Officer of the Day duty

Working as a team

The Officer of the Day (OoD) is responsible for all of the duty team on the day. You need to delegate all of the duties for the day noting that all the duty team have a shared responsibility to assist each other throughout the day

On arrival

Arrive no later than 9-30 am as the Committee have decided that sailing will take place from 10-00 am to 4-30 pm (earlier finish in October). The keys to the front gate and lift room are available from the Warden’s fishing licence/shop at the Visitor Centre. These keys need to be signed for on presentation of a valid LBSC Membership Card. The combination safe in the lift room then provides all the other keys needed during the day

Ascertain if the weather is suitable for sailing to take place

Open the four containers (2 safety boats, sail locker and training locker), garage, the changing rooms, the OoD hut, the two pontoon gates and the upstairs room. The members on duty in the galley have their own duty list, which is located above the microwave oven

The OoD determines how many safety boats are required on the water but in calm conditions the second safety boat may be left on its trailer by the slip

It is important to note that in our sailing club, the safety boats are there for the protection of all sailors on the water and not just for racing members. This could mean that safety boats are on the water after the last race of the day

Allocate responsibilities

According to experience, the OoD ensures that all persons on duty for the day know their responsibilities and that they will be required until the end of the day to attend to the close down duties (ie, safety boats away, containers locked, Picos locked, changing and galley areas washed down etc.) Mark the duty team’s names on the blackboard beneath the steps to the galley

Set the race course

Whenever anyone is on the pontoon they must wear a buoyancy aid. Put up the flagpole and tie down on the front of the pontoon. Hoisting the club burgee is the sign that sailing will take place. Put out the windsock and the horn. Fly the appropriate flags for the course. Obtain the stopwatch and binoculars from the OoD hut. Set the first course and mark it on the course board at least an hour before the race starts. One of the safety boat crews should check the marks are in their proper positions. Each race should start heading into the wind. Be prepared to signal (horn) the first race at 11-00 am for an 11-30 am start. Depending on wind conditions, other race times are 1-00 pm and 3-00 pm

Ensure the Safety Boat Captain(s) have checked the boat fuel/oil and have working radios on board. Another working radio is required by the OoD who may well need to call a safety boat if a sailor needing assistance hasn’t been seen by one of the safety boats skippers

Ensure that racers have entered details of their boat and crew on a signing on sheet made out for the particular race. Competitors must be on the membership list or have applied for membership

Start the race observing the 5, 4 and 1-minute flags and hooter. At the completion of each lap record each boat’s relative position on the signing on sheet. Determine if the race needs shortening and fly the shorten course flag. As each racer completes the course use the hooter and record the time. Note down any incidents on the signing on sheet as you may have to arrange a protest committee

Once all racers have completed the course, liaise with the Safety Boat Captain(s) regarding when each safety boat can take lunch. This may mean skippers having staggered lunches to ensure cover is available to any sailor wanting to sail over the lunch period

Determine the time of the next race of the day and in a similar manner to before post the course and start time

Using each boat’s PY number, adjust the elapsed time of racers (details in the book in the OoD hut) to obtain the final race positions. Post the race results in the envelope on the race notice board in the galley

After sailing

When all sailors are off the water (note not when the last racer has finished) commence bringing in the safety boats and storing them away. Give all the radios to the member responsible for charging them ready for the next week. Lock up the container, OoD hut, pontoon gates etc opened during the day. Ensure all heating, water heaters and overrides on immersion heaters are switched off.

On completion of sailing, you are responsible for the clearing up of the clubhouse, changing rooms, galley area, rubbish removal and finally locking up. Make sure that the whole team is involved in these jobs

Lock up the galley and changing rooms. Make sure the car park is empty of visitor’s cars and return the appropriate keys to the safe in the lift room. Lock the lift room and entrance gate and return this key bunch to the visitor centre