Race Management

One of our chief goals is to improve the quality of racing in our region, to ensure that it is fair, fun, & safe. We believe we can achieve this by working to improve race management by our clubs.

SAIL provides many services to local sailing organizations to improve race management and judging in the Rocky Mountain region. We do them because they are directly related to our mission “to promote the sport of sailing .. by ensuring excellence in race management and judging.”

Our Services

SAIL’s race management services include:

Race Committee Training: We conduct at least one session each year to share the benefits of knowledgeable race officers with local sailing organizations and sailors. More sessions are held, based on requests. Because our people aren’t certified as instructors by US SAILING, good as they are, these sessions don’t lead to certification. The current schedule is on the "Education" page. Additional sessions may be held at the request of clubs or fleets.

Rules Training: We provide workshops on the Racing Rules of Sailing as requested. We also fold rules discussions into the Winter Seminars.

Certification of race officers and judges: We assist sailors interested in becoming certified by US SAILING by arranging for seminars and workshops with certified instructors, putting them together with clubs needing race officers in order to meet the experience requirements, and by recognizing their training. See our list of certified race officers & judges.

Advice to Race Committees: We consult with clubs to help them conduct better racing. This website, for example, contains some helpful tools for race committees. Race officers & judges share their experience, as in "Pitfalls & Tips" and we've gone to the authoritative source (US SAILING's Race management Handbook) for "Regatta Planning" -- action steps with a timeline.

Tools for race committees. See our forms, all of which can be downloaded in PDF format

Sample Notice of Race: Follows the form required by the RRS.

Sample Sailing Instructions: A guide for avoiding common problems in writing sailing instructions and adapted to our region.

SAIL Race Committee Sheet For recording race data on the water. Check in boats, start times & courses, wind data, finishers, & noteworthy observations.

SAIL Race Committee Sheet (Sample). Shows how the Race Committee Sheet is used.

SAIL Handicapping Sheet:-- If you're handicapping by pencil & paper

SAIL Series Scoring Sheet -- If you're scoring by pencil & paper.

SAIL R/C Flags -- A chart of the commonly-used signals flags & their meanings.

Race Committee Quick Reference Sheet: Two-page "cheat sheet" for doing RC. Print on front & back and laminate for water protection.

Website guides: We provide, on this website, much basic information to assist race committees. There are, for example:

Scoring races and regattas: An introduction to scoring
Scoring procedure: How to do it, by time frame.
Handicapping: An explanation of handicap systems and their use.
RC Flags -- An illustrated chart of the commonly-used signal flags & their meanings on the race course.
Race Committee Quick Reference Sheet: Two-page "cheat sheet" for doing RC. Print on front & back and laminate for water protection.
RC Tips & Tricks: Some things we've learned from many years at this game plus expert advice we've received. Read this & keep it in mind.
Race Management FAQ: Frequently-asked questions about race management.
Regatta Planning: How to make sure your club's big regatta goes well.

Computer Scoring: Scoring races, especially with handicaps, was once one of the more painful aspects of race committee work. After seeing many failed attempts to harness computers' powers to the task, SAIL has found a Windows-based program that works easily & reliably. We conduct training programs on SailWave© when there is sufficient demand. See "Education".

Scoring Systems: In addition to the low-point systems of appendix A, there are high-point systems that are considered fairer -- and easier for the scorer. They include:

Cox-Sprague -- No longer favored, due to complexity.
Rinderle B --
Chips3 --

Appeals: We hear qualified appeals from decisions of protest committees. This is often a learning experience for both the appellant and the protest committee. We also file "Requests for Interpretation" of the rules when there's a question. See the "Appeals" page for more information.

Handicapping Systems

Portmsouth handicapping, click here.

PHRF ratings issued by SAIL, click here.