Loud Stainless Steel Handheld Air Horn with Removable Mouthpiece – Perfect for Boats, Yachts & Emergency Signaling

2pcs Loud Handheld Air Horns – Reusable Metal & PC Material, Perfect for Boats, Safety & Sports Events – Versatile Noise Maker & Bell Accessory, White

1pc Super Loud 12V Dual Trumpets Air Horn, Universal Fit Aluminum Alloy Marine Safety Horn for Boats, Yachts, Ships – Weather-Resistant Signal Horn with Mounting Hardware

10/20pcs 6-Inch Durable Elastic Bungee Cords with Plastic Balls, Outdoor Camping Tent Secure Waterproof Bungee Cords, Trampoline Beach Net Stretch Rope, PP Material, Black, for Camping Tent Accessories

Multi-Mode, Versatile Digital Timer with Alarm Clock – Count Up & Down, 24-Hour Display, Memory Function, Large LCD, Magnetic/Stand Options for Cooking, Baking, Study & Gym – KT THERMO

1pc High-Definition Marine Binoculars for Adults, Bak4 Prism & FMC Lens, with Rangefinder and Compass, ABS Resin Body, Non-Electric, Battery-Free, Ideal for Boating, Fishing, and Christmas Gift

1pc, High Magnification Monocular Telescope, 10x, 20mm Diameter, Manual Focus, Waterproof, Black, PE Material, for Hunting, Fishing, Shooting, Travel

Waterproof Floating Dry Bag Backpack – 5L to 30L Sizes, Roll-Top Design for Kayaking, Rafting, Boating, Swimming, Camping, Hiking, Beach & Fishing – Durable PVC Material

2 Pack Multifunctional A4 PP Clipboard Case with Pen Holder, Waterproof Writing Pad Document Organizer

Fanwear GPS Smart Watch – 5ATM Waterproof, Wireless 5.3, Compass & Altitude Tracker, 170+ Sports Modes, Stopwatch, Timer, Air Pressure Monitor, Silicone Band, USB Rechargeable Battery

Buoy Zone:

I will be trialling Buoy Zone at the upcoming SA Youth Nationals at Wriggleswade from 15 to 19 December 2024.

So far the promised easy course setting is a breeze from my land based office.

The litmus test will be creating the courses at Wriggleswade and PUSHING those to the mark layers for setting.

There are a couple of subscription options:

1. Race Officer Account: around R720.00 per annum per Race Officer
2. Club Account: around R4000 per annum which covers all race officers affiliated to the club and mark layers.

As a race officer it’s quick and easy to create a course from scratch or re-use one you’ve used before.

The video below outlines the steps of setting up a course and covers the following:

• Create new or select a course you’ve used before
• Confirm / edit the course layout and settings
• See course on map and review all mark details
• Present individual mark coordinates
• Navigate to a specific mark
• Zoom in to see the mark’s 10m & 5m zones to help Support Boats accurately lay the mark
• View all Support Boats who have joined the course

 

Robin Gray’s Race Officer Kit:

 

This video may explain the equipment and some hints on how to do it. Every RO may carry different kit and there are also other items needed such as course boards, blackboards, bearing boards, flags,sound signals etc but this video just covers the peronal kit that Robin Gray brings onboard.