HELPERS BRIEFING FORAVON COUNTY 

HEAD OF THE RIVER

Prepared by:

Robin Leach and Bryn Hughes

WM & WAGS RUC January 2009

Updated for February 2011

Useful terminology for those new to rowing

First: Identify the crew by its club or number then: to instruct a crew to move to their right or left in the direction

they are travelling: to steer to their right say: “Move to starboard” to steer to their left say: “Move to port”

if crews are converging identify both & say “Move apart” to ask a crew to stop rowing say “Easy oar” to ask a crew to stop quicker say “Hold her up” in an EMERGENCY say “Hold her HARD”

or just say “STOP” !

PRIMARY DUTY OF ALL RACE OFFICIALS

It is the primary duty of everyRace Official to care for the

SAFETYof competitors, officials,other water users and

the public at large

C L O T H I N G

It is advisable to bring clothing for all weathers

Hint: Keep your legs warm in cold weather –

Sallopettes are very good for this

Officials in boats and those operating close to the water’s edge must wear life preservers and should not wear Wellington boots

Hint: Wellingtons are recommended for other duties and a change of clothing in the car may be welcome

EQUIPMENT (1)

You should be prepared to bring:

Binoculars Mobile phone Food and hot drinks Notepad and writing equipment

(preferably pencils as they work better in the wet) A clipboard is useful in case one is not provided

EQUIPMENT (2)

You should be provided with:

Lifejacket or similar (if working on or near water) Loudhailer Radio (if required) Map of the Course indicating your area of responsibility Race schedule and/or programme Safety and emergency procedures Instructions as to the action to take in certain situations eg:

How to deal with a crew wishing to overtake another What to do if one crew impedes another

EQUIPMENT (3)

You may be provided with:

Bib or similar to identify you as an official Clipboard Flag, bell and whistle Other means of communication Timekeeping sheets Video Camera Refreshments after the event has ended

(if you are not a member of the organising club)

S A F E T Y

Never put yourself or other people at risk

In the event of an accident and/or injury follow the safety instructions issued to you

Act quickly and calmly to assess the situation and summon help

You should be aware of the quickest way to summon help

Having done so report the circumstances to the Chief Umpire / Marshal / Safety Advisor or whoever you are told is the

responsible official

Race Monitors Arrive at the event in good time to reach your post Check communications are working Ascertain the boundaries of your area of jurisdiction Monitor crews proceeding to the start Whilst crews are racing you need to be very aware

of possible incidents Give clear instructions to each crew as to the action

you wish them to take Be prepared, and know how, to instruct a crew

to stop so as to avoid a collision Make notes of any incidents as soon as possible

Communications

You may have access to one or more of the following:

Radio Mobile phone (possibly your own) Loud hailer Flags, bell and / or whistle

Using a hand held radio

Use button top right to switch on and select channel

Ensure you are tuned to correct channel for your job

To speak press and hold the button on the side (usually left) of the

radio Remove finger when finished Keep messages short and clear Keep to the point – don’t gossip Be prepared to relay messages

RADIO PROCEDURE Press button and wait a second before speaking Begin by identifying the person(s) you wish to

contact and then yourself by your position (not your name) & eg: “hello Rescue Boat 1 this is Monitor 5 over”

Await “Monitor 5 - Rescue Boat 1 receiving over” Then give a “short clear message” If you expect a response - end with “over” If not end with “out” To indicate you have received and understood the

message say “roger” If you do not hear or understand all of the message,

respond “say again”

Radio Protocol for assistance

PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN On hearing this everyone should:

maintain radio silence while the incident is dealt with.

Pay attention in case they are required to assist.

When the incident is over the station who broadcast the warning should send a transmission clearing it.

Boat checking

Safety checks on boats before they reach the landing stage

A qualified umpire will be present and will brief you

If you are unsure – refer the boat to the umpire

Don’t be persuaded by the crew – even if the boat has already been rowed in a previous division

Common boat faults

The next few slides show some examples of common faults found in boats entered for competition at heads and regattas.

All the photos were taken at the Control Commission at actual events.

Bow ball bolt protrudingThis could cause serious injury and

should be taped. In the long run it should be replaced by a better

means of securing the ball. See later slide.

What can tape be hiding?

Is there a sharp object underneath this poorly

taped bow?

Bow ball lifts too high

exposing prow of boat

Note also jagged edge below that could cause

a nasty injury

Buoyancy compartment

not sealed

Heel rises above lowest fixing point of

sole

Sideways bend exposes

prowNote holes in bow that

might prejudice buoyancy

Another insecure buoyancy

cover

A very good boltViewed from both sides

LANDING STAGEFunction: To effectively and efficiently manage boats and

crews on and off the landing stage as rapidly and as safely as possible

Use common sense at all times

Equipment: Marshal in charge to have a loud hailer and radio to

communicate with:a. Crewsb. Registration

Life jackets or similar should be worn

Above the Start

Function: To work as a team to marshal all crews in

numerical starting order (as dictated by the race notes) and to feed them down to the start in starting order

Equipment: Loudhailer, radio, throw line, race schedule

and/or programme, buoyancy aid if on or near water

Monitors on the Course

Function: To monitor racing crews so as to ensure they pass

SAFELY through your area of jurisdiction To make a note of any incident that occurs, and

report each one to the chairman of the race committee

 

Equipment: Loudhailer, radio, race schedule and/or programme Possibly: Mobile phone (your own), flags, bell and /

or whistle and throw line if appropriate

EMERGENCY SITUATIONS (1)In the event of an incident during the race the monitor will need to assess the situation

quickly and prioritise an appropriate order of courses of action

The most likely options are to:

take action to prevent further danger e.g. stop or warn crews approaching the incident

summon safety boats

decide whether racing crews can pass safely

warn monitors up river & advise about stopping crews or allowing them to proceed

warn starter and advise about holding crews who have not started

Continued 

EMERGENCY SITUATIONS (2)

The most likely options continued:

assist with rescue without putting yourself in danger

contact race control: explain situation

: give further info as requested : await instructions about taking further action

and then: –

make written notes as to exactly what happened as soon as possible

consider whether to recommend any “penalty” to the Race Committee

(It is their decision so do not discuss the possibility with crews)

STOPPING THE RACE If you want to stop the race, or you see the next monitor down stream waving their red

flag, or you get a message over the radio saying to stop racing

Stop the race as instructed by blowing the whistle and waving the red flag. Shout “All Crews Stop”

Use your radio to contact other monitors (not everyone may have heard it)

Identify your position and tell them to stop all crews up course of the incident immediately. Crews should wait where they are until given further instructions

Crews who have passed the incident should be allowed to continue

Radio the start and tell them to stop any crew starting

Contact the race co-ordinator who will decide what should happen next

Beyond the Finish

Function:

To keep crews clear of the Finish Line in order to avoid impedance of racing crews

Equipment:

Loudhailer

TIME KEEPINGFunction:

Record the start and finish time of every crew

 

Equipment:

Synchronised stopwatches

Timesheets

Radio, race schedule and/or programme

Optional: Megaphone, video camera, voice recorder

Hint: A video camera is very helpful especially at the finish to provide a back up where several crews finish close together

TIME KEEPING (2) Watches should be synchronised before

the timekeepers set off for their posts

START Above start marshal warns crews to get up speed Starter says: “CREW No XX GO” as they pass so both the crew and

the start timekeepers can hear and helpers note time

FINISH Above finish marshal calls out crew number of approaching boat(s) One person looks along the finish line and shouts “Crew No XX

NOW” as each crew passes Second operates the split time on the watch and calls out the time Third acts as back up with a second watch & also writes down the

time Fourth writes the crew number and time on the time sheet

Monitor Positions for Avon County HOR

Monitor 1

Start

Monitor 2

Monitor 3

Monitor 4Monitor

5

Monitor 8

Monitor 10

Monitor 9

Monitor 6

Monitor 7

Monitor 11

Finish

Umpire

4

7

2 boats have come into view. What is the first conclusion you draw from this

situation? Would you take any action?

Monitor6

Monitor8

Monitor7

4

Crew 4 has capsized. What do you do?

Monitor6

Monitor8

Monitor7

4

5Crew 4 has capsized and blocked the racing line. What do you do?

Monitor6

Monitor8

Monitor7

4

5

Crew 4 is a coxless boat and is heading for the bank. What do you do?

Monitor6

Monitor8

Monitor7

F I N A L L Y

Be calm

Be efficient

Be safe

Be alert

Be authoritative

Be communicative

Enjoy the experience